, the increase in total population. These
figures of church membership increase, covering a period before the
European war began to affect this country seriously, indicate that the
general rising ethical standards of American life have had their
reflection in the larger personal as well as financial support of the
religious forces.

While data are not available as to the proportion of rural and urban
population belonging to church, the census gives figures as to the
church membership in communities of over 25,000 population. According
to census estimates, 32.7 per cent of the population lived in cities
of over that population in 1916. The religious census shows that 36.5
per cent of the church membership lived in communities of that size.
Contrary to popular impression, the larger centers actually have a
larger proportionate church membership than do the smaller
communities. The facts show that the problem of advance of the
Christian Church is more of a small-community problem than it is of
the larger centers.

While the proportion of the total population belonging to church
increased from 38.1 per cent in 1906 as compared with the 1910
population to 39.6 per cent in 1916 as compared with the 1920
population, the magnitude of the unfinished task is still almost
staggering. If the proportion for rural America were the same as for
the country as a whole, there would be 20,143,292 people not belonging
to church. Church membership, of course, is not the only criterion of
the influence of the church; nor would all denominations admit that
all the people should belong to church, since some would not accept
children not yet having reached the age of accountability. But in any
case Christian America is not Christian even in church membership.
This does not take into account matters of social and economic
relationships which the spirit of Christianity has not yet penetrated
and by which church members as well as nonmembers are bound.

More than 50,000,000 rural folk rising to a consciousness of their
inherent solidarity and community of interest, and more than
20,000,000 of these not affiliated with any religious organization,
present a challenge for trained leadership unequaled in the history of
the world. Urban interests have grown powerful. Urban life has rapidly
advanced for at least the more favored groups until it has far
outstripped conditions in rural communities that go to make up the
best in modern civilization and