The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1915-01-01
THE RURAL
CHURCH
Cooperation Of Church. School
and Press Esreatial 20
Communitg Building
o. Peter aaa sra
lee Nara.aIts .fr. Iaa,l.

The church. th, pre-. srt fhr
school form a triple alliance ui
.pmgres. thst guide, the destiny
.of every community. state sHd
nation Without them ci,rli1l-
ti0u would wiiher aud DIE and
through them liic may attain its
greatest blessing. power ari
knowledge The farmer, of thi,
nation are greatly indebted tn
this social trium,iratc iur rs
uplifting influence. and on he
half Il the american plovmen
I want 20 thank those engaged
IN these high Jslliuv, .or thrit
able and cihciCut -cpicc. aud !
shall offer to thc pres, a scric, oi
article, on cooperation between
these important influences and
the farmer, N the hope ~ ~.
crcasiug the ciHcirucy ~ AT hy
mutual underta ding and 1r-
ganikcd effort We will take up,
tr,t. the rural church
The Farmers Are Great Church
Builders
The American farmer is the
greatest church builder the World
has ever known Ne !, the Gus
todian ul the nations morality;
upon his shoulder, re ?, the ark
of the covenant" and lc i mnre
responsive to religion, inhutnces
than any other class ol citizen.
ship
The farmers At this nation
have built 10000 churches Al a
cost of MsOOOOOOO. and the an
nual contribution 81 the nation
toward al church institutions
approNimates s100OO10O0 per
annum. The farmers oi the Unit.
ed States build p churches per
day There are 100000 rural
tsassssst.asat stfs stI thf
farm. aud - per cent oi NC tdtai
membership oi al churches re
side in the country
The farm Is the power houNe
Of an progress and the birthplace
1i ali that is noble The Garden
oi Eden wa. IN the country and
the man who would get close to
God must first get close to ma
turc.
The Functions Of a Rural
Church.
n the rural churches today are
| going 10 render service when
this age demands there must be
cooperation between the reh-
gious social and economic INC
II the community
The church to attain its iulleS'
measure of success must enrich
ihc lives Of the people IN the
| community u serves, II mus
build character. develop thought
and increase the efficiency oi
human life. II must serve the
sorial business and intellectual.
a. we'll a. the spiritual and moral
side Of life. II religion does not
make a man more capable. NOR,
useful and more just, what good
4 ~ We want a practical re.
iioion. one we can live by and
iarm bv. as we'll as die by.
Fewer and Better Churches.
Blessed IS that rural community
which has but one place Of wof
ship. While competition IS III,
life Of trade. it is death to th'
rural church and moral starvation
10 the community. Petty secta
rianism is a scourge that blight'
the life, and church prejudice
.aps the vitality Of many com
munities. An oyer-churche'
community is crime agains
. religion. serious handicap t.
! society and a useless tax upoi
+ agriculture
! AhAxF aepsHsaAAsegsa-p
: sential and church pride q =
mendable. the high tesekiffs
: universal christianity must 81
: vail II the rural church is to III
hll rs mission 10 agriculturet
/ We frequently have three.
= four churches IN commuiiit
d which is not able to adequatel
$ support one. Small congrcga