great
difficulties in the way of bringing such federations about.

In communities whose compactness permits, and whose population and
resources require, that there should be only one congregation and pastor,
but where two or more churches already exist, the churches clearly should
either be united organically in a single denominational church, or a
federated church should be formed. Descriptions of federated churches may
be found on pages 59-69.

In a township or community where population and resources are inadequate
to support more than one pastor, but where the population is so
distributed that more than one place of worship and organized church are
required, a federated circuit may well be formed and a common pastor be
employed. In such case the several churches should be officially
represented by a joint committee which would act for the circuit not only
in employing the common pastor, but also in learning and meeting all the
religious and social needs which require concerted church action.

In securing pastors and in other matters where assistance is needed, the
local federated churches and federated circuits should be aided by the
State Federation of Churches if there is one, and if not by such bodies as
the Committee of Interchurch Cooperation of the Ohio Rural Life
Association. Both Federation and Association are necessary for other
purposes, and therefore no ground whatever exists for the objection
sometimes made that federated churches will require the formation of new
organizations to supervise them.

While it is true that an uneducated minister ordinarily cannot satisfy the
people of various denominations, and that usually he is sectarian in his
thinking and point of view, it is equally true that where a well-educated
man is pastor, the needs of the people of various denominations can easily
be met and church unity be made possible.

(8) _Community Churches_

The most successful rural church is the community church. Its members work
chiefly not for the church itself, but for the community. Its ambition is
to serve every person in its neighborhood, to create an environment
favorable to the highest possible development of every person in the
neighborhood, and to stimulate other organizations and persons to serve
the community in every possible way. It is conceivable that there might be
more than one such church in a neighborhood, but in this discussion it is
assumed that a community church is the onl