The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-11-23
THE RURAL
CHURCH
THE FARMERS THE cUsropiANs
OF THE NATIONS MORALITY.
Cooperation Of Church, School and
Press Essential to Community
Building.
BY Peter Radford


The church, the press and the school
form a 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 its great.
The farmers OF this nation are greatly
indebted to this social triumyirate for
their uplifting influence, and on behalf
OF the American plowmen | 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 mu.
tual understanding and organized Of.
fort. We will take up, first, the rural
church.
The Farmers Are Great Church Build.
ers.
The American farmer is the greatest
church builder the world has ever
known. lie is the custodian of the
nations morality; upon his shoulders
rests the ark Of the GOV enant" and
he is more responsive to religious In.
fiuences than any other class OF cit.
izenship
The farmers OF this nation have
built 10000 churches al a cost OF
$3.50, 600, 600, and the annual contribu.
ton OF the nation toward all church
institutions approximates 5000, 600. 900
per annum. The farmers OF the Uni.
ted States build 22 churches per day.
There are 10000. 900 rural church com.
municants on the farm, and 81 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 wal
In the country and the man who would
get close TO God must first get close
to nature.
The Functions Of q Rural Church.
II the rural churches today are 60
ing to render a 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 1t
serves; 1t must build character; deyel.
op thought and increase the efficiency
OF human life. II must serve the So
clal, business and intellectual, as well
as the spiritual and moral side Of life.
II religion does not make a man more
capable, more useful and more just,
what good h It? We want d practical
religion. Il we can live by and farm
by, as we'll as die by.
Fewer and Better Churches.
Blessed IL that rural community
which has but n place of worship.
While competition is the life Of trade,
II Is death to the rural church and
moral starvation to the community
Petty sectarianism Ia a scourge that
blights the life, and the church preju,
dice saps the vitality, OF many com.
munities. An oy~er-churched commun-
ity Ia a crime against religion, a seri.
Gus handicap to society and a useless
tax upon agriculture.
While denominations are essential
and church pride commendable, the
high teaching OF universal Christianity
must prevail II the rural church 10 to
fulfill It's mission TO agriculture.
We frequently have three or four
churches in u community which Ia moi
able TO adequately support me. Small
congregations attend services once u
month and all fall to perform the re.
liglous functions Of the community.
The division OF religious forces INT
src breaking into fragments OF moral
efforts is Outlines little less than a
calamity and defeats the very purpose
they seek to promote.
The evils OF toe many churches a
be minimized by cooperation. The
social and economic life Of a rural
community are respective units and
cannot be successfully divided by de-
nominational lines and the churches
q only occupy this important field
by cooperation and co ordination.
The efficient country church will
definitely serve Its community by lead.
Ing In all worthy efforts at community
building. In uniting the people In all
cooperative endeavors for the ZEN.
eral welfare OF the community and in
arousins a real love for country life
n loyalty to the country home and
these results can only be successfully
accomplished by the united effort OF
the press. the school the church and
GFpauiled farmers.