Missions under Dr. W. H. Wilson's direction.

The general purpose of the survey hardly needs to be defended. It is
simply the application to the work of the church of the modern social
method of finding the facts in order to prevent wasted effort, in order to
utilize all available resources and minister to all real human needs. It
augurs well for the church of the future.

We have every reason to hope that with the progress of the great Country
Life Movement the Country Church is coming to a new day of usefulness;
with people living under modern conditions, with local prosperity and
progressive farming, with their communities well socialized and
cooperating, with a community-serving spirit in the church, guided by a
broad vision of service and program of usefulness; with united Christian
forces and decreasing sectarianism; with a loyal country ministry
adequately trained, and sustained by a liberal financial policy; with an
adequate equipment making the church a social center; with an enthusiastic
masculine lay leadership developed and guided by a community survey to
undertake the work which will best serve the needs of their people, the
Kingdom of Heaven will surely come. It sounds like the millennium! Perhaps
it will be, when it comes! But in many respects we can see it coming, as,
one after another, these factors come to stay. May God speed the day of
the broadly efficient country church. It will mean the redemption of the
country.

IV. Some Worthy Allies of the Country Church.

_The Country Sunday school_

Foremost among the allies of the country church is the Sunday school.
There are few churches that lack this most important auxiliary, and there
are tens of thousands of independent schools for Bible study located in
the open country where there are no churches or preachers at all. Often
the Sunday school, being non-sectarian, unites all the people of the
community, and is an institution of large influence.

Three-fourths of the total Sunday schools of the country are in the rural
sections (villages under 2,500 population). They are much more
representative of the population than are the city schools. They are
usually really community institutions. Men of local influence preside as
superintendents and many adults attend as regularly as the children. While
the preachers come and go, and are usually non-residents anyway, Sunday
school officers and teachers remain in the community as the permanent
religious le