On the average, these churches devote one-fourth of their receipts to benevolences.
XXIII
GRADING FOR HOME MISSION FIELDS—PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN U. S. A.
This would be a good test to apply to every aided church on the Range.
XXIV
NUMBER OF CHURCH SERVICES
About three hours a week set aside for church services and Sunday school means six days a year; only twenty-five out of seventy churches have as large a number.
XXV
ATTENDANCE AT SERVICES COMPARED WITH SEATING CAPACITY AND ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP
An average attendance one-third less than the seating capacity means many empty seats.
XXVI
ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CHURCHES OTHER THAN SUNDAY SCHOOLS
Women’s organizations are numerous; men have only one-eighth as many. Less than half of the churches have young people’s organizations.
XXVII
NUMBER OF PASTORS WHO HAVE SERVED THE CHURCHES WHICH HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED TEN YEARS OR MORE
The turn-over on the part of the ministers has been high. Two-thirds of these churches have had a new minister every two and one half years or oftener.
XXVIII
RESIDENCE OF PASTORS IN RELATION TO THEIR CHURCHES
About half of the churches have their ministers resident among the members.
XXIX
SALARIES OF MINISTERS ACCORDING TO PROPORTION OF TIME DEVOTED TO THE MINISTRY
With the high cost of living, it is difficult to sustain adequate family life on many of these salaries. It is not strange that eight of the ministers must earn part of their support at other occupations.
XXX
GAIN AND LOSS IN MEMBERSHIP AS RELATED TO RESIDENCE OF MINISTERS (One year period)
About two-thirds of the churches with resident ministers made a gain in membership; of the churches with non-resident ministers only about one-third show a gain. Fourteen churches were either pastorless or were served by a supply. Six of them made a gain during the year preceding the survey.
UNIQUE STUDIES OF RURAL AMERICA
TOWN AND COUNTRY SERIESTWELVE VOLUMES
MADE UNDER THE DIRECTION OFEdmund deS. Brunner, Ph.D.
What the Protestant Churches Are Doing andCan Do for Rural America—The Results ofTwenty-six Intensive County Surveys
“They are fine pieces of work and examples of what we need to have done on a large scale.” Dr. Charles A. Ellwood, Dept. of Sociology, University of Missouri.
“I am heartily appreciative of these splendid results.” Rev. Charles S. Macfarland, Genl. Secy., Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America.
Published by GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY, New York
FOR
COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS SURVEYS
111 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK
Footnotes:
[1]See Wilson, “Sectional Characteristics,”Homelands, August, 1920.
[2]A monument to Sacajawea was erected in Armstead in 1915.
[3]Three country churches raised no money during the year and one city church, which tithes, did not have financial figures available.
[4]SeeTable XXIII.
[5]17 country churches have buildings.
[6]13 village churches have buildings.
[7]The membership of the separate boys’ and girls’ organizations cannot be added here because it would involve duplication.
[8]The capital letters in parentheses in the Table indicate the respective counties, Beaverhead, Hughes, Sheridan, Union.
[9]In deriving these figures the Census Board has included the forest reserve territory. The following figures were obtained by excluding this area (with the exception of the inhabited portion of Beaverhead):
On the Range the development of centers is just beginning.
[10]The Census does not give Spanish-American separately. They are of course native-born and are included under that division.
In Sheridan, the “New Americans” are in the mines; in the other counties, they are on the land.
[11]Two federated churches have a single budget and a single canvass.
[12]76.37% of this amount was raised by local churches. The rest came from the denominational boards.
[13]One church in each of these groups unites regularly with a church holding eight services.
[14]One church in this group also has four week day services. One church has its four services on week day nights and has no Sunday services.
[15]One church in this group has two resident social workers.
[16]Including $250 rental value of parsonage if there is one.
[17]One church in this group has two resident social workers.