of the little credit banks, or even as managers of coöperative societies. This was of course because there was nobody else to do it at the time. On the other hand, it would seem to be rather difficult for the preacher to make clear to his people just how business can be made Christian unless he knows something about the way in which that business has to be done. I should suppose that otherwise he would rather be beating the air. I think the average man in business and the average farmer want to do the fair thing and are, if you please, trying to be Christian, but the great difficulty is how really to apply religious teaching in the everyday work of the world as it is organized at present. On the other hand if the laymen who are the leaders, either on the scientific or on the practical side, in the great work of agriculture, do not have clear-cut views as to a Christian program, it would hardly be expected that they would function fully in carrying out the program. Is there any better counsel than that we shall hope that the agricultural specialist will be a Christian man understanding the Chris tian principles, that the country preacher will be a specialist in religion but will carry his specialty far beyond rhetoric or emotion or generalities, will study the problems of the people of the countryside as they have to meet those problems from day to day in their work and life, in order that he may help them interpret religion in its application to this work and life; in other words, that he may help them follow a Christian program of life and labor? The Challenge to the Church You may disagree with every item in the diagnosis of the country church situation that has been mentioned, and in the entire philosophy of its place, mission, and method implied in all that has been said. But I am sure that you will agree that the need of having and vitalizing a Christian program for our farming communities is a distinct and serious challenge to the American country church. Chapter Five CHRISTIANIZING THE RURAL COMMUNITY The Christian program to be effective must permeate all aspects of life, all institutions, all geographical areas, all movements. As a working basis for readjustment it must especially develop in the local social groups. Otherwise it will not be really effective. If we cannot have a Christian local rural community, we cannot have a Christian rural civilization. We may fool ourselves into measuring civilization by what we see in certain literature, or tendencies, or attitudes among those whom we are pleased to call the people at the top; but there is such a thing as mass values, and in the long run a civilization is measured by the quality of the entire people. What goes on in the local community is the vital test of a Christian program. Therefore, the task of Christianizing the local rural community is the very heart of our problem. |