Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1920-06-04
THE CHURCH AS A FACTOR
IN RURAL LIFE

tended a gathering in one Of the old
cauntry churches of Virginia. Back
of the pulpit was the Star Spangled
Banner. while. displayed conspicuous
ly on the walls was the service flag
and underneath it the names OF the
boys who had gone out into the mil
1tary service of their country. This
church had reconciled its mothers 10
the giving of their sons and had rec,
onciled those sons to offer freely their
all to the Nation in its time of peril.
The church is the greatest insti-
tuition of, the rural South. 1t is not
a dying institution, as some would
have us believe, but is welding a
more powerful Influence today than
ever before. This added strength Of
the country church is due largely to
the fact that it is no longer an iso-
lated institution depending for its,
vitality upon some exceptional pas
tor or lay man but is part of a great
organized movement with the state
national and worldwide contacts.
Every Christian denomination now
maintains field workers and secretar
les representing the several branches
of church work. These leaders are
fast welding the seperate groups into
great armies that have the morale
and unity of purpose which character
lied our Army that wentSto France.
The following healthy signs of
growth may be seen in the country
church:
The old UNCONVENTIONAL prejudices
are gradually dying out. In these days
of our grandfather the average
cuntGy-~ Church expended no small
bart of it's efforts in defending it's
distinctive doctrines and combating
those of other denominations. Now
| it is a rare thing to find country
Ineighborhood split up over creeds
and dogmas. Today Christians have
their eyes fixed upon such great
and inviting field that the differences
which used to divide are forgotten.
The World Interchurch Movement is
spreading rapidly and is an evidence
of the growing charity of ell Chris
tan people.
Another wonderful development of
the country church is in the life of
the community. big Meetings" have
always brought country people to-
gether for social intercourse as well
as for worship. What numberless low
ers have loved each other going to
and returning from the regular Sun
day services as we'll as the big meet
inGs! How many farmers wives have
gotten practically all the spice and var
lety of life from their church activ-
tiles! But with the multiplied activ-
tiles of the modern church there is a
work for old and young togather with
the rapid development of the Bible
school, has made the country church
of today a wonderful social agency.
The rural church is growing in size
The improved highways and the auto
mobile have enlarged the bounds of
the rural community, making it pos
pible to go ten or fifteen miles to
church. This means eventually larger
congregations, better trained and
paid ministers and preaching ,eVerp
Sunday in the year. 1t means that the
country church of the future will
have the morale that comes with lar
ge numbers and will also have the fl
nancial strength to do big things.
In conclusion the country church
| is changing it's viewpoint and enlarg
ling the field of it's work with the re-
suit that it is more educative and
more attractive to the great mass of
people than ever before. When the
rural church resting quietly by the
country roadside lifted up it's eyes
from narrow creeds and the small
things of an infinitely small part of
the earth and entered upon state
wide, nationwide and worldwide
Christian movements, it Immediately
attracted q larger following and
made it's members larger and bet
ter people. The temperance move
ment, the effort to carry Christianity
to the utmost parts Of the earth, the
movement for education, health and
good roads have helped to make the
country church the mighty power it
now is.
Let the Church with so many sa-
cred memories clinging about it, con-
tinue to grow and prosper. Good
schools, modern roads and improved
methods of agriculture mean much.
but no institution is more important
or quite so important as the Church
and he who labors to build up in
his community strong, liberal, ac
tive church is the best type of the
Good Citizen.-Southern Progress.
Order of Publication
R. Richardson and w. H. Hiner,