Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1920-04-08
Many Dying in East, While Vast
Regions i'm West Are With
out Any Pastors.
EXPERTS STUDYING HOW
TO OVERCOME DANGERS
Baptist State Conventions Plan viaor-
GUS Action-WiiI Try Out Com
munity Centers to Increase
Efficiency.

raj churches is task which is arous-
ing the concern of the General Board
of Promotion of the Northern Baptist
Convention. Surveys re Gently made by
representa- ives 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
Westerra states the need is for the
establishment of churches in the hun
dreeiS of new communities which are
springing up
The seriousness of the problem be-
comes more apparent when glance at
the United States Census report shows
that in 1910 the number of persons on
the farm was 49,34SSS3 as against
AZ, 623,3S3 persons living in cities This
is further emphasized by the figures
revealed in 1917-that the number of
persons engaged in agricultural pur-
suits and in animal husbandry was
19,O7o.S43
1.-THE rural churches" says the re-
port, "have long been the fountains of
our life We cannot afford to let the
springs dry up. Our churches are the
6resides of the Christian family .
the schoo1rooms where the Church
educates its people and leads them
into all the truth Our build
ings ought to be adequate reflection
OF the life and strength of the church
es. A small church with meager re-
sources may of necessity be compelled
to do with an inadequate plant. But
a church of strength and power ought
to have home that will reflect its
life.''
And to help the state conventions
which supervise the work in their own
states men are being employed to give
their whole time, effort and study to
help solve the problem. Other meas
ures planned to help meet the need are
minister's q
adjustment of community centers and
the use of commu unity churches when
other means are inadvisab1e.
Excerpts from the plans of the state
conventions show how urgent some of
these bodies regard the plight of the
rural church. A few of these follow:
New Hampshire-''St rural
churches" Connecticut-tWork out
federation or community church plans
to meet the desperate country church
situation" New Jersey-ttEstablish
two three rural parish centers as
experiments for solving the rural prob
lem and six or seven foreign commu-
nifty centers." Wisconsin-'Develop
the rural churches, making them vital
! factors in community life" Ohio
Employ two new district missiona,
! ries-" Indiana-"Employ expert OF
| rural work erect at least
! seven churches and community build
lngS for the new Americans" Illinois
! --Develop rural work. West Virgins
| -"Strengthen the missionary work a
many points and enter new fields
] MINI two or three ru
| raj centers'' North DakotaA"Raise
| standards of salaries of missionar,
| pastors NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. two pas
| tors at large, a general evangelist an(
| several rural experts, Sunday schoo
| director and associa ton missionaries
Idaho-"Open several stations in the
new irrigation tract Utah-..Enp1o,
| two new missionaries Ea stern Wash
| ington-'tIncreaSe missionary staff 3:
per cent, increase salaries and occup,
| many destitute fields-'' Oregon-''In
augurate at once new work in man,
fields now opening up Great district
with hundreds OF people have n,
church nor missionary. Employ sew
era1 general missionaries and a super
intendent of evangelism"