Arizona republican., 1920-02-25
GOvERNORPAYS HONOR ID GREAT
 CHURCH PLAN
Congratulates It on Work
 And Plans For Future Inter-Church Conference
 Has Interesting Sessions To Close Today. x

- Arizona in an address last night at the close of the second days session of the Arizona conference of visiting leaders m all parts of the state The governor praised the interchurch movement as an undertaking to secure the co-opera ton and unity of the forces at work , 10 develop Christian civilization.
 Decline of the rural churches was att tributed by Dr. F.. F.. Diffendorfer, ad- dressing the forenoon session, to lack | of residential leadership and of com munity work He said that of 17,O00 country churches of one denomination, | 12.000 do not have services every Sun day and that nine -tenths of the rural | churches of another denomination are | served by absentee pastors
 Group singing by IA of his Indian ! missionary students featured an address | by Rev George Logic. head of a local | Bible institute for Indians. He said it | was essential to missionary work | amonS the Indians that native leaders | be trained Interchurch movement | plans for education and establishment | or sanitoriunIs and hospitals were dis | cussed in addresses later in the day. | There was also discussion of the effect | or rising costs of living upon the sala- | ries paid 10 Protestant clergymen-
 Presiding Officer Once Lived Here
 Dr. X. l.. Isaacs. the presiding officer | of the pastors conference of the Inter | church movement now session at the | First Presbyterian church, once played !
  came to this city when it was but | village Of two hundred people and when | he was four years old His parents | were among the eight members 'who | organized the First Baptist church and | worshipped in a little building at the | corner of the plaza, where the Ford | hosel now stands. He remarked upon | the marvellous development of Phoenix | and the Salt River valley and con- gratulated the pastors upon the splen- did foundations which the churches nave laid upon which to erect a great | Christian civilization in the state
 At the forenoon session the home mission surveys described by Dr. R. F DIffendorfer noted the decline of l. rural churches and attributed it's cause largely 10 a lack of residential leader ship and no vision for community work The church is not an end in itself but a means to the end. it was pointed out Very few country churches receive the full time of pastor. Of the 17000 country churches of one denomination. 12.000 are without services every sun day. said the speaker. Another de- nomination has nine -tenths of it's rural churches served by absentee pastors
 The home surveys have much to say about the growth of large cities and the consequent situations faced by the churches. The determined purpose of inc movement is to inspire other churches 10 build the community I'D out of theniselves rather than to grow a church at the expense of the com munity.
 Work of the Survey Department
 The survey department is making a map of every one of the 5000 counties Tn the United States. This map will locate every church. describe each parish, and give all related data con- corning the population and the ser vice the church renders This map when completed will show immediately any conditions to over -churching or under -churching a community When the preacher travels long miles to a preaching appointment, the distance is traced by a line. When the man is completed copy of it is available to all parties interested
 The inter-church movement will call a county conference when its survey is completed made up of three represen- tatINes from each local church. At this conference the religious conditions and problems of the whole county will be discussed, and recommendations for five-year program will be made These recommendations will then be placed before the proper administrative body to provide the necessary funds and force to put on for the community the program thus decided upon.
 Tells of Work Amonq Indians
 Dr. George Logic was introduced to the conference and he in turn intro duced group of fourteen students from his college whose singing pro- foundly impressed the audience Dr Logic then addressed the meeting There are approximately 336.O0O h. dians in the United States he declared and notwithstanding the prevailing opinion that they are of a vanishing race, the statistics show since 1900 they have considerably increased The largest number of Indians are found i'm Oklahoma and the next in order comes Arizona with approximately AS 1000 Of the Pfmas, throughout scattered sta tions about 25.000 are members of the Presbyterian church, the Methodist and j Baptist also doing some work among them It IS not true that the only good Indian is a dead Indian said the speaker. He, like the rest of us IS good bad or indifferent. Christian work among the Indians is greatly cramped for lack of equipment and leaders one Of the most essential things is 10 train native Christian leaders for the race This the interchurch movement under takes to do.
 Dr. Logic said that in Arizona there are about 75.000 Mexicans and The number is constantly increasing. One of the outstanding missionary prob lems in the southwest is the education and evangelization of the growing Mex a peaceable border along the Pio Grande. like the northern boundary of our country is to establish schools under Christian influence both in the , states and over in Mexico for the , Christianization of these people The interchurch movement is providing large budget for this enterprise. and one of it's constituent denominations fs already to build a great community house at the Plaza in Los AneeIas which is in the very heart of the dense Mexican population. This type of work will be extended throughout California. Arizona New Mexico and Texas.
 Condition in Arizona
 S- c. Hoover. superintentending inc county surveys for Arizona in a tanx said that in Arizona there are states I within a state, having reference 10 | some of the large areas included in ! Arizona counties Only one county in Arizona has completed it's survey ana 2 there are eight others in process. He stated that one of the communities in C Graham county has a population of n ] .-uV and but two protestant churches. with combined membership of IA. [ The county has 3271 school children , but only 327 enrolled ~in its Sunday schools The survey of Pima county