The Making of a Country Parish: A Story

by Harlow S. Mills

3. But how should we begin? How can we move out into this Larger Parish and get hold of this greater work? In some way we must be something to all these people. We must find a way by which the church may make itself felt as a force in all these five hundred homes. But how? Well, I began to hold services in the schoolhouses around. I could at least hold one meeting a week in these out-stations in addition to my regular duties. That seemed a very small beginning, but it was a beginning. It was the entering wedge to the larger work that followed. On Wednesday nights some of my people would take me to these more distant points, where I was almost invariably greeted by a good and attentive congregation. I had no conveyance of my own, and of this I was glad, for it gave an excuse to call upon my people for transportation, and gave them a chance to have a part in the work; for I considered that the success of the work depended, not so much upon what I did or said, as upon the attitude that the people of the church took toward it. And the presence of the men with me in these services greatly increased the effectiveness of the efforts. I was a preacher and I was simply “on my job.” They represented the church and proclaimed to the people in the outlying regions its attitude toward them. In some of the neighborhoods there were no schoolhouses, and the services were held in private homes. In this simple way the work began to grow.

4. At first I had no definite thought of how the work would develop. I simply started out to do what I could for the people in this wide territory. But it soon became evident that one man would not be able to do all the work that was opening up before me. The need of a helper began to press heavily, but the possibility of securing one had not yet dawned upon me. The General Missionary of the state became interested in the work, and he was the first one to suggest that an Assistant might be secured. This put new hope and courage into my heart. The matter was brought to the attention of the Superintendent of the state, and he consulted with his Advisory Committee. He came upon the ground, and after making a thorough investigation, agreed with the General Missionary that a helper was necessary. He thought that the work proposed was legitimate home missionary work, that the best way to evangelize the whole country is for each village church to reach out into the country around as far as possible, until village with village should touch hands over a region that is adequately supplied with gospel privileges.

The result was that a proposition was made by the Superintendent to the church. It was substantially this: that we should take into the Parish Grace Church, a small Congregational organization four miles distant from Benzonia, which had been moribund for a long time, with no regular services for a number of years. The Home Missionary Society would make a grant of one hundred dollars if Grace Church would raise one hundred and fifty dollars. It was understood that the Benzonia Church would raise the other two hundred and fifty dollars that should make out the Assistant’s salary. This should be the contribution of the Benzonia Church to the Home Missionary Society, but should be returned to the Benzonia field to be spent in the development of the Larger Parish. This proposition was brought before the church at a regular meeting, and by a unanimous vote it was accepted, and so the church in a formal and positive way committed itself to the work of the Larger Parish.

The pastor wishes to make grateful acknowledgment of the part that the state officers of the Congregational Conference have had in developing the Larger Parish. Without their coöperation it could never have been brought to its present stage of development. With clear foresight and generous contributions they have fostered the work, and the success of the experiment is largely due to their sympathetic interest, and their wise and helpful efforts. They have regarded it as the demonstration of a method of dealing with the country problem that may, if it proves successful, find wide application throughout the state, and they have been glad to give it their fostering influence and their substantial aid. It is possible that the “Larger Parish Plan” may furnish a most effective method of home missionary activity.

5. But the next thing was to find the man who, for a salary of five hundred dollars, was willing to undertake the work of tramping over three townships, and of becoming the under pastor of twenty-five hundred people. The Larger Parish was still unorganized. It was still a rather indefinite and unrealized vision. It was clear that in some way gospel work must be inaugurated in all that wide territory; but just what form it would take was not yet so clear. The Assistant must be a man of initiative and executive ability. He must be able to strike out on new lines and to walk in untried paths. There would be plenty of hard work, much need of tact and wisdom, and the absolute demand for consecration. With these aggressive qualities he must also be able to act under the direction of another, and to carry on this work in harmony with the pastor of the church.

This would seem to be a rare combination, and the task of finding a man who would fit into this rather peculiar place seemed very great—especially so, since a mistake or failure at the beginning of the work might put it back indefinitely, or spoil it entirely. But with unexpected promptness the very man was found who most fully met the need. He had finished a high school course, had taught two terms in a country school, had spent some time in the lumber and construction camps of the northern Michigan and Wisconsin woods. He had had a wide and a varied experience for one so young in almost everything except Christian work and preaching. In this he was a novice. None of us—not even he himself—knew what he could do. He had but one sermon to start with and all his powers were untried.

I made out a schedule of appointments for him. At first there were seven neighborhoods where he was to hold services, preaching at the Grace Church every Sunday morning, and at the other places as often as he could get around. His regular program on Sunday was three sermons, a tramp of from twelve to twenty miles, with such occasional “lifts” as he might from time to time receive. Several days of each week he spent among the people, sharing their hospitality, and entering into their life. For two and a half years he lived this strenuous life, organizing the work along various lines, reducing the chaos to order, getting close to the people, and making a large and warm place for himself and his work through all the wide Parish. He made good, and at the end of that time he was in demand as student pastor in more than one college town, and went to pursue his college course, paying his expenses by giving his services as assistant pastor in a large college church.

As the work developed and the boundaries of the Larger Parish have extended it was found necessary to employ a second Assistant, and three men found more work to do than they could fully cover. The relations between the pastor and his two helpers are very close and happy.

6. Of significant importance are some achievements in denominational comity that have greatly helped the work of the Larger Parish. I had observed that in many parts of our country zeal for the denomination had outrun love for the Kingdom, and I despaired of doing such a work as ought to be done in the region round about, unless there could be some new alinement of the Christian forces. In many places churches have been multiplied to the great detriment of the cause which they are supposed to represent.

It is true that some portions of our cities are overchurched, but the evil of it is not so much felt because of the unlimited material to work upon. It is in the country and in the small towns and villages that the greatest harm is done. There is many a country neighborhood where one church would thrive and be a great blessing; but two churches spoil the community completely, so far as the interests of the Kingdom are concerned. Oftentimes, too many churches are worse than too few. If there are no churches, there is a chance for some one to come in and start a successful work. But if there are too many, the forces are so divided that none of them can do a vigorous work, they all live at “a poor dying rate,” an unholy competition is almost unavoidable, and by their fruitless struggle they defeat the very object for which they exist. A minister who had recently gone to a new field replied to the inquiry, how he was getting on: “I am doing very well now. I only have two churches to contend against in my new field. I had three before.” The people of the world, looking at the situation of the overchurched community, regard it with contempt, it is so illogical and unreasonable. This evil is recognized by all, and will not much longer be tolerated by those who are sincerely interested in the progress of the Kingdom. In fact, there is a strong movement in these days toward a better state of things.