The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1920-03-12
Many C,i-g in Est. While Vast
Regions n West tre With
OH ny Pastors.
EXPr ry7YiNG l.CV
7N0afC E 8N0-ES


How 10 meet oitsln Of the ru-
raj churches is ,.l.ch is arouS-
ing the concern General Board
of Promotion of .e Nor,hern Baptist
Convention. Surveys recently made by
representatives of the convention re-
veal that in some sections many OF
these churches are gradually dying.
1t was also shown that the outlook for
others is far from promising. This Is
particularly true in the East In the
Western states the need is for the
establishment OF churches in the hun
dreds of new communities which are
springing up.
The seriousness of the problem be-
comes more apparent when a glance ar
the United States Census report shows
that in 1910 the number OF persons on
the farm was 49,34S,SS3 as against
~. .623, 1888 persons living in cities. This
is fu~lher emphasized by the figures
reve,. ed in 19f7-that the number OF
persons engaged in agricultural pur-
suits and in animal husbandry was
1000, s.: -. =.
- = 20
yrhe rural churches : says the fe-,
port. II ave long been: the ,fohnfafns Of
our life. Wecandot a1ford to let the
Ssprihfs dry up. Dur churches are the
fiF. sfdey3f tie ehrisffah fsmiIN 80
the schoolrooms where the Church
educates its people and leads them
into all the truth. e Our build
ings ought TO be an adequate reflection
of the life and strength OF the church
eS. A small church with meager re
sources may of necessity be compelled
10 do with an inadequate plant. But
a church of strength and power ought
TO have q home that will reflect its
life"
And to help the state conventions
which supervise the work in their own
states men are being employed 10 give
their whole time, effort and study 70
help solve the problem. Other meas
ures planned TO help meet the need are
increases ir ministers salaries. the eS-
tablishment Of community centers- and
the use OF community churches when
other means are inadvisable.
Excerpts from the plans Of the state
conventions show how urgent some OF
these bodies regard the plight OF the
rural church few of these follow:
New Hampshire-"S Strengthen rural
churches" Connecticut Work out
federation or community church plans
10 meet the desperate country church
situation" New Jersey Establish
two or three rural parish centerS ~
experiments for solving tho rural prob
lem and six or seven foreign conmn
nifty ccntcrs" WISCONSIN "Dcvrior
The rural churches. maEn~ thpm vtral
factors in community life" Onio-.
"Eupov two uev DISTRICT mi>Sion3-
RIGS" Indiana Employ an expert ~
rtral work erert an least
snven churches and community hu.la-
1gS for tie new Amer. ans ll'n6lS
-"Devclop rul-al work West N.r-ini-t
-"STengihen The m - oHary work at
many points and enter NEW fields
N-nnr.e'a Develop Two or three r.
raj centers." Norrf Dakata-" Rails.
>.ondards of salaries of missionary
paSf,rS fonfara 'pnofff TWO pas
'ors "a l:--c. general evangelist ana
"veral rural eXIeriS. Sunday school
lirccfor a2d association miss onarieS." "
/ Idaho-"Open several stations in the
new irrigation tract" Utah Employ
TWO new missionaries Eastern Wash
| neton-"Increase missionary stafr 33
per cent. Increase salaries AMI occupy
many destitute fields" Oregon-"In-
augurate at once new work In many
fields now opening up. Great districts
with hundreds OF people have no
church nor missionary. Employ sew
eral general missionaries and a super
intendent OF evangelism"