14. "I am convinced of the sincerity of Christian unity and of the possibility of church efficiency, but it has not really approached that reality any more than some denominational churches have in rural centers. But it is a wholesome and generally satisfactory plan of religious service in a community of changing personnel. In the community is quite a large Catholic element and also a very progressive and influential Universalist element. This remains in our midst practically unassimilated as yet, after a dozen years with no services in their church. The children are coming into the Sunday school pretty well and time will overcome some of these obstacles." 15. "It is the reasonable and only possible means in this and many other communities in Cape Cod, but it needs energy and aggressive effort to succeed." In the face of the fact that a very large proportion of denominational rural churches are on the decline, the experience of these fifteen churches constitutes very strong evidence that the federated church is a practical means of securing Christian unity and increased church efficiency in small overchurched communities. In order to learn whether or not it is true that only the more successful churches replied to the questionnaire, we have by other means secured information in regard to certain churches which did not reply. Some of them were found to be as successful as those which did. For example, the federated church of North Wilbraham, Massachusetts, the constituent bodies of which are Methodist Episcopal and Congregational churches, has greatly increased in membership, attendance, and in the influence it exerts for various kinds of progress in its community. It would be very difficult to find any country church, either denominational or federated, whose record for service is better. In two cases in New England where the federated church has failed, it was reported that the pastors regarded the federated church as a temporary expedient and tried hard to change it into a denominational church. Such action would necessarily be regarded as a breach of faith on the part of one of the churches, and disaster might well be expected to follow. The authors know of no experience which indicates any inherent weakness in the federated church, nor so far as they are aware is there any evidence that a federated church has injured the denomination of any component church. On the contrary, a very large majority of the small churches which have united with others in such federation have gained rather than lost, with a resulting benefit to each denomination concerned. CHAPTER VIII OTHER PROGRESSIVE CHURCHES 1. _A Church Federation_