The Challenge of the Country: A Study of Country Life OpportunityFiske, George Walter
History
The Challenge of the Country: A Study of Country Life Opportunity
Fiske, George Walter
Sociology, Rural
Gradually the office of the rural secretary becomes a sort of clearing
house for all the popular interests and organizations in the
county,--churches, schools, granges, farmers' institutes, boards of trade,
medical societies, Sunday schools, boys' clubs of every sort, athletic
clubs, civic associations and village improvement societies. Thus these
various agencies are brought together for cooperative service of the
countryside, learning to work together harmoniously with modern methods of
efficiency.[36]
_The County Work of the Young Women's Christian Association_
So successful has been the work of the Rural Young Men's Christian
Association, it has encouraged the National Board of the Young Women's
Christian Association to begin Christian work among women and girls in the
country villages. There is unquestionably a wide field and a great
usefulness for this branch of the Young Women's Association work. It ought
to be rapidly promoted and doubtless will be as fast as consecrated young
women can be trained for it and their challenge met by people of wealth to
consecrate their money for this purpose. Efficiency would be gained by
working in practical union with the rural Young Men's Christian
Associations.
_The Primacy of the Church in the Country_
In all these activities it must be borne in mind that the Young Men's and
the Young Women's Christian Associations are but auxiliaries of the
church. The secretary is frankly a servant of the church, of all the
churches. The main reason for emphasizing these agencies for rural
redemption is the present divided condition of religious forces in the
country. Where the churches are well united and cooperative; or better,
where the community has but one church, a strong, influential
organization, there is no valid reason why the church itself may not
rightly assume the position of leadership in all matters of community
welfare. Community building is the great work of the church after all;
developing and strengthening the vital issues of life in order that the
community may become an efficient part of the great Kingdom of God. As
rural Christendom becomes better united and better socialized, the church
will come to its own again, as in the old days when it was the only
outstanding institution in the community and rightly assumed the effective
leadership in all matters vitally affecting the welfare of the people.
Here again, the problem is mainly one of personality. Given adequate
leadership, the church can accomplish wonders as a genuine community
builder. But a gun must be a hundred times heavier than the projectile it
fires; else it will burst the gun. Small, petty personalities cannot hope
for large results in real community leadership. The church needs masterful
men, men of power and vision, ministers thoroughly trained for the work of
their profession and men whose hearts are kept tender and humble by the
spirit of the indwelling God.
V. Types of Rural Church Success.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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