Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1915-01-14
THE RURAL
CHURCH
THE FARMERS THE cUsToDiANs
OF THE NATIONS MORALITY.
Cooperation Of Church, School and
Press Essential to Community
Building.
BY Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers UuIor


The church. the press and the school
form triple alliance OF progress that
guides the destiny of every commun-
ity. state and nation Without them
civilization would wither and die and
through them life may attain it's great.
| est blessing, power and knowledge.
The farmers of this nation are greatly
indebted to this social giumvrate for
their uplifting influence. and on behalf
OF the American plpwmen | want to
thank those engaged in these high
callings for their able and efficient
service. and shall offer to the press
a series OF articles on cooperation
between these important Influences
and the farmers in the hope OF in
creasing the efficiency of all by ml-
tual understanding and organized ef-
fort. We will take up, first. the rural
| church
The Farmers Are Great Church Build.
crS.
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
fuences than any other class of cit.
izenship
The farmers of this nation have
| built 10000 churches at cost of
| $750,000,000, and the annual contribu-
| finn nf tho tnu I'D oil 4,
institutions approximates $2O0,0O000O
! per annum. The farmers of the Uni
ted States build 90 churches per day.
There are 20,000,00O rural church com.
| municants on the farm, and 50 per
cent of the total membership OF all
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 thesInan 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 its fullest meas
ure of success must enrich the lives
of the people in the community II
serves; 1t 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 q man more
capable, more useful and more just
what good is it? We want practical
religion, one we can live by and farm
by, as well 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
1t is death to the rural church ant
moral starvation to the community
Petty sectarianism is a scourge tina,
blights the life, and the church preju
dice .saps the vitality, of many com
munities. An over.churched commun
tty is q crime against religion, q seri
GUS handicap to society and a useles.
tax upon agriculture.
While denominations are essentia
and church pride commendable. thu
high teaching of universal Christianity
must prevail If the rural church is tt
fulfill It's mission to agriculture.
We frequently have three or foul
churches in community which fs no
able to adequately support one Small
congregations attend services once ,
month and all fall to perform the re
ligious functions of the community
The division of religious forces ant
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 cal
be minimized by cooperation Th
social and economic life Of rura
community are respective units an,
cannot be successfully divided by dc
nominational lines, and the churche
can only occupy this important fiel
by cooperation and coordination
The efficient country church vii
definitely serve its community by lead
ing in all worthy efforts al communit
building. in uniting the people in al
cooperative endeayors for the ger
eral welfare of the community and il
arousing q real love for country lii
and loyalty to the country home an
these results can only be successful
accomplished by the united effort Q
the press. the school. the church an
organized farmers