The Penn's Grove record., 1921-05-27
Inter-C Church
Rural Survey
Rural Religious Life Essential
To a Virile Republic

been written and spoken about the
needs of religious cooperation and
unnecessary expenses in overlapping
Church work. A movement was be-
gun to take religious surveys and
make plans to promote religious work.
Church leaders started it and fnan-
ciers backed it for millions, but it be-
came so stupendous in cost that a halt
was called.
However, in New Jersey, one
one county, Salem, was selected for
the survey of the rural district terri
tories with less than 5000 inhabitants.
That excluded Penns Grove and Salem
City and Upper Penns Neck (Carneys
PointO.
Last Tuesday there was a meeting
of all the ministers in Salem County
with delegates from the Churches in
the Court House in Salem, to learn
about the religious survey made.
About 100 persons were present. re-
presenting the following Churches of
the County and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
in Aldine, Carneys Point, Deep Water.
Elmer, Friendship, Hancock's Bridge,
Quinton, Monroeville, Haines Neck,
~Pedricktown, Pennsville, Penns Grove
Emmanuel and st. Paul's), Sharp
town, Woodstown and the First
Church and Broadway, Salem; the
Baptist Churches in Bridgeton, First
Church; Canton, Elmer, Haddonfeld.
Greenwich, Woodstown and Salem
First Baptist and Memorial); the
Lutheran Church of Deerfield, the
Friends Meeting of Hancock's Bridge,
the Presbyterian Churches of Carneys
Point, Woodstown and Salem, and the
Episcopal Churches of Penns Neck
and Salem, the colored Churches in
Quinton and Penns Neck, Mt. Hope
and Mt. Pisgah Methodist Churches
and the colored Baptist Church of
Salem.
Also were present representatives of
the Central Missionary Boards, Rev.
DR.. Edmund deS. Drummer, Director
of the y. Y. Committee on Social and
Religious Surveys; the Revs. P. E.
Johnson and S. NJ. Cavert, represent
ing the Federal Council of Churches;
the Rev. Mr.. Holloway, of the New
Jersey State Baptist Convention; the
Rev. Gage, of the Home Missions
Council OF the Presbyterian Church;
the Rev. DR.. Alfred Wagg, District
Superintendent of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church, and others representing
the Interdenominational Home Mis-
sions Council and the Council of
Women for Home Missions, the Cam
den Baptist Church Extension So
ciety, the American Baptist Home
Mission Society, the Congregational
Home Missions Society of New Jersey,
the International Committee of the
Y. M. C. A., the the NJ. E. Field Com
mittee of the Y. W. c. A., and other
organization were also present.
Rev. William Tatlock, of Woods
town Presbyterian Church was chair
man.
DR.. Drummer exhibited two maps of
the County, showing the religious
centers, also a dozen charts explain
ing the length of pastorates, the per-
centage of inhabitants who held mem
ship and support. One Of the findings
was that at Canton there was a strong
Baptist community and Church and a
small Methodist congregation. At AL
loWay the Methodist congregation was
larger, the Baptist weaker. 1t would
be religious economy for the Method
list to cease work at Canton and the
Baptist at Alloway. At Alloway the
religious sentiment was found weak.
Stores and shops were kept open on
Sunday and religious enthusiasm was
not as influential as might be.
Charles R. Watson, Executive Secre-
tary, made a stirring speech for reli-
gious zeal for cooperative Church
work. He said the age of polemics IS
past. The age of federation is yet on
and the age of Christian cooperation
is begun. Pastors salaries are too
low, in fact at a lower average than
mechanics. There should be a sense
of responsibility among the leading
business men to support Churches and
the ministry to maintain the integrity
of the people in a strong Christian
nation.
Cities do not make leaders to re-
plenish themselves. Cities must be
fed with virile moral leaders from the
country districts. The attractions to
the town and cities were never so
strong. Rural life must be made
attractive by greater corporation IN
clean social and religious recreation
and works. The necessity of showing
that farm life is the foundation of the
nation must be emphasized. The farm
ers who make two blades of grass and
three ears of corn grow where one
did before is a great b~enefactor to his
generation.
The committee appointed 20 sum
Marie the findings reported the fol
lowing resolutions:
Resolutions
THAT the Salem City Ministerial
Association be requested to cal | a
meeting for the organization of a
County Council of Churches, to be
composed of the pastor and a lay dele
gate from each Church in the County,
for the purpose of co-ordinating the
work of the Churches, in all fields of
mutual interest, and for the purpose
If allowing opportunities for such
Joint activities as may prove useful
70 tboSa Churches which cO-operate.