Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-03-13
GIGANTIC RURAL
CHURCH PROGRAM
GETS Under WAY
Millions in Money and Thou
sands of Men Win Rein
force Weak Charges--Penn-
sylvania and West Virginia
Share Benefits
Better rural churches.

Better rural churches.
establishments of effective train
ing schools for rural church lead
ership.
A nationwide educational cam
paiqn to increase the efficiency
of the ministry now in service.
This is how the Methodist Church
proposes to rehabilitate rural church
es in this gigantic five-year Cente-
nary program.
Hundreds and thousands of church
men, clergy and laity, are enlisted
more than $100000,000 will be raised
in America and when the Methodist
Centenary drive for men and money
comes to climax on Over the TOP
Sunday, May 4 the program will be
actually under way.
Problem Interesting Here.
One phase of particular interest to
Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New
York was rural Methodism.
Eighty-seven per cent of all Meth
odist Episcopal churches are classed
as rural The data gathered in the
survey shows that Pennsylvania and
West Virginia have population
from 20 to rs per cent Protestant
while New York's population is from
10 to Is per cent Protestant.
Of the total population in Penn
sylvania and West Virginia, from
four to six per cent are members
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
while New York's population is from
two to four per cent Methodist.
The Methodist Church claims in
it's membership large proportion
of the Protestants in these three
states, from 20 to "a per cent of all
Protestants in West Virginia and
Pennsylvania being Methodists and
from 20 to q per cent of all Protest
ants in New York being affiliated
with that church.
Causes OF Disnteqration
For the purposes of the Centenary
program all of West Virginia, West
ern Pennsylvania and the extreme
southwestern portion of New York
was included in the Pittsburgh area,
which is made up of the Erie, Pitts
burgh and West Virginia conferences
of the church.
While there are many cities OF i'm
portance in the area a large portion
of the Methodist charges are classi-
fled as rural churches and their up
building becomes concern of the
city congregations as well as of
those in the agricultural regions.
Among the causes of disintegration
of rural church life cited are an in
crease in farm tenants as compared
to farm owners; over churching OF
small communities and serving OF
many rural churches by absentee
pastors.
With this in mind program was
outlined especially for the upbuilding
of these rural communities. 1t touch.
es the program for the churches in
city and the churches in the rural
industrial communities yet it is a
schedule distinct in itself
In the sparsely settled sections
the program calls for 142 new and
remodeled buildings at total cost
of $773,950 of which 1888, $50 will be
raised in the Centenary campaign
For maintenance there are needed
367 more trained workers at a cost
to the Centenary program of $5S2,1SO
Area Reaps Benefits.
The Pittsburgh area will share
heavily in the benefits under this
program and in addition its churches
outside of the large towns will be
helped by other improvement pro
Agrams which overlap that designed
specifically for the rural field.
In West Virginia there will be an
extensive program of church rebuild
ing and remodeling. The five-year
program calls for the construction
Of more than fifty churches in the
state and the remodeling Of many
others.
For equipment in the West Virgin
ia conference alone the Centenary
program calls for the expenditure OF
more than $350,000 and there will be
TeQulEGu III dQuAtlCll uI0tG ludu 4l0V,-
600 for maintenance for the five
years work
In the Erie conference which takes
in Northwestern Pennsylvania and
Southwestern New York more than
a score of new church buildings Will
be constructed and a dozen buildings
now UP to date, will be remodeled.
This calls for the expenditure OF
more than $l5O,e0O ia new and re-
modelled buildings AND the expendi
ture Of more than 100000 in addi-
tional maintenance.
In the Pittsburgh conference which
takes in many rural communities
there are planned fifty new churches
and before the tive-year program is
completed many buildings win be re
modelled
The cost in this conference of new
and remodelled equipment will come
I IN q f0ta1 of anDroxifnatnIv SO nm 00C