er communities and they may have
a few symptoms of a rise, but too often the minister moves, another
comes, and the general level of community life falls back to what it
was before.

The difficulty is that with the overlapping of interdenominational
jurisdictions it is impossible for any group to lead in progress
outside of the local community. Methodists cannot lead in a county
program because Baptists and Presbyterians will not follow them.
Neither can the other groups lead because Methodists are not gifted
in following the leadership of other denominations. It is perfectly
natural and justifiable that this should be so. Before the churches of
America, Protestant or Catholic, can render the entire service
demanded of them there must be a thoroughgoing system of
interdenominational cooperation worked out which will insure joint
responsibility of all denominations concerned in providing for
community leadership on a large scale. If this is impossible, then the
inevitable alternative must be accepted of passing by the churches of
America in carrying out comprehensive plans of progress and of turning
to other agencies for this service.

During the past, largely owing to the apparently hopeless situation so
far as interdenominational cooperation is concerned, Christian
organizations, such as Christian Associations and Sunday School
Associations, have sprung up to do for the denominations and for the
ministers what they could not do under present conditions. These
agencies have done notable work. They have accomplished much in
preparing the way for a nation-wide recognition of what the broad
function of the church is; they have brought representatives of all
denominations together and have gradually increased the social spirit
while at the same time lessening the emphasis upon those things which
have divided the Christian Church into so many isolated camps. They
have pioneered and experimented. They have had failures as well as
successes, but their failures have been a real contribution to the sum
total of human experience and have taught us many things that should
be avoided. The service rendered by these agencies must ever be
remembered as of the most vital and important character.

But it will be admitted by representatives of all organizations that a
large part of what is now found in the programs of those other
religious organizations, "arms" of the church, is a legitimate part of
the work that should be supervised