MANN BR 555 .N53 T6 Cornell University Library BR 555.N53T6 Tompkins County, New York.Church and com 3 1924 014 085 314 Tompkins County NEW YORK -^ Church and Community Survey A Preliminary Abstract MARJORIE PATTEN MADE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF EDMUND deS. BRUNNER ^ Director, Department of Town and Country Surveys 'Committee on Social and Religious Surveys III FIFTH AVENUE New York City B?55 5 coo. \ PREFACE THE following pages summarize in the briefest possible form a few of the facts and impressions growing out of an inten- sive survey that has been made of the religious conditions in Tompkins County, New York. Originally undertaken by the In- terchurch World Movement under the direction of Reverend H. S. Huntington, State Supervisor for New York, the Tompkins County survey was made by Diwight Sanderson, Professor of Rural Social Organization of the New York State College of Agriculture at Cor- nell University, who took the records for about two-thirds of the county. He was assisted by his colleague. Dr. W. S. Thompson, in Groton, by Percy L. Dtinn in Dryden, by Rev. J. A. Moore in Lansing, and by Rev. A. V. King in Trumansburg. The statistical tables comparing the population, church member- ship and attendance with those of previous decades, were prepared by Dr. W. S. Thompson. Other statistics were compiled by this office. The county was visited in June 1921 by Miss Marjorie Patten of the Committee on Social and Religious Surveys who secured various items of information omitted in the original schedules and added some facts relating to the county as of 1920 and 1921 so as to give an up-to-date description of conditions. Her report was edited by Professor Sanderson who is responsible for the conclu- sions stated. The complete results of this survey are presented in Miss Patten's book, "The Country Church in Colonial Counties." JOINT COMMITTEE ON UTILIZING SURVEYS L. C. Barnes, Chairman Representing the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America Anna Clark C. N. Lathrop Roy B. Guild U. L. Mackey A. E. Holt A. E. Roberts F. Ernest Johnson Fred B. Smith Charles E. Schaeffer Representing the Home Missions Council and the Council of Women for Home Missions Alfred W. Anthony Rolvix Harlan Mrs. Fred S. Bennett R. A. Hutchison C. A. Brooks Florence E. Quinlan C. E. Burton W. P. Shriver A. E. Cory • Paul L. Vogt David D. Forsyth Warren H. Wilson Rodney W. Roundy Short Summary of Tompkins County New York '^ PART I A General View TOMPKINS County with an area of 476 square miles is situ- ated in one of the most beautiful sections of the south central part of New York State. It consists of a high pla- teau deeply cut by the valleys of Cayuga Lake and its tributary streams. The county is the seat of Cornell University with its State College of Agriculture and Experiment Station. Settlement of the county began in 1789, the earliest settlers com- ing from the Hudson River Valley, from New England and New Jersey. The greatest impress was made by the New England set- lers, for some of the most marked characteristics of the county today resemble those of rural New England. The total population in 1920 was 35,285, of which 16,801 live in rural areas, and 18,484 in the city of Ithaca. Ten or more nationalities are repre- sented among the foreigners in the county, who number in all, over 800. Rural Economic Characteristics Tompkins County is of a distinctly agricultural type, a fair aver- age of the counties of the State. The soil of the southern half is less fertile than that of the northern half, but, under careful man- agement can be made to produce good crops. The most important products are milk, hay, potatoes, buckwheat, egg's, corn, wheat and oats. The number of farms in the county decreased during the last census period, but the size of individual farms increased slightly and the land doubled in value during the period 1900-1920. Farmers' Organizations The Grange, with eighteen local granges, includes in its activities the operation of a cooperative fire insurance plan. There is also active cooperation with the Grange-League-Federation Exchange, Inc.. a state-wide cooperative organization which is doing a splendid business. The County Farm Bureau has very materially improved the agricultural practice of the county. Allied with it are such or- ganizations as the Dairymen's League, the County Sheep Growers' Association, the Guernsey Club, the Holstein Club and the Market Gardeners' Association. Junior Project Work and community meetings for agricultural discussions have received special attention. 5 The Home Bureau, working with the women of the county, is de- veloping interest in home economics and in arousing community spirit. It cooperates with the Red Cross in the promotion of pub- lic health. Educational work is carried on by means of travelling libraries and exhibits at the annual County Fair which the County Agricultural Society conducts. Two lines of railway crossing the county bring it within reach of Buffalo in three hours and of New York in eight hours, and also furnish,' good facilities for the mar- keting of crops. Eleven hundred miles of good roads make all parts of the county easily accessible. Social Characteristics Tompkins County has twenty-eight well defined rural communi- ties, including the rural area about the city of Ithaca. A good situa- tion prevails throughout the county in the matter of leadership — every community but one having one or more recoznized leaders. Social Life and Agencies The Red Cross County Chapter, nearly half of whose roll is made up of rural members, has established a permanent department for family welfare work. It employs a public health nurse who works chiefly through the schools. Classes in home nursing and first aid have been organized. Three girl scout troops and three travelling libraries have been formed in rural communities by local branches. A County Tuberculosis Sanatorium provides treatment and care for tubercular patients, and a Preventorium improves the health of children who might become subject to the disease. A Boy Scout Council is organizing troops in the rural commun- ities. A Young Men's Christian Association district secretary for rural work is organizing local groups in one section of the coimty. The Ithaca Federation of Women's Clubs has a well equipped Women's Community House which is used constantly by the vari- ous organizations for women and girls. These organizations have many rural members on their rolls who are entitled to the advan- tages and benefits of the Community House. The George Junior Republic at Freeville is nationally known for its successful work with boys and girls in teaching them self-gov- ernment, self-control and the dignity of labor. Every community in the county has at least one place suitable for recreation and each has one or more social organizations, the grand total for the County including thirty-one lodges, eighteen granges, twenty-five local groups of the Women's Christian Tem- perance Union and sixty-one other societies of all kinds. These various agencies and organizations listed above are doing much to enrich rural social life but their activities are not systematically distributed or sufficiently periodic to provide each community with a well rounded program of wholesome social life and recreation. Commercialized amusements are centered largely but not exclu- sively in Ithaca. The musical talent of the county finds expression through bands in five, orchestras in four, and chorus work in four communities. Six communities have organized athletics. Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924014085314 V KEY "IB SYMBOLS County Beundarji — — — Commwmti) Boundai^ ■ — — — •Mtighborhood Baundanj Parith Boundopt) . Pariah £ Church ConnKtoig t CreJt of Poitop • HamleT ^ToMW -ovar 5,000 a Church -Whit* B Church -Colopad o Church -V/hit* lAth Po)t0p'« RMidvnca 6 Church 'Calsrsd.wHh PdiTor'j R«tfiitne« g>fi ClWeuit A Pastor'j R«aidancs witheut Church* A Paster's Residence without Chureh'C ■ Abandoned Church. B InactTve | [3 Sundd^ Sehoel iritheut Church -V/hi D Sunday 5chesl without Church -Celei 9 Church uaing flehaol Bidq. ' PART II Religious Life and Institutions 1. General Situation Tompkins County, like most of New England and the northern Middle Atlantic States, has been steadily declining in population for a number of years, but, unlike them, the character of its popu- lation has not been changed by any great influx of foreign speaking people into its rural areas. .=^ The foundations for the religious life of the county were laid at a very early date, the establishment of churches in some cases ante-dating township organization. Today there are in the various rural communities, fifty-seven active and organized Protestant churches, four Roman Catholic churches, and eight miscellaneous religious organizations such as separate Sunday Schools. (Note: This study does not include the churches of the city of Ithaca.) Within the last generation ten church buildings have been aban- doned because of declining population and proximity to other churches of the same denomination. Two were replaced later and- their organizations continued. The fifty-seven evangelical churches with which this survey deals are grouped; twenty-two in villages of 250 — 2,500 people, and thirty-five in the country. They are distributed among the various denominations as follows: Methodist Episcopal twenty- nine. Baptist ten, Protestant Episcopal six, Congregationalist five, Presbyterian in U. S. two. Five other denominations have one each. All of the fifty-seven churches own their buildings, most of which are in good condition. Twenty-one have but one room each. Their total value is $273,350. Seventeen village churches have parsonages while only fourteen of the country churches provide a residence for the minister. The total equipment for the promoting of social life is confined to eleven churches which have kitchens and five which own stere- opticon machines. Five other churches have the use of the stere- opticons occasionally. 2. Finance Twenty-nine churches use the budget system for the raising of all monpy, six churches budget their local expenses only, and twenty-two still have no systematic methods of finance. Thirty-five churches make an annual every member canvass. The total amount subscribed by fifty-six churches (one country church was inactive at the time of the survey and had no financial report) was $65,103.- 44. Of this amount $41,424.34 was subscribed by the twenty-two villages, and $23,679.10 by the country churches, an average per village church of $1,882.92, compared with $696.44 for the average country church. These figures are for the fiscal year preceding the survey. Seventy per cent, of the receipts are raised by subscription. A study of the expenditures shows that 43 per cent, of the in- come was spent for salaries, 30 per cent, for contingent expense and 27 per cent, for benevolences. Not very long ago it was only an exceptional rural church which gave away so much as one- quarter of its income. Tompkins is one of many counties recently studied which has reached this level as an average. The average church member gives $19.50 a year. This per capita contribution is determined by dividing the total contributions by the total active membership. However, forty-one churches re- port 563, or 16.7 per cent, non-member contributors. It is most unusual to find distributed over practically the whole county, such a large proportion of non-member contributors. 3. The Minister The impress which the church makes upon the community, and I the reaction of the community to the influence of the church are measured by the vision of the minister and the quality of his leader- ship. Thirty-five pastors serve the fifty-seven organized Protestant churches in this county. Nine of these men add other occupations to their ministerial duties. Only three pastors travel more than ten miles to meet their appointments. Three churches besides the ""Orthodox Friends church were pastorless at the time of the survey. The following table shows the distribution of resident and non-resi- dent ministers now serving the county: Churches with Village Pastor resident in parish 14 Pastor non-resident in parish 6 No pastor 2 22 35 57 Two things would seem to be indicated by this situation where more than half of the churches in the county have no resident pas- tor. First — that the re are too many churches for the number of people to be ministered to, and second — ^as a resvilt of the first con- dition — ^a budget too small to support a resident pastor. This situation becomes the more unfortunate when we consider that only eight of the twenty-eight communities have the full time of a resi- dent minister. A, glance at the church map shows a further compli- cation in the many overlappitigs of parish lines. With this over- churched condition we have the additional problem of a steadily dec'linin^ population with its corresponding effect upon church attendance. Salaries Five ministers receive less than $500 a year and are obliged to add other occupations to their ministerial activities. Ten pastors who give their whole time to the ministry receive $1,251 to $1,500, and only two receive as much as $2,050. The average is $1,177.56 These figures include $250 added to cash salary as estimated rental value of parsonage where it exists. 8 Country Total 11 25 22 28 2 4 Twenty-six pastors who give their whole time to the ministry receive an average salary of $1,369.23. This must not be taken as indicating a lack of training, for of the thirty-five men serving the churches of the county, twenty-six have had some educational train- ing for their work and seventeen are graduates of both college and seminary. How can a man who receives a salary of $1,369 or less, give his children any educational advantages, or supply himself with the equipment necessary for the work of his profession ? SHORT PASTORATES are increasing in frequency. During the last ten years, forty-nine of the fifty-seven churches have made pastoral changes every three years or of tener ; thirty-six of these have changed pastors every two years or oftener. 4. Membership The census figures for 1920 give to Tompkins County a rural population of 16,801. The total enrollment of church members in the rural areas is 4,677, of whom 3,357 are active and resident. The average number of active resident members in the village churches is nmety-two, while the average for the country churches is but thirty- eight. An active member is one who attends church at least occa- sionally and who contributes to its support. The proportion of members to the population, particularly in the country, is very small ; the number of inactive members is unusually high. The resident members, both active and inactive comprise 22 per cent, of the rural population of the county. A division of the resident church membership of the fifty-seven churches shows the following age and sex groups: Males over 21 1209 31% Males under 21 266 7% Females over 21 1978 52% Females under 21 388 10% 5. Church Gain and Loss is shown in the following table which gives the number and per- centage of churches gaining, for the various groups of churches according to their nurhber of net active members. Gain is for the period of one year previous to the survey. Per- cent- Number age of Grow- Station^ Declin- Grow- Churches in^ ary ing ing to 50 members 37 14 10 13 3%% 51 to 150 members.... 14 6 1 7 43* Over 150 members.... 6 5 1 83% 57 25 11 21 The total gain of the fifty-seven rural churches for the year pre- vious to the survey was 318, or 9 per cent, of the net active mem- bership of all the churches. The total loss was 234, leaving a small net gain of eighty-four, or 2.5 per cent, of the former net active 9 membership. The actual net gain, after deducting losses by death or removal was 177, and was made by twenty-five churches. Of these new members, 113 were added to the fourteen churches gain- ing over 10 per cent, of their previous enrollment. Thus 64 per cent, of the membership gain was made by these fourteen churches. Nine of the fourteen churches had, before their gain of over 10 per cent., rolls of less than fifty members. One of the principal methods of enlisting new members is the holding of protracted meetings. As a result of such meetings, held by ten village and nine country churches, 185 converts were reported in sixteen churches, but only sixty-four additions to membership by confession were received by thirteen churches. Of these sixty- four, forty-four were children. Judged by their own records the results were obviously small. The churches showing the largest gains by confession held no revival services. Of the total of 318 members gained, 152 were by letter and 166 by confirmation or confession. Of the gains by confession fifty-seven were adults, 109 were children and 134 were Sunday School mem- bers. The Sunday School would seem to be the principal recruiting ground for the church in Tompkins County. Twice as many country churches as village churches report gain by confession of faith. Since the loss of all the churches was 234y the evangelistic return of 166 failed by sixty-eight to equal the loss. Only twenty-nine of all the churches in the county reported any gain by confirmation or confession. This series of facts shows that more than 50 per cent, of the churches are either stationary or losing ground, and that a number of the smaller ones are struggling against great odds for their very existence. 6. Occupation of Members Nine hundred and twenty-eight or 57 per cent, of the employed membership of the churches are farmers. Of these, eighty-six or 9 per cent, are retired, 660, or 71 per cent, are farm owners, eighty- two, or 9 per cent, are farm tenants, 100, or 11 per cent, are farm laborers. V ^ 7. Church Parishes The church map giving parish boundaries shows that there is very little territory which is not included within the parish of some evangelical church. At the same time there is a great overlapping of parishes, often of the same denomination. The pressing need in Tompkins County is not that of reaching unevangelized territory, but for a complete reorganization of an overchurched condition, which today finds more than half of the Protestant churches either stationary or declining in membership. Thirty-seven churches report some foreigners within their parishes and six report some foreigners as occasional attendants, though most of these strangers attend the Roman Catholic churches. 10 Church Organization and Program 8. Sunday Schools Fifty of the fifty-seven churches have Sunday Schools. The respective differences between village and country schools, their number, enrollment and attendance are shown in the following table : Total Average Attendance Total Average Attendance Average Fer Lent- Number Enroll- Enroll- Typical per of Schools ment ment Sunday School Roll Village 19 2155 113 1041 55 48% Country 31 1626 52 940 30 57% SO 3781 76 1981 40 52% Twenty-two per cent, of the rural population of the county is enrolled in the Sunday Schools, and 52 per cent, of those enrolled are in attendance on a typical Sunday. While the village schools are larger, the country schools show a higheil proportion of mem- bers in regular attendance. Compared to the average, the attendance records are very low. Six hundred and twenty-one pupils in seven- teen village schools are from farm homes, showing the close inter- relation of village and country. Sixty-five organized classes are found in twenty-three schools. Only nine schools, all in villages, have teacher or leadership training classes. Only nineteen have libraries. Twenty-three, or less than half, carry on some mission study, although 80 per cent, of the schools give regular missionary offerings. Other facts in regard to the program and social life of the schools may be seen in the following table : Number of Schools with: Village Country Total Classes to prepare for church membership.... 7 8 15 Organized Departments 7 6 13 Cradle Roll 12 10 22 Home Department . . ., 11 13 24 Efforts to increase attendance, rewards, rally days, etc 8 8 16 9. Other Organizations in the Churches The total number and enrollment of organizations other than the Sunday Schools is as follows: Number of Total Organisations Membership For: Men S 160 Women 67 1859 Boys 3 80 Girls 4 85 Mixed organizations 29 897 108 3081 In the country churches there are no organizations for men or girls, and only one for boys — a Scout Troop. 11 10. Church Program There is no lack of regular church services in Tompkins County. Only one church holds services irregularly, while fifty-three churches hold four or more services per month. Nine churches are engag'ed in some form of missionary work. Fourteen do local charitable work. The majority of the churches of the county confine their activities largely to these regular church and Sunday School services, and have no very definite program for adapting their work to the needs of the community, although a few give attention to community projects. PART III Conclusions The religious situation in Tompkins County was surveyed in 1911 by the Rev. Charles Otis Gill. He made a discriminating examination of conditions as he found them then with those exist- ing in 1890. Some of these facts may be compared with the survey of 1920.1 The results of this comparison indicate that the church problems of Tompkins County are unsolved. As was the case in a number of churches elsewhere for which Mr. Gill was able to find records, church attendance in Tompkins County in 1890 exceeded church membership. Whereas 19.7% of the population, belonged to churches, attendants numbered 21% of the people. By 1910 the membership in the face of a decline of 14.3% in population had risen to 23% of the population but only 71% of the members and 16.3% of the population were found to attend church services. By the end of 1920^ there had been a further loss in population of 4.3% but the total membership had risen and increased 13%, equal- ling 27%3 of the population. Attendance, however, remained stationary, including 16.2% of the population. /^ Taking the county as a whole there has been a net increase of \13% in church membership in the last thirty years. This has been m the face of a loss in population of 18%. In attendance, however, there has been a decline of 39% in thirty years and though this decline has been checked in the last decade it has not risen in pro- portion to membership. Financially the situation discloses a slightly different story. There has been a steady increase in the number of dollars contributed, but there has been a decrease in the total iSee the Country Church, by C. O. Gill and Gifford Pinchot, Macmillan Company, for complete comparison of results of 1911 survey with that of 1920. 2See "The Country Church in Colonial Counties," by Marjorie Patten, George H. Doran Company. The results of this comparison indicate that the church problems of Tompkins County are unsolved. SThis percentage is on basis of the total and not the net active membership. Mr. Gill used total memberships. 12 purchasing power of the gifts with the exception of benevoic.—.,,. The situation is shown concretely in terms of dollars and of pur- chasing power in tte following tables : EXPENDITURES OF THE CHURCHES OF TOMPKINS COUNTY EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF THE PURCHASING POWER OF THE DOLLAR IN 1890. Per Cent. of Average Tearly Expenditures In 1890 Dollare Gain or Loss In 1890 Dollars 1886-90 1906-10 1919-20 1890-1910 1890-1920 1910-1920 County 32,826 26,880 23,352 10,596 — 18 — 29 —13 Salaries 17,128 13,125 —23 —38 —19 Benevolences .... 3,821 4,024 6,956 +43 -fl47 +73 Improvements . . . 6,430 2,689 —58 — — These percentages were calculated by using Dunn's index numbers. The year 1890 was considered as 100. 1906-10 1919-20 1890-1910 1890-1920 1810-1920 35,213 59,780 +7 -1-82 -1-70 17,194 27,127 +0 +58 +58 5,271 17,809 4-87 +531 +238 3,522 7,802 —45 — — EXPENDITURES OF THE CHURCHES OF TOMPKINS COUNTY DURING SPECIFIED YEARS. Average Tearly Expenditures in Dollars Percentage of Gain or Loss 18S6-90 County 32,826 Salaries 17,128 Benevolences 2,821 Improvements . . . 6,430 the whole situation can be summarized in the) following conclusions: 1. Assets Not many sections of the country are so favorably circumstanced as is Tompkins County. A fine spirit is evident in at least half of the communities and good leadership is being developed. Roads are good. Good soil in the northern half and good management in the southern half of the county produce fair crops. The percentage of farm tenantry is low. The farmers are profiting by the spendid organization of their agricultural interests. Cornell University stands ready to give expert assistance to any who ask for it. The social agencies are numerous and their programs progressive. 2. Small Memberships Thirty-seven of the fifty-seven churches have a net active mem- bership of fifty or less. Twenty-three of these are stationary or declining. Seven have grown so small that Sunday School Work has been abandoned. Under the present system the future of these churches is death. Growth and strength can come only through well considered cooperation of all churches and denominations. 3. OVERCHURCHING As has been indicated this is one of the great problems. Churches are too small, they are too small because there are too many of them to command adequate interest and support. Eliminating the Roman Catholic membership there is one Protestant church for every three hundred people. One community of nine hundred has four Protes- 13 tant churches and one Roman Catholic church but no resident min- ister. A situation Uke this defeats the larger needs of the Kingdom of God. 4. The Minister There is a direct connection between inadequate salaries and short pastorates. The rural minister's stay is short largely because his pay is disgracefully inadequate. Reorganization of the churches would mean stronger congregations, larger salaries, longer pastor- ates. Tompkins County has responded to the call of missions. It has done so at the expense of its own leadership. 5. Church Oeganizations The people of Tompkins County believe in organization, in social and economic relations. If the churches would organize their men, boys and girls around vital interests with worthwhile programs, they would meet with as hearty a response as do the social agencies. 6. Religious Education Tompkins County social, educational and agricultural institutions have reached a high plane by the application of modern methods and ideals to their problems. Not until similar modem methods are applied in religious education will the churches be fulfilling their total responsibility toward the young people. The table on page 11 shows the pitiful lack of activity and program on the part of Tomp- kins County's Sunday Schools. No wonder that they make one of the poorest attendance records in proportion to the enrollment of any of the hundreds of counties studied in the last few years. And yet, the Sunday School in Tompkins County is still the chief source of church membership and with different methods and stronger schools its possibilities of usefulness, growth and influence are stupendous. 7. Indifference The rising membership and the falling attendance show the esti- mate which the people of the cotmty put upon the church. This is the challenge to the church. Where the programs are stronger and adequate, people respond. There are churches in Tompkins County which show this. Practically the entire population is within sound of the church bell and yet because of competition between small organizations, because of lack of any definite, vital program, because of scattered, divided and underpaid leadership, much of the population is untouched by the church and only half the church mem- bers attend services with any degree of regularity. Evangelism of the type that will recreate not only the individual but the social atmosphere of the community is needed. 8. Cooperation Cooperation is the outstanding need of the county. There might well be a county council of rural social agencies. Even more impor- tant, however, is cooperation between churches in order that they may look at the picture of thirty years of religious life in Tompkins 14 County given in this summary of two surveys and in the name of God resolve to put first the Kingdom of Heaven and its righteous- ness and second the preference of individual denominations. The problem must be seen as a whole and a county ministerial asso- ciation, or a county conference or council of churches, with proper support from the state and district denominational officials should go forward to discover how the teachings of Jesus Himself can be applied in the daily work and life of the people and of the churches of the county. IS Tompkins County Survey THE FULL RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OF TOMPKINS COUNTY, TOGETHER WITH THOSE OF WARREN COUNTY, N. Y., AND OF AD- DISON COUNTY, VT., AND COMPARATIVE DATA FROM A LARGE NUMBER OF OTHER COUNTY SURVEYS Are Found In AN ATTRACTIVE VOLUME OF 108 PAGES, CLOTH BOUND, WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS, MAPS AND CHARTS, ENTITLED The Country Church In Colonial Counties By MARJORIE PATTEN Published by George H. Doran Co. at the list price of $2.50, but obtainable direct from the COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AND RE- LIGIOUS SURVEYS, 111 Fifth Avenue, New York at the Special Price $1.25 Committee on Social and Religious Surveys, 111 Fifth Avenue, New York, Please send me copies of "The Country Church in Colo- ttfol Counties," at the special price of $1.25. / 'enclose $ '. . . Please bill me on delivery Date ^ Name . . . .r~ Address : . . . ^i>t tf A/ 't;- ( '■