otestantism, for a
common community service.

2. It insures ultimate permanent support by being financed out of the
budgets of the cooperating churches instead of by a limited number of
private givers of large funds.

3. The county organization develops its work through the churches,
strengthening the program of the minister instead of developing
independent organizations locally with volunteer leadership related to
an "arm" of the church instead of directly to the church.

4. By organizing to do their own work in this way the churches obviate
the necessity of private Christian agencies organizing with outside
support to carry on interdenominational work.

If the churches of America do not rapidly work out plans of
interdenominational cooperation in the development of their work,
other agencies will enter the field and will receive popular financial
support for doing those things in rural progress that are the
legitimate task of the church and for which the church should receive
support. Church people will supply the large part of the funds for
carrying on these activities through nonreligious agencies; and
because of the narrowness of program the church will have chosen for
itself many of the brightest and best minds, and consecrated hearts
now found in our student groups in educational institutions will find
their life's activities outside the church instead of within its ranks
where they would prefer to be. This will be the misfortune of the
church and she cannot clear herself of the wrong of depriving her
young people of the opportunity of rendering a service to humanity
within her own ranks and of forcing them to render that service
through independent social agencies.

CHAPTER IX

THE CHURCH AND OTHER RURAL AGENCIES

Since the arousal of interest in rural welfare by the studies made by
the Country Life Commission in 1908, probably no movement has made
more rapid progress than that concerned with rural life. Studies of
rural church conditions made by the Presbyterian Board of Home
Missions and other agencies, of rural health by the National Public
Health Service and by a number of the large philanthropic foundations,
of educational conditions by the United States Bureau of Education,
and of other problems by various agencies concerned, have revealed the
more important conditions and have made possible the organization of
programs for their amelioration. The conditions still further revealed
by the