The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1920-03-18
RURAL SURVEY OF
VITAL IMPORTANCE
Religious Statistics Are Secured
From County To Be Used BY
Local Churches
HEARTY COOPERATION ASKED
Information To Be Gathered In Every
F.: Part Of The County According To
Communities viii Have Large
Significance

Inc rural survey department of the
1nterchurch World Movement has
been organized to assemble informa-
! ton and ana1yze conditions from a
! religious standpoint in every county in
the state, according to j. A. J. Brock,
Rural Survey Supervisor for the state
OF South Carolina, with headquarters
] at SO4 National Lean and Exchange
Bank Building, Columbia, S. C.
In order for the churches of COM
munity to carry on their work of
I'evangelizing the territory, in which
J they are situated and to contribute
their share towards the complete
evangelization of the world, which. is
: the ideal in every Christian heart, it
Is necessary that the actual condi-
tons which exist in each county be
discovered. Because of the vital i'm
portance Of this work, the movement
is calling upon the pastors of all de-
nominations and others who are in
formed relative to religious conditions
to render all the assistance possible
! towards the completion of the work
! This information, after being .tabu-
lated by experts, is. taken back to the
counties, where the several Protestant
denominations with churches in the
county comparatively study it and de-
/ eide on the county's church needs.
Recommendations are made by the
! county, churches of each denom.ina-
ton that SO desires, to the denomi-
national home mission, Sunday school
and, other boards so that these boards
can Cooperate intelligently and effec-
lively with the local county church
organizations.
Thes1nterchurch World Movement
is attempting to do it's work on a
democratic basis 1t is neither dictat-
ing nor attempting to dictate to any
church or denomination what shall be
done. The denominations in each
county must decide unanimously
among themselves on any Joint coun..
! ty program for church betterment be-
fore it is adopted or undertaken with
the cooperation of the Interchnrch
World Movement. The survey depart
ment is designed to help build up and
meet the needs OF the local churches
! through the local and county denomi-
! national interests
An Interchurch World Movement
! survey Of a county develops facts as to
the county's geographical location and
i the general character Of it's agricul-
tural, commercial and industrial life.
it's road system and means of inter-
communication, public school system
and other educational institutions, well
fare and benevolent institutions, other
organizations and individuals engag-
ed in public service for the entire
county
| Accompanying a general survey of
a county is more detailed survey of
each community, a community being
/ regarded as a unit of territory and
j population characterized by common
economic and social experiences and
! interests.
The community survey designates
the outline and location of the COM
! munity on information acquired from
storekeepers, bankers and other in
formed persons. Z Territory not def
nitely included within the limits of
any trade community is considered in
connection with the communities to,
which it is contiguous and to which
it is most closely related. Thus no
area is omitted in the enumeration of
population and other statistical in
| formation. The survey takes account
of the community's economic condi-
| tons, such as natural resources, chief
sources of income, soil, climate and
| market conditions, relations Of farm.
ers and business men, Industrial data,
etc. The social life and organizations
of the community are covered in de.
tail, together with other information
| to throw light on the state of the So
cial mind
The third link in the survey chain
is the survey of each church in each
community. This sets out the loca-
| ton, denomination, minister, date of
organization, descriptive data as to
buildings and equipment, membership,
! regular and special meetings and tab
ulated results therefrom, statistics as
to area covered by the parish, number
| of families reached, parish problems
and other data to give a comprehen-
/ sive vision of the parish, and supple
mented by information as to the pro.
gram of work outlined for the church
by the pastor and the official boards |.
! The triple surveys-county, COM |
munity and church-asSemble all in |
formation that may be needed to aid |
| the individual churches and denomi- |
nations in working out their present
problems and future programs of de-
| velopment, so that wasted effort mayE
| be eliminated and unproductive ac-E
! tivities of each denomination may bel
| transferred to productive fields
The need of such systematic study
LOT church conditions is apparent by |
| the results of investigation already
made in some sections of the South.
| if the churches are to accomplish the
greatest possible amount of good. The
conditions found to exist in some
| quarters are rather startling In one
| county in the South for instance.