The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1915-06-26
THE RURAL
CHURCH
THE FARMERS THE cUsToDIANs
OF THE NATIONS MORALITY.
Cooperation Of Church, School and
Press Essential to Community
Building.
BY Peter Radford

The church, the press and the school
form triple alliance of progress tina:
guides the destiny of every commun-
ity, state and nation. Without them
civilization would wither and die and
through them life may attain its great.
est blessing, power and knowledge.
The farmers of this nation are greatly
indebted to this social triumvirate for
their uplifting influence, and on behalf
of the American plowmen l want to
thank those engaged in these high
callings for their able and efficient
service, and shall offer to the press
series of articles on cooperation
between these important influences
and the farmers in the hope of in.
creasing the efficiency of all by r,u.
tual understanding and organized ef-
fort. We will take up, first. the rural
church.
The Farmers Are Great Church Build
The American farmer is the greatest
church builder the world has ever
known. He is the custodian of the
nations morality; upon his shoulders
rests the lark of the covenant" and
he is more responsive to religious in
fiuences than any other class of cit
izenship.
The farmers of this nation have
built 100000 churches at a cost of
$500 900, and the annual contribu-
nf I'd oil
institutions approximates 5000, OOG, 900
per annum. The farmers of the Uni.
ted States build % churches per day.
There are 100000 rural church COM
municants on the farm, and "a per
cent of the total membership CT al,
churches reside in the country
The farm is the power-house Of all
progress and the birthplace of all that
} is noble. The Garden of Eden was
in the country and the man who would
get close to God must first get close
to nature.
The Functions Of Rural Church.
If the rural churches today are go
ing to render service which this age
demands, there must be cooperation
between the religious, social and eco
nomic life of the community.
The church to attain it's fullest meas.
ure of success must enrich the lives
OF the people in the community it
serves; it must build character; devel.
: op thought and increase the efficiency
of human life. 1t must serve the So
;, cial, business and Intellectual as well
as the spiritual and moral side Of life
; If religion does not make a man more
4 capable, more useful and more just
l what good is it? We want practical
l religion, one we can Ave by and farm
by, as we'll as die by.
Fewer and Better Churches.
: Blessed is that rural community
: which has but one place of worship
While competition Is the life of trade
it is death to the rural church ant
moral starvation to the community
Petty sectarianism is scourge tina
blights the life, and the church preju
. dice saps the vitality, of many com
munities. An overchurched commun
ity Is crime against religion, seri
= Gus handicap to society and a useless
. tax upon agriculture.
!. While denominations are essentia
!, and church pride commendable, tn
high teaching of universal Christianit.
must prevail if the rural church is t
. fulfill it's mission to agriculture.
We frequently have three or fou
= churches in a community which Is no
able to adequately support one. Small
congregations attend services once
: month and all fail to perform the re
- ligious functions OF the community
;, The division of religious forces an
- the breaking into fragments of mora
= efforts is ofttimes little less than
;. calamity and defeats the very purpos
= they seek to promote.
- The evils of too many churches ca
"a be .minimized by cooperation. TIL
:, social and economic life of rurs
!, community are respective units an
q cannot be successfully divided by q
n nominational lines and the churche
~. can only occupy this Important fiel
., by cooperation and coordination.
"A The efficient country church wi
an definitely serve its community by lea
ing in all worthy efforts at communal
building, in uniting the people in a
- cooperative endeavors for the ge
~ eral welfare Of the community and
arousing real love for country II
an and loyalty to the country home al
~ these results can only be successful
Of. accomplished by the united effort
OH the press, the school. the church al
m organized farmers.
n; II you can't be an optimist. be ST
de- ---------
I'm Fresh air Is so cheap that we
lch ought to be able to get It,