COUNTRY CHURCH AND PROGRESS 177 



it means a minute and comprehensive sociological 

 study of his particular parish. This in its 

 simplest form consists of a religious canvass such 

 as is frequently made both in country and city. 

 But even this is not enough. It should at once 

 be supplemented by a very careful and indeed a 

 continuous sociological canvass, in which de- 

 tails about the whole business and life of the 

 farm shall be collected and at last assimilated 

 into the vital structure of the pastor's knowledge 

 of his problem. 



2. The second suggestion looks toward the 

 establishment of a social-service church, or an 

 institutional church, or again, as one has phrased 

 it, a "country church industrial." There seems 

 to be a growing feeling that the country church 

 may become not only* the distinctively religious 

 center of the neighborhood, but also the social, 

 the intellectual, and the aesthetic center. No 

 doubt there is untold power in such an idea. 

 No doubt the country church has a peculiarly 

 rich and inviting field for community service. 

 It would be gratifying if every country pastor 

 would study the possibilities of this idea and 

 endeavor to make an experiment with it. I 

 have, however, a supplemental suggestion, at 

 this point. It is not possible to make of every 



