Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1922-04-27
church Federation Meeting

How the churches of this county
can cooperate in carrying their mes
sage to the thousands of persons
outside their membership, and how
they can increase their influence as
| factors in the daily life of the coun-
lty, were questions faced by repre-
sentatives Of the churches in their
interdenominational county con-
| ference held at the Presbyterian
church here Tuesday. The confer
ence was well attended. The meet
ling was called for the purpose of re-
ceiving the report of the county
church survey, conducted under the
direction of the Ohio Federation of
| Churches. Rev. B. F. Lamb, secre-
| tary, was present as representa-
tive of the Ohio Federation and
spoke on church conditions in the
state at large and in the county.
| The county survey disclosed "a
churches of which three are Roman
Catholic and the II others repre-
sent IL Protestant denominations.
In addition to these IL abandoned
churches are reported.
| The total church enrolment re-
ported by pastors was 5,535, or less
than 40 per cent of the rural and
Village population of the county.
This includes nonresident and in
Iactive members. The Protestant
churches, to which the detailed
study is confined, reported COM
bined enrolment of 5,440 and res
lident membership of 4,619. of whom
considerably more than one-half
are women and girls.
nf
population not affiliated with any
ichurch, the Protestant churches OF
the county, during the year preced-
ing the survey, registered net gam
of only eight per cent.
/ The II Protestant churches are
served by 20 pastors, of whom 19
devote all their time the minis
try. Only churches have full
time resident pastors. % churches
were pastorless at the tine or the
fsurvey. Ministers serving two OF
more churches number 21, of whom
1.-TWO serve five churches each.
Of % ministers reporting theil
Isalaries, only eight were receiving
more than $1,000, the amount re-
Gently agreed upon by denomina-
, tional leaders of the state as the
, minimum wage for which a rural
pastor should be asked to serve in
lOhio. In these figures free par
sonage is estimated as equal to
$3.50 in salary.
Scarcity of mems, boys and girls
organizations connected with the
churches, as compared with the
large number of women's societie:
is commented upon in the survey re
port as prevalent church weak
ness.
The survey also brings out thu
: fact that 81 of the churches studied
fail to have services as often a!
. once week.
In some places there is All over
llapping of churches. The most no
| lticeably overchurched are Penns
lville, with an estimated population
l Iof 1850 and seven churches, ant
) Reinersville, $50, five churches
The McConnelsville-M Malta communi
/, lty. with an estimated population o
5000, is credited with 26 churches
A community" as considered II
. 1.-THE survey included not only th'
corporate limits Of municipality bu
also the tributary territory sur
: rounding it.
A committee was appointed t.
call a meeting of all the churches o
the county, relative to the organiza
} tion of a county federation o
? churches. The members of the com
= mittee and the churches repre-
f sented are: w. M. MacKay, Presby
r terian; r. o. McRae, McConnels
vile M. E.; C. B. Smith, Malta M
I E.; S. R. Martin, Stockport M. p.
/. Howard Medley, Stockport. Chris