The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-02-25
RellQloue
Plan Survey Of Rural Churches.

FIan survey OF huraI CnurcneS.
An organized survey of rural church
conditions in Pennsylvania and nearby
states will be made soon.
The movement probably will be start
ed within a few months and completed
in about a year. with the aid of a
small army Of volunteer workers, in
Guiding c%hurchmcn and agriculturists.
Present plans call for use Of the survey
as basis for a future extensive cam-
paisn for church and country life i'm
provement in the state. All work will
be INSTRUMENTATION.
Word OF the prospective church sur
vey came from headquarters Of the
commission on church and country life
at Columbus, O., and names of a num-
Der Of men who have the plans under
consideration We're made known. The
arrangements were discussed at the
national church and country life con-
ference held recently in Columbus,
where President Wilson was one of
the speakers. Delegates from this
state held a special conference at that
meeting to formulate tentative plans
for a rural church survey, to be started
as soon as possible after their return.
Among the persons who are expected
to be leaders in the movement are:
observation-disclosures de s. Drummer.
Easton; w. A. Granville, Gettysburg; w.
f. Sewengel, Harrisburg: F. c. South
worth. Meadville: William P. Fulton.
Richard c. Hughes, William Z. Lampe.
I William " RnhorfS A11arf y Dororu
Charles f. Schaeffer. c. r. Zehniser, Phil
%adelphia; David K. Breed, l.. E. Davis.
Samuel =. Gill, Charles Scanlon. Pitts
burgh: Clarence Sears Hates, Bishop Jo-
seph +. Berry, Rev. Samuel z. Batten,
Bishop G.. L. Blackwell, Philadelphia: Rev.
J. q. A. Curry, Johnstown; Rev. F.. T..
E,rdman, Reading: Rev. William A. Free
mantle, Philadelphia: DR.. Rufus NJ. Jones'.
Haverford: Clifford Pinchot, Milford; Rev.
Ward Platt and Bishop p. o. Rinelander.
Philadelphia: Mrs. Edith Ellicott Smith.
Pennsdale; Dean r. l.. Watts, State coll
lege; Dean Albert George Rau, Bethle-
hem.
New Jersey-Elbert NJ. Conover and Ed
win L. carp, Madison: Tennis Z. Gou-
wens. Mountain Lakes; H. X. Carroll and
Edwin Shaw, Plaintield; Rev. w. b. She'd
dan, Princeton; Henry Collins Minton.
Trenton; Alva Agee. New Brunswick.
Maryland-W. H. Maus. Baltimore; B.
II. Darrow and Rev. II. j. Patterson,
College Park.
Similar surveys are contemplated in
most other states. Working plans are
to be modelled after those used during
the past year in Ohio, where the first
state wide scientific inquiry into coun-
try church conditions ever made in the
United States is now being completed
by Il state association working under
the supervision of the commission on
church and country life. This commits
sion is a subsidiary body of the Federal
Council of Churches, an interdenomina-
tional organization of heads Of church.
es in the United States.
Each of the hundreds Of volunteer
workers who would be employed in
such a survey as that contemplated in
this state would ascertain facts about
country churches within the township
or locality assigned to him, such as
these. for example,: Membership, loca-
ton. distance from another church and
nature Of members whether farm own
ers or tenants). These facts would be
reported to a central office and as
sembled there. The results shown
would be used as the basis for an
educational campaign to make church,
es extend their functions.