Six Thousand Country Churches

Map 13

Success in this parish, according to the testimony of the minister, is due to the program brought to light by the modern country church movement. Indeed, we have observed no notably progressive country churches in small communities where the new country church program has not been an essential factor of success. Lakeville is a case in point.

In the village of Lakeville, as in a large proportion of Ohio rural communities, opportunities for wholesome recreation were few. The church not only felt no responsibility for providing a better environment for the young people, but looked upon matters which have to do with recreation, entertainment, and physical development as foreign to it. To give them attention was regarded as beneath its dignity. This attitude, both here and in a large proportion of the rural churches, has been responsible in no small degree for a general moral laxness in communities, and often for the separation of the young people from the church.

The moral and social conditions in Lakeville have been revolutionized by a resident minister in three years. His conception of his work and the methods he used did not differ materially from those of the pastors of Ashley, Ontario, and Old Fort. Every wholesome feature of community life was regarded by him as a matter of interest to the church. Thus, to promote a deeper interest in agriculture, lecturers and demonstrators upon various phases of it were invited into the community.

Under the leadership of this minister a wholesome, normal, interesting life, leading to the high development of the young people, and a marked increase in the general happiness of the community, has been brought to pass. The excellent auditorium of the consolidated school was made the social center of the community. The pastor and the members of his church were the initiators and chief supporters of the program of recreation, instruction, and entertainment which was carried out largely in this building. Although in Lakeville the church wisely kept itself in the background in much of its work, its activities were none the less effective, while this policy also reacted favorably upon the church itself.

Although there were two churches yoked together in this field, they were but a mile and a half apart, and the parish was therefore compact. Consequently the pastor could and did make much of his pastoral work. The close touch of the minister with the members of his church and community greatly added to the effectiveness of the evangelistic services which he held, for he befriended those who had need of friends. Hence there was not only a large increase in membership, but the results of it promised to be of a durable character.

It will be noted that the minister was pastor of all the churches in the community and so encountered none of the difficulties which come from interchurch competition.

The kind of community service which is illustrated at Ashley, Ontario, Old Fort, White Cottage, and Lakeville offers abundant opportunity to a young man of good equipment for using his knowledge and native ability, and should therefore attract a better type of man to the rural ministry. The church as a whole should be active in presenting it to young men, for the purpose of getting the best of them to enlist in it. The conservation of the high character of our rural population depends on just such work.

CHAPTER IX

Conclusive evidence on this point is supplied by more than fifty years of experience in Europe, and by somewhat less in the United States. Within the past five years an attempt to promote coöperative agricultural business organization has been made by the National Government. It failed, in general, because the Government cannot successfully undertake such work, and in particular because special interests which were making large profits by the exploitation of farmers had laws passed which effectually defeated the attempt. Within the past three years agricultural agents of the Government in Ohio who attempted to promote a coöperative movement among farmers were forced by similar interests to abandon the work or leave the county where they were employed. It is well known that the faculties of certain State Agricultural colleges, though fully aware of the need for sound coöperative agricultural business, do not attempt to give instructions in its principles because of the effective opposition they anticipate from persons and corporations whose business makes their interests hostile to those of the farmer.

If the Government cannot meet the whole need, no more can the churches. Business coöperation, which they should encourage but cannot supply, is indispensable. For more than fifty years churches and clergymen in Europe have been rendering most effective service in the promotion of coöperative agricultural organization in business. In America likewise they can and should be of essential help in the same good work, for the principles of successful agricultural business are in close harmony with Christian ethics. Moreover, the social and moral effects of coöperative business on communities and individuals are of a most favorable character. In the year 1913 Mr. Gill was present at a meeting of representatives of government agricultural departments of fifteen nations, where it was asserted that agricultural coöperation was the application of Christianity to the business of the farm.

Rural business, however, should not be organically allied with the church any more than it should be with the State. While the ministers and churches may do much to educate the farmers in regard to coöperation, to interpret it, to increase the good results of it, and in many ways give valuable assistance to it, the movement for coöperation can only be made successful when promoted by voluntary secular organizations entirely independent both of church and state.

Coöperation is most needed where the people are poorest. In such districts it is easiest to inaugurate it, and then by demonstration to show the high and important character of its benefits. From the poorer regions it tends to spread into the richer ones and in this way to diffuse itself widely.

Not long ago it was found that farmers in Pike County were selling their eggs to merchants for 16 cents a dozen when in the towns nearby the market price was 25 cents. Almost the entire potato crop of this county in 1916 was handled by middlemen at a profit of more than 100 per cent. Fruit raising could be made most profitable in large parts of Ohio which at present are not prosperous, but without coöperative organization the difficulty of marketing fruit is very great. In the purchase of farm implements, fertilizers, and other supplies, great savings to the farmers are undoubtedly possible.

There are few regions where coöperative organization is more needed, and would be more likely to succeed, if properly directed, than in southeastern Ohio. It would not only increase the economic prosperity of this region, but it would exert also a most wholesome moral and social effect, whereby the work of the church would be accelerated. The constant application of the principles of brotherhood in everyday business is an influence of the highest value, and it cannot safely be neglected as a means for the Christianizing of rural society.

PART II
TABULAR SUMMARIES AND MAPS

CHAPTER I

It appears that of the 6,060 churches in the 1,170 strictly rural townships of Ohio no less than 1,793, or nearly 30 per cent, are of the Methodist Episcopal denomination (see Table D and Maps 14-25); 521 are of the United Brethren in Christ; 396 are Presbyterian; 379 are Baptist, including Free Will, Free, and Missionary; 367 Disciples; 362 Lutheran; 248 Roman Catholic; 228 Christian; 211 Methodist Protestant; 175 Reformed; 135 Congregational; 129 Evangelical Association; 113 Brethren or German Baptists; 95 Radical United Brethren; 92 Christian Union; 84 Societies of Friends; and 77 United Presbyterian. None of the other denominations has more than 1 per cent of the total number.

The denominations are represented in about the same proportion in the suburban rural districts.

TABLE D

Number of Churches in Each Denomination

Map 14

Map 15

Map 16

Map 17

Map 18

Map 19

Map 20

Map 21

Map 22

Map 23

Map 24

Map 25

In Table E the Protestant churches are grouped according to their polity. It will be seen that about 1,600 have a Congregational form of government, in which authority rests in the local church; that in nearly 1,200 churches the polity is Presbyterian, in which authority is largely in the local church, but partly in a representative body of several churches grouped in districts. Under the title of “Episcopal Bodies” are grouped denominations comprising 2,721 churches, or more than the total number of the Presbyterian and Congregational combined.

The Methodist Protestant Churches are not placed in either of these groups because their polity resembles, in some respects, that of the Congregational and in others that of the Episcopal churches. Authority with them rests largely in the local church, which owns its property and has authority to receive and dismiss its own members, but in other respects resembles closely the churches of the Episcopal order. In the fourth group are 82 other churches or religious organizations which we have failed to classify. The Catholic bodies, including Greek and Russian, number 253.

Differences as to church polity are not sufficiently great to constitute a dangerous obstacle to the progress of church unity among the Protestant rural churches of Ohio. Our system of universities and public schools, together with the custom of reading religious articles, books, and other literature without regard to the denomination of the author, is tending to remove theological differences as between denominations. It may be said it has already removed them in the eleven denominations represented in the Committee of Interchurch Coöperation. This is true whatever differences may still exist between individuals.

TABLE E

Churches Grouped According to Their Polity

CHAPTER II

There are in Ohio 1,343 townships (see Table I) which are wholly or partly made up of open country or villages of less than 2,500 inhabitants. (This number of inhabitants having been selected by the United States Census as marking the line between urban and rural, we have necessarily followed.) In the strictly rural townships and the rural sections of townships which are partly urban or suburban, there is altogether a population of more than two million persons, and 6,642 churches. These figures give us, on an average, 1,516 persons and five rural churches to a township, and 307 persons to a church.

Of townships which border on cities and towns of more than 2,500 persons, there are 173. In townships of this class there are 342,077 persons and 582 churches, while for each township there are 1,977 persons and three churches, or 587 persons to a church. It is presumable that many persons in these suburban townships attend the churches in the neighboring cities or large towns.

If we subtract the suburban townships from the 1,343 mentioned above, there remain 1,170 townships which are strictly rural. Unless otherwise stated all deductions have been drawn exclusively from these rural townships. The 1,170 strictly rural townships contain nearly 1,700,000 persons and 6,060 churches. They have, on an average, 1,448 persons and five churches to a township and 280 persons to a church.

Although there are 6,060 churches in the 1,170 strictly rural townships, their membership records are so often incomplete that satisfactory figures were found for only 4,941 churches. The membership of 3,351 of these churches, or 68 per cent, is not more than 100; in 2,704, or 55 per cent, the membership is not more than 75; while in 1,817, or 37 per cent, the membership is not more than 50. (See Table II.)

TABLE I

Population, Average Number of Persons and Churches, and Average Number of Persons to a Church, by Townships

In the suburban rural townships and rural sections of townships containing cities and large towns, 72 per cent of the churches have a membership of not more than 100, 56 per cent of not more than 75, and 34 per cent of not more than 50. Altogether, in rural townships and rural sections of other townships, there are 5,392 churches out of 6,642 for which membership data are available. Of these 3,776, or 68 per cent, have a membership of not more than 100; 2,956, or 55 per cent, a membership of not more than 75; and 1,860, or 36 per cent, have a membership of not more than 50.

The number of churches in rural townships whose membership records are not available is 6,060 less 4,941, or 1,119. If we apply to these also the percentages just given for the churches with available membership records, we find that of the total of 6,060 churches in the strictly rural townships, 4,110 have a membership of not more than 100; 3,316 have a membership of not more than 75; while 2,227 have a membership of not more than 50. Since the larger churches as a rule are more careful in keeping their records than the smaller ones, the conclusions drawn from these calculations are well within the limits of truth.

By the same method we find that in the suburban rural townships and rural sections of townships containing cities and towns of more than 2,500 inhabitants, 419 of the 582 churches have a membership of 100 or less; 325 of 75 or less; while 198 churches have a membership of 50 or less. We therefore calculate that of 6,642, or all the rural churches, 4,529 or 68 per cent have a membership of not more than 100; 3,641, or 55 per cent, a membership of not more than 75; and 2,425 or 37 per cent a membership of not more than 50.

TABLE II

Churches Classified According to Number of their Members

In 313, or 27 per cent, of the strictly rural townships, no church has a resident minister (see Table III); in 575, or 39 per cent of the villages, no church has a resident minister; and in 4,007, or 66 per cent, of the churches, there is no resident minister. Only 982 churches, or 16 per cent, have the full time service of a minister; 1,581 churches, or 26 per cent, have one-half the service of a minister; 5,026, or 83 per cent, have one-half time service or less; 3,445, or 57 per cent, have one-third time service or less; 2,320, or 39 per cent, have one-fourth time service or less; while 721, or 12 per cent of the 6,060 churches in the strictly rural townships have no regular service of a minister at all.

The percentages do not materially differ in the suburban townships. In the combined total of 1,343 rural townships and suburban townships which contain sections of open country and villages of less than 2,500 inhabitants, we find that 335, or 25 per cent, of the townships have no churches served by a resident minister; that in 634, or 40 per cent, of the villages there is no resident minister; that 4,431, or 67 per cent, of the churches have no resident minister; that only 1,065 churches, or 16 per cent, have the full time service of a minister; that 1,766, or 27 per cent, have one-half the service of a minister; that 5,521, or 84 per cent, have one-half time service or less; that 3,755, or 57 per cent, have one-third time service or less; that 2,518, or 38 per cent, have one-fourth time service or less; while 755, or 11 per cent, of the 6,642 country churches of Ohio, have no regular service of a minister at all.

TABLE III

Amount of Ministerial Service by Townships, Villages and Churches

Of the 6,060 churches in the wholly rural townships, 3,253, or 54 per cent, are in villages whose inhabitants number from 51 to 2,500 persons, while 2,807, or 46 per cent, are in the open country. (See Table IV.) In the suburban rural townships 198, or 34 per cent, of the churches are in villages containing from 51 to 2,500 persons, while 384, or 66 per cent, are in the open country.

Of the 6,642 country churches in Ohio, therefore, 3,451, or 52 per cent, are in villages containing from 51 to 2,500 inhabitants, and 3,191, or 48 per cent, in the open country.

In the strictly rural districts, 1,207, or 20 per cent, of the churches are in villages or towns of moderate size, having from 501 to 2,500 inhabitants, while 2,046, or 34 per cent, are in small villages of from 51 to 500. No less than 4,853, or 80 per cent, of the churches in the strictly rural districts are either in the open country or in the small villages of 500 inhabitants or less. In addressing ourselves to the rural church problem, therefore, we are almost exclusively concerned with the smaller villages and the open country.

TABLE IV

Number of Churches in Villages and in the Open Country

We have assumed 50 persons as the line which separates a small village from the open country, just as the United States Census has assumed 2,500 persons as the lower limit of the town. In rural Ohio there are 1,477 villages whose inhabitants number 51 to 2,500 persons. (See Table V.) Of these, 673, or 46 per cent, have from 51 to 200 inhabitants; 487, or 33 per cent, have from 201 to 500 inhabitants; while 317, or 21 per cent, have more than 500 persons.

Of the smallest villages, or those of 51 to 200 persons, 234, or 35 per cent, have one or more ministers living near the church he serves and 270 ministers in all; while 440, or 65 per cent, have no resident ministers whatever.

In the 487 country villages whose inhabitants number from 201 to 500 persons, 360, or 74 per cent, have one or more ministers and 527 ministers in all, while there are 127, or 26 per cent, without resident ministers. Of the 317 villages whose inhabitants number more than 500 persons, 308, or 97 per cent, have one or more resident pastors and altogether 896 ministers—(which is 53 per cent of the whole number of ministers living in villages), while only 9, or 3 per cent, are without any ministers at all.

Of the 1,477 country villages of all sizes, 901, or 61 per cent, have one or more resident ministers and in all 1,693 ministers, while 576, or 39 per cent, of the villages have no minister living in them.

These 1,477 villages have only 3,253, or 54 per cent, of the churches, but they have 1,693, or 82 per cent, of the ministers; while the open country, with 2,807, or 46 per cent, of the churches, has only 360, or 18 per cent, of the resident ministers. More than 87 per cent of the open country churches, or 2,447 of them, are without a resident minister.

In addition to the ministers here included, there are about 350 who do not live near any one of their churches, but for the most part in the cities and towns. This number includes many student preachers.

On Map 26, page 117, the distribution of the villages is represented graphically.

Map 26