PAlIPIILETn ON THE. COUTTTRY CHURCH Volume 3 4 n KOl V, 3 Federal council of the churches of Christ in America, What every church should know about its community. General Association of Congregational Churches of Massachusetts, Advance reports of various committees, 1908 and 1909 McElfresh, F. The country Sunday school MclTutt, M» B» Modern methods in the country church McUutt , M« B» A post-graduate school with a purpose Massachusetts Federation of Churches, Quarterly "bulletin » Facts and factors* October 1910 "The part of the church in rural x^r ogress as discussed at the Amherst Conference," Root, E» T« State federations Taf t , A. B^ The mistress of the rural manse Taf t , A. B, The tent mission Taylor^ G, Basis for social evangelism with rural applications Wells, G. F» An ansv/er to the New England country church question. Wells, G« F* Y/hat our country churches need Wilson, W« H» The church and the transient Wilson, W. H» Conservation of boys Wilson, W» H. The country church Wilson, W. H» The country church xerogram Wilson, W, H. Don*t breathe on the thermometer Wilson, W» H. The farmers* church and the farmers* ^ college on CO Wilson, W. IT. Getting the worker to church o_ LU Wilson, W. H. The girl on the farm Wilson J W. H» How to manage a country life institute Wilson, W« H. "Marrying the land." Wilson J W. H» iTo need to "be i^oor in the country Wilson, W* H. Synod's opportunity Wilson, W« H» What limits the rural Evangel « S » 3 9 S 4 The church and country life « Pamphlet issued hy the Board of Home Missions of the Presby- terian Church. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Boston Library Consortium IVIember Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/countrychurchpro03wils Cj)e Country Cf)urc|) ^rofiram By WARREN H. WILSON, Ph.D. We cannot understand the country church without practicing what we know. The best means of comprehen- sion of the duty of the Church to the country community and to country people is a program of action for the sake of insight. The ministers who are co-operating with the Presbyterian Department of Cliurch and Country Life have worked out together such a program. The country church is struggling for survival. In a few instances country churches are successful. In most cases the country church is grad- ually, and in some cases swiftly, losing ground. The following program is presented as a statement of principles and methods essential to the survival and continued efficiency of the coun- try church. First — The country church must be evangelistic. Its existence depends upon its interest in temperance and other moral reforms, and it must be, in order to survive in our day, a mis- sionary church. In all this the coun- try church shares the experience of the Church at large. Second — -The country church serves men by serving the country commu- nity. It must be a community center, sympathetic with all the interests of the entire community. Third— The churches in each coun- try community must federate with one another in the interest of the Kingdom. Rural Christianity and civilization are dependent upon union. The country church is simple, and the Christian message must be single and free from division or differences. Fourth — The country church should make a thorough survey of the com- munity as a basis of its work. It should preserve this survey as a per- manent Exhibit, using it as the basis of its continued service to the com- munity. Fifth — The country church is de- pendent for its survival and its con- tinued efficiency upon its promoting and inspiring some or all of the fol- lowing movements according as the community has need. (a) The improvement of schools and their consolidation wherever possible. (b) The study of scientific agri- culture and of better farming in all forms. (c) Public recreation for the young people and working people of the community. (d) Public health and better liv- ing conditions. (e) Co-operation with the Grange and other community or- ganizations in plans for progress. (i) An Old Home Anniversary to cherish the history of the town and to maintain active communica- tion with former residents and mem- bers. Sixth — In order to survive and to maintain religious efficiency the coun- try church must determine its policies within the community by the needs of the marginal man. In the country, tenant farmers, farm hands, immi- grants, the young people and the chil- dren in the community are the mar- ginal people by whom the standards of character and conduct are meas- ured. In its service to them the coun- try church succeeds or fails with the community as a whole. Seventh — It is essential to the con- tinuance of the country church that the pastor receive a salary sufficient for his Hving under the prevaiHng economic conditions. This program is the voice of the successful country minister, who speaks out of a hard struggle. He speaks for many men who are losing in the struggle. Out of the country church men are going in desperation, being beaten in the fight by certain evil conditions which prevail to-day in the country and are the greatest ene- mies of the church. Some of the above principles are not universal, but certain of them were universally agreed upon as vital to the survival of the country church throughout the United States. By general consent four of these stand out above all the others— the worst enemies of the coun- try church are denominationalism, bad economic methods in agriculture, the inefficient country school, and the im- possible salary which is offered to all country ministers. The program, therefore, commends federation of churches, the study of agriculture, con- solidation of schools and readjustment of ministers' salaries as essential to the survival of the country church and to its continued efficiency. Department of Chnrch and Country Life, the Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A., 156 Fifth Ave., New York. s^^ ^X' f> \^ -^1 V J .^ rx: W. ^ Ll^i ^-S. '^■. ^ d-S 1 ^