Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-11-30
NUMBER OF
CHURCHES IS
DECREASING
That is the Findings Of the Commis.
sion on Churches and Country
Life After Research.
WILL SURVEY THIS STATE
Less Than Forty Per Cent Of the
Rural Population are Church
Members.

Members.
Columbus, o., Nov. 18th. one
| of every nine country churches have
been abandoned in recent years. On
ly one-third are increasing in mem
lbership and two-thirds have either
ceased growing or are dying Eighty,
three per cent have less than 100
members; 81 per cent have less than
l25; "a per cent have between 20
and so; and "a per cent have be
tween 5O4and 100. Only six per cent
have individual preachers, while 26
per cent share ministers with anoth-
er church; 20 per cent have one
third the time Of minister; ~ per
cent have one fourth time; IA per
cent have one fifth time; per cent
have one sixth time. A large pro-
portion of preachers receive about
the same pay as asday laborer. Less
than 40 per cent Of the rural pOpu-
lation are church members.
These facts, shown in IAN extens-
i've rural survey Of Ohio, whose re-
suits were announced today, are APP
plicable to most states, according to
officers Of the Commission on Church
and Country Life. Plans for scien-
ltifc surveys in all states, Including
Iowa, to secure definite data for
each locality. will be formulated at
the national convention Of the Com
mission ON Church and Country Life.
to be held in Columbus, Dec. s, -,
and 10, with President Wilson and
Clifford Pinchot among the speakers.
The Ohio survey is considered the
most thorough ever undertaken. but
the campaign not only for surveys
but also for speedy reforms to make
churches community centers as well
as houses of religious worship. is to
be carried into every part Of the
country within the next year.
Here are the causes which the
country church Of the near future
must promote in order to save itself,
according to q much-discussed re-
port by President Kenyon L. Butter
field of Massachusetts Agricultural
College, ready for presentation to
the Commission: Good roads, bet
ter farming, encouragement Of agri-
cultural college extension courses.
community Identification, public
health and recreation, temperance,
better school, Saturday half holiday
for agricultural laborers, cOmmun-
Iity athletics, observance Of religious
and patriotic holidays and home
coming weeks, community planning
and contentment with farm life.
The church must become the So
cial center for the community. with
its minister leading in variety OF
interests, and religion thereby will
become stronger appeal, says the
Butterfield report. Naturally this
program is expected eventually to
dim UNCONVENTIONAL lines.
Concrete means of promoting the
community church movement gre
disclosed in another report which
the Commission is expected to adopt
as working plans. President Wilson,
who will make an address at the con-
|vention, Dec. 10, is reported partic-
|ularly interested in these plans.
They are summarized thus: Rural
ministers and church leaders during
the next year will receive publica-
lions issued by the Commission on
Church and Country Life devoted to
the problems of rural church fedora
lions and combinations. This will
prepare the way for discussion of
church cooperation. Then in each.
township or natural community,
churches will be urged to form fed
Grafton, with delegates and minis
tiers from each church forming
a supervisory committee to CO.
ordinate community activities. Ulti-
mately this federation might employ
"a common minister and pay him a
salary adequate to allow him to un-
dertake wider social work. In many
cases these churches could merge.
connection with q
certain church organization could DO
maintained, but within the commun-
ity sectarian differences would be
largely ignored
When you are not willing to do b
lot Of cheap talking. plenty Of folks