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spirit, as well as in all his social relations.

A religion which aims merely to save a man's soul, and otherwise neglects
him, is superficial, and fails to appeal to a whole man's manhood. The
subtle reactions of life warn us that the _soul's environment_ must be
redeemed, or it stands little chance of permanent salvation. Here is the
nexus between individual and social salvation. Christian social service is
necessary to conserve the results of evangelism. Unite them, and the
Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

_Let the Church Furnish Dynamic and Leadership_

But the church should not scatter its energies and "dilute its evangelism"
by attempting to do everything as an organization. Let it discharge its
responsibility for social welfare _indirectly_ when possible, through
other organizations or individuals. Its broadest service will ever be, as
in the past, to furnish the inspiration and the dynamic for many secondary
agencies for social service and human betterment. But the church must
either do the needed work or _get it done_.

It should duplicate no social machinery or effort, but should supplement
all other local institutions and perfect their service by its own service
of the higher life of the community. Let the church be the climax of the
social, educational, philanthropic, health-restoring, peace-preserving
forces of the community. Ideally it will federate them all in community
leadership. Where these forces are lacking, the church should assume these
functions, if the community welfare demands it; as actually takes place on
many a mission field.

Well might every country church adopt this platform, adapted from the Open
Church League: "Inasmuch as the Christ came not to be ministered unto but
to minister, this church, moved by his spirit of ministering love, seeks
to become the center and source of every beneficent and philanthropic
effort, and to take a leading part in every movement which has for its end
the alleviation of human sorrow and suffering, the saving of men and the
bettering of this township as a part of the great Kingdom of God. Thus we
aim to save all men and all of the man, by all just means; abolishing so
far as possible the distinction between the religious and the secular, and
sanctifying all means to the great end of saving the world for Christ."

II. Some Elements of Serious Weakness.

It is with no lack of sympathy for country ministers or churches that we
offer these suggestion