even seven churches of various denominations. Where there 

 are so many denominations all must lack good financial sup- 

 port. The strength of the Catholic church in rural communi- 

 ties 4ies in the fact that it has not been split up into many 

 denominations as has the Protestant church. The country 

 church, like the school suffers from a lack of leadership. That 

 anyone would do for a country preacher as anyone would do 

 for a country teacher has been the attitude not only of the 

 country but also of the city community. The country as a re- 

 sult, has been the training ground for the callow boy who was 

 learning how to preach or how not to preach ; it has also been 

 the resting place for the old, worn servant of the church who 

 after a long life of service has to take a rural charge for the 

 rest of his days. 



These older men have done much efficient work for coun- 

 try parishes, but the great need of the country is the service 

 of men in the prime of life who have been trained for rural 

 work and who devote their entire energies to the development 

 of better country life. 



Whether or not the young people who leave the country to 

 go to the cities will have the church going habit will largely de- 

 pend upon the development of better rural church conditions. 



Movements for the Betterment of Rural Churches 



(1) An effort is being made to federate the rural Pro- 

 testant churches and to establish in the place of a denomina- 

 tional church a community church. (2) Men who are to take 

 country charges are being trained in the social and economic 

 problems of rural communities in order that they may be in 

 sympathy with country life. (3) In some places the church 

 is assuming the task of furnishing clean and wholesome re- 

 creation and amusement for both young people and old. 



The Country School 



In his introduction to the Report of the Committee of 

 Fifteen on Rural Schools, State Superintendent C. P. Gary, of 

 Wisconsin, admirably sums up the problem of the country 

 school. He says : 



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