Six Thousand Country Churches

of more than 2,500 inhabitants (the number set by the United States Census as separating the country from the town), those which contain parts of, or border on, large t

urch to every 280 persons. If we include with the strictly rural townships the rural sectio

e Missions, the churches whose membership is less than 100 as a rule do not prosper, and the smaller the membership the greater the proportion of the churches which are on the decline. In Ohio more than 4

all, but the attendance is smaller still. The data available

andom, it was found that t

p Average

5

0

30 t

ess t

0

48

the average attendance in each of

rly every township, yet in 317, or 27 per cent, of the strictly rural townships, no church has a resident pastor. (See Map 11, page 49.) More than 4,400, or about two-thirds, of the c

7-234.) More than 5,500 of the 6,642 country churches are without the full time service of a minister; 3,755 have only one-third or less of a minister's services; 2

and doubtless one of the most efficient of the denominations, in the fall of 1917, 48 per cent of its rural ministers were about to begin their first year, and 74 per cent either their first or second year of service in the fields to which they

hio receive too little pastoral service. The short term also discourages the ministers from attempting to discover and meet the needs of their communities and from

ease, and to check the increasing production of undeveloped and abnormal individuals. Because of the lack of an organization to co?rdinate the work of the denominations, and to study the field as a whole, no one has been conscious of responsibility for such failur

f the ministers (58 per cent) of the largest denomination received less than $1,100 each, three-fourths (74.6 per cent) less than $1,200, while the average amount was $

the more intelligent part of their people. In most of the State, the standard of education for ministers is low. It is in part due to the failure of an insu

the most part leave the country, and an inferior class will take their places on the farm. A process of reverse selection will therefore set in which must result in the general de