The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-01-21
THE CHURCH AS
ASOC|AL CENTER
A Broader Sphere for Reiiqion-New
Field for tho Rural Church.
BY Peter Radford

BY Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers Union
The social duty of the rural church
is as much part of its obligations
as It's spiritual side In expressing it's
social interest, the modern rural
church does not hesitate to claim that
It Is expressing a true religious in
sttnct and the old-time idea that the
social instincts should be starved
while the spiritual nature was over
fed with solid theological food, is fast
giving way to a broader interpreta-
t1on OF the functions OF true religion.
We take our place in the succession
Of those who have sought to make the
world fit habitation for the children
of man when we seek to study and
understand the social duty of the
rural church. The true christian re.
ligion is essentially social-its tenets
of faith being love and brotherhood
and fellowship. While following after
righteousness, the church must chal-
lenge and ssek to reform that social
order in which moral life is ex-
pressed. While cherishing ideals OF
service, the rural church which IT.
tains the fullest measure of success
is that which enriches as many lives
as it can touch, and in no way can
| the church come in as close contact
with its members as through the
| avenue of social functions.
The country town and the rural
| community need a social center. The
church need cffer no apology for its
ambition to fil this need in the COM
munity, II an understanding of it's
mission brings this purpose into clear
+, consciousness. The structure of a
rural community is exceedingly com
| plex; it contains many social groups,
each of which has it's own center, but
| there are many localities which have
| but one church and although such
church cannot command the inter-
est of all the people, it is relieved
| from the embarrassment of religiously
! divided communities.
Social Needs imperative.
The average country boy and girl
have very little opportunity for real
enjoyment, and have, as a rule a
vague conception of the meaning of
| pleasure and recreation. It is to fill
this void in the lives of country youth
| that the rural church has risen to
the necessity of providing entertain
ment, as well as instruction, to it's
membership among the young. The
children and young people of the
III
not even mentioned. 1t has been
| found safest for them to meet fre.
quently under the direction and care
of the church. To send them into the
world with no social training exposes
them to grave perils and to try to
keep them out of the world with no
social privileges is sheer folly. There
is a social nature to both old and
young, but the social requirements OF
the young are Imperative. The church
must provide directly or indirectly
some modern equivalent for the husk
ing bee, the quilting bee and the sing
ing schools of the old days. In one
way or another the social instincts
Of our young people must have oppor
tunity for expression, which may
take the form of clubs, parties, pic
MICS or other forms Of amusement
One thing is certain, and that is that
the church cannot take away the
Dance the card party and the theatre
unless it can offer in its place a sat
isfying substitute in the form of more
pleasing recreation.
Universal Instinct for PLAY.
In providing for enjoyment the
church uses one of the greatest meth
DDS by which human society has de
veloped. Association is never secure
until It is pleasurable; in play the in
stinctive aversion Of one person fol
another is overcome and the social
mood is fostered. Play is the CHIEF
educational agency in rural commun
tiles and in the play-day of human
childhood social sympathy and socia
habits are evolved. AS individuals
come together in social gatherings
their viewpoint is broadened. theil
ideals are lifted and finally they con
stitute cultured and refined society
1t is plain, therefore, that the
church which aims at perfected so
ciety must use in a refined and ex
alted way the essential factors il
social evolution and must avail itsel
| of the universal instinct for play
If the church surrounds itself will
social functions which appeal to the
, young among its membership, it viii
fill a large part of the lamentabl,
gap in rural pleasures and will real
the richest reward by promoting
higher and better type of manhoos
and wOmanhood
When honesty is merely a goo
policy it is a poor virtue.