The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1922-03-03
CONFERENCE Of
CHURCHWORKERS
HELD IN THIS CITY
County Conference Occurs at
The Presbyterian
+ Church Today
FIGURES GIVEN
FOR KNOX COUNTY
Rev. B. F. Lamb Gives Excel
lent Address AT The
Session Today

How the churches Of this county
can cooperate in carrying their mes
sage to the thousands of persons out
side their membership, and how they
can increase their influence as fac
tors in the daily life of the county,
were questions faced by representa-
tives of the churches in their interde-
nominational county conference at
the Mt. Vernon Presbyterian church,
Thursday, March 2.
The meeting was called for the pur-
pose of receiving the report of the
county church survey, conducted .un-
der the direction of the Ohio Fedora
tion of Churches. Rev. b. F. Lamb,
secretary, was present as a represen-
tative Of the Ohio Federation and
spoke on church conditions in the
state at large and in this county.
Mr.. Lamb illustrated his talk on
Ohio Church conditions with maps
showing certain conditions which the
survey revealed. A map of Madison
county showed 40 percent of the area
outside the parish boundaries Of any
church, state of affairs which, ac-
cording to the speaker, exists in many
other parts Of the state also.
"This unfortunate situation" he
said, as due largely to lack Of coop
Grafton on the BART of the churches.
Each church has left it to the others
to care for the neglected areas, with
the result that certain sections have
been overcrowded and others unreach-
ed" "
Several community maps illustrated
what Mr.. Lamb termed religious
no mans land"-a belt Of untouched
territory surrounding o community
center, where two or more churches
duplicate each others work In linn
tied area but fail to reach the outly-
ing territory at all.
Mr.. Lamb said that the county sur
vey disclosed GS churches outside Mt.
Vernon Of which one is Roman Cath
olic and the 67 others represent 15
Protestant denominations. In addi-
tion to these Il abandoned churches
are reported. a.
The total church enrolment report
ed by pastors was 1884, or less than
As per cent of the rural and village
population of the county. This in
cludes nonresident and inactive mem
bers The Protestant churches, to
which the detailed study is confined,
reported combined resident men,
bership of 6,9S6, of whom considera.
bly, more than one-half are women
and girls.
Despite the large section Of the
population not AFFILIATED with any
church the Protestant churches of the
county. during the year preceding the
survey. registered net gain of only
seven per cent.
The 67 Protestant churches are
served by ~ pastors, or whom ~ de-
vote all their time to the ministry
Only five churches have full time resi-.
dent pastors. Thirteen churches
Were pastorless at the time of the sur.
vey. Ministers serving two or more
churches number 25, OF whom one
serves four churches and eight serve
three each.
OF S3 ministers reporting their sal.
aries, only IA were receiving more
than $500, the amount recently
agreed upon by denominational lead.
ers of the state as the minimum wage
for which rural pastor should be
asked to serve in. Ohio. In these fig
ures free parsonage 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