CHAPTER V[. 



The Country Church Programme. 



President Biitterfield, in his book " The Country 

 Church and the Rural Problem," says: '' T do not 

 happen to know of a rural church with a protjramrae of 

 work which constitutes a really live attack upon the 

 essential problems of rural civilization/' Daring as 

 aviator's flijrht and yet more full of risk may seem any 

 attempt even to sketch such a profjrammo. I^ut yet to 

 do so is simply to endeavor to translate into the terms 

 of the concrete case before us the general {)rogTaTnme of 

 Christianity, which is: 



To proclaim good news to such as are in need; 

 To announce release to the prisoners of war, 

 And recovery of sight to those who do not see; 

 To set at liberty those whom tyranny has crushed; 

 To proclaim the year of grace with the Lord. 



The first desideratum for such a programme is execu- 

 tive OVERSIGHT. This problem gives the Boards of Social 

 Service another field of operation. Our cfiicient Sec- 

 retaries, who have accomplished sd much in tlic way of 

 giiiding legislation on moral and social problems, so 

 much in promoting sane and strong evangcdism, so niurh 

 in fighting organized vice, and are mow taking up lines 

 of work wliieh will hcdp solve tlie city problem, must 

 also Ih'couh' our trained and s^-ientilic leaders in this 

 field of .srK'ial service for the njdiff of eountrv life. 



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