GIFFORD PINCHOT

AUTHORS OF “THE COUNTRY CHURCH”

PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE FEDERAL COUNCIL
OF THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN AMERICA

New York
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1919
All rights reserved

Copyright, 1919
By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
Set up and electrotyped. Published November, 1919

TABLE OF CONTENTS

[PART I]
CONDITIONS AND REMEDIES
Page
Introduction[xiii]
Chapter
[I.]How the Facts were Gathered[3]
[II.]The Rural Church Maps of Ohio[5]
[III.]Summary of Results[8]
Oversupply of Churches—The churches small and weak—Attendance—An absentee ministry—Divided effort of theministry—Short term of minister’s service—Defective overhead organization—Ministers’ salaries—Educational equipment of the minister.
[IV.]Where Church Efficiency is Lowest[12]
[V.]The Church in the Eighteen Counties[19]
[VI.]A Policy and Program[40]
1. A better program—2. A better ministry—3. Better support—4. Better acquaintance—5. Re-arrangement ofcircuits—6. More resident ministers—7. Interchurch coöperation—8. Community churches—9. Non-sectarian support.
[VII.]Federated Churches[59]
1. Greene Township—2. Aurora—3. Garrettsville—4. Northfield—5. Federated churches in other states.
[VIII.]Other Progressive Churches[75]
1. A church federation—2. Coöperation with other social forces—3. Community service and Christian unity—4. Christianunity by necessity—5. The church as a force for righteousness—(a) Old Fort—(b) Lakeville.
[IX.]Agricultural Coöperation[88]
[PART II]
TABULAR SUMMARIES AND MAPS
[I.]Geographical Distribution of the Denominations[93]
[II.]Tabular Summaries for the State[110]
Table I.—Population, average number of Persons and Churches, and average number of Persons to a Church, by Townships[111]
Table II.—Churches classified according to the number of their members[112]
Table III.—Amount of Ministerial Service by Townships, Villages, and Churches[114]
Table IV.—Number of Churches in Villages and in the Open Country[115]
Table V.—Resident Ministers in Strictly Rural Townships in the Open Country and in Villages[118]
Table VI.—Terms of Service of Methodist Episcopal Country Ministers, 1917[119]
Table VII.—Average number of Persons to a Church in 1170 Rural Townships[121]
Table VIII.—Average number of Persons to a Church in Rural Townships, Suburban Townships, and Cities[122]
Table IX.—Salaries of Methodist Episcopal Country Ministers, 1917[123]
Table X.—Salaries of Country Ministers, United Brethren in Christ, 1917[123]
[III.]Tabular Summaries by Counties[124]
[PART III]
THE COUNTY MAPS
Explanatory Note[145]
Country Church Maps of the Eighty-Eight Counties of Ohio[147]
[APPENDIX]
Action of the Committee on Interchurch Coöperation of the Ohio Rural Life Association[235]