_THE RURAL CHURCH AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE_
There was never a greater demand for efficient leadership in the rural
communities than there is to-day. The country has continued for many
years past to become richer in farm products and equipment, but it has
steadily grown poorer in social and spiritual values. In fact we have
unconsciously acquired a distorted idea of values. Hogs are too high in
proportion to boys. Beef cattle are absorbing too much interest in
proportion to the time and money expended in perfecting the character of
girls. It has long been the proud boast of the Middle Western states
that they could feed the entire country. And we have continued so long
in this way as now to regard big crops and the great abundance of farm
animals and other such material possessions as ends in themselves. So it
is high time that we ask ourselves what this material wealth is all for.
Looked at from at least one high vantage point, it may be properly
regarded as so much encumbrance unless we shall be able to convert it
into a means to some worthy and spiritual purpose.
DECADENCE OF RURAL LIFE
The open country in the Middle Western states has for some time been the
breeding place for sterling manhood and ideal womanhood, and the
recruiting ground wherefrom have been drawn many men and women to
undertake the management of the larger enterprises of the country. The
enforced self denial and discipline of work; the continued practice of
quiet reflection; the comparative freedom from the evil and degrading
influences peculiar to much of the child life in the cities; and many
other character-building experiences could be set down on the favorable
side of rural child-rearing in the past. But this situation is rapidly
changing. The ten-year period just closing has witnessed a decadence of
country life, the rural population actually showing a decrease. Large
numbers of the best families have moved to the cities and towns, and
their places on the farm have been taken by irresponsible laborers and
transient renters.
Yes, the wealth of the rural community is still there, lying more or
less dormant, and all the other means of a splendid civilization are
there. But in the usual instance there is no one to assume the
leadership in bringing about the reconstruction of the rural life. Now
that he has accumulated such an abundance of material things, the
typical farmer needs to be shown how to deal more fairly and helpfully
with the various members of his family. Some farmers' wives are
gradually being dragged to death with the over-burden of work, which
might be obviated if the farmer and his wife were both shown
specifically a better way of getting things done. Many boys and girls
growing up in the country are being cheated out of their natural
heritage of good health, spontaneous play, and the joy of social
intercourse, all because of the fact that farm products are too much
regarded as an end rather than a means to the higher development of the
members of the rural family. So a good soil and excellent crops are
essentials for a substantial rural society, but they are not a certain
evidence of such thing. It is possible to go into some of the country
communities where these material things are accumulated in great
abundance and yet find the people there living a little, mean, and
narrow form of life, and that chiefly because they do not quite
understand how to use the splendid means at hand in the accomplishment
of some high and worthy purposes.
WORK FOR THE MINISTRY
And so we hereby issue a call and a challenge for workers to enter the
great fallow field just named and make it blossom with new social and
spiritual life. And it is the conviction of some that the ministers of
the town and village churches can undertake this work much better than
any other class of persons, for they are already in many respects
trained leaders. Let these ministers be provided if possible with an
assistant, a layman it may be, for both their town and country work.
Then let each of them have a rural appointment to which they may go from
one to four times each month; and, inspired by a vision of all the
possibilities ahead of them and endued with divine power and guidance,
enter earnestly into the great work of rehabilitating the country
community. It is evident that the minister who will leave his town
congregation with perhaps only one Sunday sermon and go to a country
church and preach to the adults, and teach and lead the young, while his
assistant takes charge of the second Sunday service at home--it is
evident that such a minister will not only wear longer in the locality
in which he is stationed, but that he will find in the rural work just
mentioned such a flood of zeal and inspiration as will more than make up
for and repay the effort. Many of the town ministers are preaching to
audiences that are more or less irresponsive to what they have to say.
Under present conditions they are compelled to preach to the same
audiences too much. Their sermons grow stale. But under the arrangement
here recommended, such conditions would not obtain. They would come back
from the rural appointment so laden with new ideas and ideals as to
appear to the home congregation in a most advantageous light.
THE COUNTRY MINISTER
There is at present not a little promise that there may be developed
throughout the country a new type of country-dwelling ministers. It is
certainly a logical position for the effective religious worker to
assume; namely, that of actually dwelling among those whom he is
attempting to serve. He acquires an intimate knowledge of their
problems, their point of view, including the status of their individual
beliefs and prejudices.
[Illustration: PLATE VIII.
FIG. 8.--The fifty-year-old country church at Plainfield.
FIG. 9.--The new country church at Plainfield, Illinois, erected through
the inspiration and leadership of Reverend Matthew B. McNutt.]
As an example of what the country minister can achieve one needs to read
an account of the splendid work of the Rev. Mathew B. McNutt of
Plainfield, Illinois. Mr. McNutt was called to this charge in 1900 when
a fresh graduate from a Presbyterian seminary. At the time of his call
there was in the locality a small dead or nominal church membership and
an occasional weak, ineffective service held in the little old church of
fifty years' standing. This devoted and far-seeing man got down among
the people with whom he settled, made a careful survey of the economic,
the social, and the religious life of the place, and began his wonderful
work of reconstructing all this. The ultimate purpose was the
improvement of the spiritual well-being. He organized singing schools,
granges, literary and debating societies, sewing societies, and clubs of
various other sorts, all as a means of awakening the life of the
community and bringing the people together in a spirit of mutual
sympathy and helpfulness. After less than a decade of hard work a
marvelous transformation of the rural life thereabout was achieved.
Among other notable changes was a new church to supplant the old one.
The new building was erected at a cash cost of ten thousand dollars; has
an audience room seating five hundred or more, several Sunday school
class rooms, a choir room, a cloak room, a pastor's study and a mothers'
room, all on the main floor. In the basement below there is a good
kitchen, a dining room with equipment, also a furnace, a store room, and
the like. The church membership has grown to one hundred sixty-three
with many non-members attending, while the Sunday school enrollment
increased to three hundred.
Now there are always a few minds who wish to measure all earthly things
in terms of a money value. To such it may be shown that the land values
in the vicinity of this new country church have gone up to a marked
degree and that the economic conditions are all of a most satisfactory
nature.
As further evidence of what a rural community working together may
achieve for the spiritual welfare, there may be cited the instance of
the little side station by the name of Ogden in Riley County, Kansas.
Here the people got together and voted to build a country church, and
that without determining as to the denominational affiliation. A
committee of leaders was appointed to raise funds and to draw plans for
the building. In a short time, arrangements were perfected for
constructing the building at a cost of four thousand dollars. It was
later voted to place this new church temporarily under the direction of
the Congregational church in Manhattan, fifteen miles away.
In one or two instances the religious leaders in a country community
have succeeded admirably in establishing a "commission" form of church
administration. The method pursued has been that of having a committee
of three, each a member of a different church, to call by turn from the
towns near by the ministers of the various denominations. Further
details of the plans provide for the committee to raise funds so that
the minister may be paid a definite amount for the service conducted.
One of the first essential steps in the establishment of a rural church
is a careful survey or study of the situation. While it may be accounted
a sin against God and humanity to add another church where there are
already more than the people can support, often it will be found that
very large, well populated country districts are wholly without access
to any religious service whatever. Verily, the field is white unto the
harvest and the laborers as yet are few.
A MISTAKE IN TRAINING
Too long we have been training young people in the school and in the
home to struggle for the best of everything--a sort of rivalry that
results in envy, jealousy, and strife, and a falling apart where there
should be cooperation and sympathy and a spirit of mutual helpfulness.
The craze for clothes, the glare of the electric lights, and the lure of
the cheap theater have struck the country people and are drawing away
much of the best young blood there. It seems that we have over-done this
thing of pointing to the top and urging our young people to scramble for
that, until as a result no one is looking for a place to serve, while
all are looking for a place to shine. Now, there may be "plenty of room
at the top" for selfish scrambling, but in some respects the top is
woefully over-crowded. On the other hand, there is a vast amount of good
room at the bottom, acres of it, and we might well commend it to every
one who may be imbued with the idea of doing some effective work in the
world. All over the broad, open country, in thousands of rural
districts, the situation at the bottom is literally crying out for
constructive workers who will come in there with their good courage,
their scientific training, and in the name of the Most High get down
among the people and the common things in the midst of which the people
live and lay a substantial foundation for a new and beautiful
structure--an edifice erected out of the plain materials to be found in
any ordinary rural community, and that by means of transforming such
things and making them contributive to the high and lofty
spirit-purposes for which they are really designed.
RURAL CHILD-REARING
We are not half awake as yet to the meaning and possibilities of the
rural community as a place for rearing children. The city environment
ripens youths too fast and too early and works all the spontaneity and
aggressiveness out of the boys and girls before their mature judgments
are ready to function. As a result of this city hot-bed, we have as a
type the blase sort of young man, and a young woman who is overly smart
in respect to the "proper things to do." Either of them has little power
of initiative and less power of persistence. One of the greatest virtues
of the somewhat isolated rural home is that it matures human character
more slowly and keeps the boys and girls fresh and "green" and
spontaneous while there is being gradually worked into their characters
the habit of industry and the power of doing constructive work.
If one should desire to obtain a sterling specimen of manhood, he would
not take up with the "smart" city youth who at the age of sixteen has
had all the experiences known to men. The latter is too ripe. He knows
it all. From his own point of view, his knowledge of the world is nearly
completed. No, one would prefer to go to the most remote country
district and, if need be, lasso some green, gawky, sixteen-year-old who
is afraid of the cars and the big girls and who has never had a suit of
clothes that fits him. This scared, unbroken youth would go through a
tremendous amount of rough-and-tumble, trial-and-error experiences
during the course of his college training; and he would live intensively
and rush into many unknown places and commit many blunders, between
whiles catching countless inspiring visions of how he might be or become
a man of great strength and ruggedness of character. Such a man might be
relied upon to shoulder the heavy burdens of the world. Such a man could
be called out to join in the forefront of battle when the moral and
religious rights of the people were at issue. Such a man when fully
matured could be sent into some kind of missionary field and be expected
to labor there for a long time alone, courageous and persistent, finally
winning a very small following; then a larger number of adherents; and
then the entire population at his heels, applauding and backing him up
in his every worthy effort.
The author has long had a vision of a man trained and developed through
the seasoning experiences just sketched and who, under the inspiration
and the guidance of the Most High, will go into these rural communities
which are latent with material life, and there begin his labors in
behalf of the higher things into which all the elements of this typical
rural situation may be transformed. Just as fast as men hear this divine
call and heed it and take up this work, so fast will our country life be
reconstructed and the best that is in our society become gloriously
transformed and everlastingly saved as a heritage of the oncoming
generations. And it is evident that the rural minister, working through
the rural church, is the person to whom this divine call may most
naturally come.
THE CHURCHES TOO NARROW
Not a few of the country churches are too narrow in their limitations,
tending to chill out those who do not happen to be adherents of the
creed, and to foster dissensions and hatred among neighbors. And they
are not touching in a vital way the lives of country boys and girls.
[Illustration: PLATE IX.
FIG. 10.--This attractive and modern church building was erected by the
Christian people living in the vicinity of the country village of Ogden,
Kansas. Four different denominations participated at its dedication. Its
ruling body is undenominational.]
It will be agreed that the gospel of the Master of men may be made so
broad and inviting as to attract all who have a spark of religion in
their natures, and that means practically every one in the community.
But there is no good reason why the rural church should stand alone as
such. It should and can be made a social as well as a religious center
for the whole community. So, let there be constructed a modern building
with big windows, and several apartments for Sunday school classes,
and for meetings of social groups, such as the grange, the farmers'
institute, the sewing society, and the literary and debating clubs. Then
there should be apparatus for the preparation of meals, with a room in
which a long table might be spread as occasion demands. Outside of this
building there should be a children's playground with some simple
apparatus for play.
Not less frequently than one afternoon of the month--and twice would be
better--the people of the community should drop everything and come
together for a good social time and a general exchange of ideas. On an
occasion of this kind the town minister could be present or someone from
the outside who would bring with him at least one helpful and practical
idea about building up country life. Let this building be regarded as
the property of every man, woman, and child in the community and strive
to bring it to pass that the legitimate and worthy interest of all shall
be actually served there.
CONSTRUCTIVE WORK OF THE CHURCH
This country church here thought of need be no less a religious affair,
but it must become distinctively a socializing agency. It must not
merely save souls, but it must save and conserve and develop for this
present life the bodily, the moral, and the intellectual powers of the
young. One cannot adequately develop those splendid latent powers in
young people solely by means of teaching them the Sunday school lesson
or preaching to them, no matter how true the gospel may be. The evidence
is ample to show that boys and girls who attend church and Sunday school
are nevertheless falling into many vicious habits of conduct, and are
growing up without many of the forms of discipline and training
essential for stable Christian character and social and moral
efficiency. In fact as a means of temporal salvation the old-fashioned
church and Sunday school are proving more and more a failure.
Now, as soon as the church realizes the meaning of the foregoing
situation and acts accordingly, just so soon will this splendid old
institution be enabled to do efficient work in vitalizing the practical
affairs of the community in which it is located. To illustrate this
point: The great curse of boyhood to-day is the tobacco habit, and this
vitiating practice is slowly working its way among the country youth.
The youth who acquires the smoking habit before becoming physically
matured thereby depletes his physical health to a marked degree, reduces
his mental efficiency ten to fifty per cent, and almost completely
destroys his power of initiative. Such a youth is never found contending
for any moral issue or any high and worthy cause of the people. His
constructive instinct is made more quiescent, while his disposition to
condone evil is greatly and permanently increased. Boys who attend
church and Sunday school are also, like others, falling victims to the
sex evils of various forms.
AN INNOVATION IN THE RURAL CHURCH
Perhaps there is no better illustration of how the economic affairs of
the neighborhood may be vitally linked with the church service than the
work carried on under the direction of Superintendent George W. Brown,
of Paris, Illinois. During one year Mr. Brown conducted on seven
different occasions an over-Sunday program, somewhat as follows:--
On Saturday either at the country school house or in the basement of the
country church there was arranged an exhibition of corn, while during
the day class exercises in the study of corn were in progress. On the
day following, Sunday, there were two sermons, the theme of each being
closely allied to the economic problems studied the day previously. The
ministers are reported to have cooperated enthusiastically in this work,
each one attempting in his sermon to show how better economic life may
be made contributive to a better religious life.
On the Monday following, the program was continued with a farmers'
institute representative of the several interests of the adults and the
young people. At this Monday meeting a number of the faculty of the
state university were in attendance and gave helpful addresses
appropriate to the occasion. At night the County Superintendent gave an
illustrated lecture, using the stereopticon to show the audience just
what was being done in the various parts of the county and country by
way of improvement of the social and economic conditions.
In many places in the New England and other eastern states the rural
communities are attacking the social-religious problems in practically
the same manner as is being done at Plainfield, Illinois. At Danbury,
New Hampshire, there is a Country Settlement Association, which is
accomplishing some epoch-making things. At the official building there
is provided a trained nurse to assist the entire community. The
organization conducts social-betterment work for the local neighborhood
and leads in a campaign for social reform throughout the state.
Likewise, at Lincoln, Vermont, there is an interesting example of
cooperation between the religious and social interests. Three churches
have formed a federated society. In a building maintained in common by
them, the meetings of the Ladies' Aid Society, the Good Templars, the
Grange, the Grand Army Post, and many others of a social nature are
held. Such cooperative work is certain to have a helpful and
far-reaching effect on any community.
[Illustration: PLATE X.
FIG. 11.--An illustration of "Corn Sunday," as instituted by
Superintendent Jessie Field, Clarinda, Iowa, in the rural churches
thereabout.]
SPIRITUALIZE CHILD LIFE
Above all things else, let the country church be reorganized with
reference to the interests of the young. Let the minister and the other
leaders take a firm stand for a square deal for the farm boys and girls
in respect to work and play and sociability. Let them place before
country parents clear, concrete models and methods as to how to accord
fair treatment to the children in every particular thing. Let them
organize the young people of the community into groups for play and
sociability and direct them in both of these matters.
It is high time we were considering all of our legitimate interests as a
part of our religion. Indeed, there is no good reason why the young
people could not meet together at the rural church and on the same
evening have an oyster supper and a prayer meeting. They could very
consistently discuss and participate in both a temporal and a spiritual
affair on the same occasion and in such a way that each part of the
program would be vitalized by the others. And likewise the smaller
children. It should not be considered at all irreverent for one to go
directly with them to the playground after the Sunday school lesson is
ended and there lead and direct them in their health-giving enjoyments.
Try this in your rural-church society centers and see if the boys and
girls do not run with great enthusiasm to the whole affair.
One great error committed by many of us in the past is that of regarding
work and things as arbitrarily high or low. But the author does not see
why plowing corn may not be made just as sacred and just as divine a
calling as preaching the gospel, provided the former be regarded in the
light of service of some high spiritual purpose; as indeed it may be.
So, here is a distinctive part of the function of the rural church;
namely, to spiritualize work as well as workers--to urge upon the
attention of the rural inhabitants the thought that their work must all
be regarded as a means to the transformation of the community life and
of each individual life into a thing of transcendent worth and beauty.
A SUMMARY
Now, here is the proposed plan in a nutshell. The country community is
the best place in the world for bringing up a sturdy race of men and
women and the country church is or can be made one of the greatest
agencies in the achievement of this work. But such achievement can best
be brought about only when the country church goes to work to save the
whole boy and the whole girl. And that means that the church must
understand better how human life grows up--that it must meet these
growing boys and girls on their own level of everyday interest and
socialize and spiritualize these interests through close contact with
them. Then, make the rural church a social center for the young,
including exercises in work and play and recreation, as well as a place
for religious instruction. The child is a creature of activity and not
of passivity. You cannot preach him into the kingdom in a lifetime; but
you can get down with him and work with him and play with him and guide
and direct him through his self-chosen, everyday interests, to the end
that he may afterwards enter the ranks of the Lord's anointed.
Again, it is urged, make your country church a center for the entire
life of the community. Not only have the adults bring their practical
affairs to this center for consideration, but have the boys and girls
come with their implements of work and play, with their specimens of
farm and home produce and handiwork, with their miniature menageries and
workshops--all this with joy and reverence before and after the
religious services.
REFERENCES
Efficient Democracy. W. H. Allen. Chapter X. "Efficiency in
Religious Work." Dodd, Mead & Co.
Rural Christendom. Charles Roads. Prize Essay. American
Sunday-School Union, Philadelphia.
Report of the Commission on Country Life, pp. 137-144,
Sturgis-Walton Co.
The Country Church and the Library. John Cotton Dana.
_Outlook_, May 6, 1911.
The Country Church and the Rural Problem. Kenyon L.
Butterfield. University of Chicago Press. A strong
presentation of the entire situation.
The Rural Church and Community Development. President Kenyon
L. Butterfield. The Association Press, New York. A collection
of practical papers and discussions on several important
topics.
The Day of the Country Church. J. O. Ashenhurst. Funk &
Wagnalls Co., New York. Read especially the excellent chapter
on "Leadership."
The Church and the Rural Community. Symposium. _American
Journal of Sociology._ March, 1911.
Philanthropy, A Trained Profession. Lewis. Forum, March,
1910.
_Rural Manhood._ The Association Press, New York Monthly.
This magazine publishes many excellent articles on the Rural
Church.
The Inefficient Minister. _Literary Digest_, April 10, 1909.
A report of the criticisms of Dr. Henry S. Pritchett, of the
Carnegie Foundation, and Dr. Henry Aked, of San Francisco.
_World's Work_, December, 1910. An interesting account of
Reverend Matthew McNutt's work in building up a country
church.
The Country Church. George F. Wells, in Cyclopedia of
American Agriculture, by L. H. Bailey, volume IV, page 297.