RURAL AMERICA 



getting rich rapidly. America has been getting rich so 

 rapidly in recent years that a great resurgence of prayer 

 is needed to save her from the curse of materialism. Prof. 

 L. P. Jacks recently made the statement that the chief cause 

 of the great war was, the economic development of the world 

 has outstripped the moral development. 1 The wealth of the 

 cities has for a generation been growing by leaps and bounds 

 owing to the triumphs Urban America has been achieving in 

 the field of world commerce, and a combination of causes 

 has added billions to the wealth of the farmer. But the most 

 hopeful sign of the present is that the wealth of the farmer 

 is likely to increase more slowly in the future than it did in 

 the recent past, which will prevent the extinction of piety 

 in the country, where it has continued to live since the days 

 of the fathers. Fortunately, it shows many signs of revival 

 in the country, and, with the country safe, Urban America 

 will be safe. At the Country Church Conference, Columbus, 

 Ohio, December 8, 9, 10, 1915, the statement was made that 

 three- fourths of the members of urban churches join by 

 letter, which indicates migration from country to city, while 

 three-fourths of the members of rural churches are gained 

 by profession of faith. 



The new religion of Rural America has a double creed: 

 (a) the country is the best place on earth to own a home, 

 to make a living and to rear a family, and (b) the country 

 must take the initiative in the great work of establishing the 

 Kingdom of God on earth. This creed is coming to be 

 generally accepted in spite of the fact that here and there 

 the country church has tried " to digest an urban religion 

 under an urbanized leadership," with consequent severe pains 

 and extreme nausea. 



A study of the rural field reveals the following facts: (i) 

 The whole nation seems to know that the country church must 

 be made a regnant institution in Rural America. (2) The 

 problem of the country church is being studied in a scientific 



1 See The Atlantic Monthly, September, 1915, p. 419. 

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