The Rice belt journal., 1920-03-20
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
Part Of The County According To
Communities Will Have Large
Significance
HEARTY COOPERATION ASKED

religious standpoint in every county in
the state, according to F. R. Cholerton,
Rural Survey Supervisor for the state
Of Louisiana, with headquarters at the
Louisiana College, Alexandria, La.
In order for the churches of a com.
munity to carry on their work of
evangelizing the territory in which
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.
tiOns 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 denomina.
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.
The Interchurch World Movement
is attempting to do its 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 Interchurch
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 lnterchurch World Movement
survey OF a county develops facts as to
the county's geographical location and
the general character of it's agricul.
tural, commercial and industrial life,
its road system and means of inter.
communication, public school system
ana other educational institutions. wei.
fare and benevolent institutions. other
organizations and individuals engag-
ed in public service for the entire
county.
Accompanying general survey of
county is a more detailed survey Of
each community, community being
regarded as a unit of territory and
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. 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
1t 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
tions, 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.
tion, denomination, minister, date Of
organization, descriptive data as IA
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 compreben.
siVe vision of the parish, and supple.
mented by information as to the nro.
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 NAV
be eliminated and unproductive ac
tiVities of each denomination may be
transferred to productive fields
The need of such a systematic study
of 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.
there are A churches, Of which Ia
are dead and only 16 of which main.
tain Sunday schools