USA > Iowa > Keokuk County > The English River congregation of the Church of the Brethren > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8
The moral tone of a neighborhood or a community can not be discerned altogether, however, by the number of immoral acts recorded in its disfavor; consideration must be given to the opinions of the leaders within or concerned about the welfare of the neighborhood or community.
Seven out of ten leaders within the congregation, includ- ing ministers, deacons, and laymen, responded affirmatively to the question, "Is the moral tone of the neighborhood or community rising?" Two of these felt that the moral tone was not rising as rapidly as it should. The question was
78
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
discussed with five persons outside of the congregation, yet within the immediate community, including leaders and Sunday school officers in neighboring churches. Four of these agreed that the moral tone was rising. Evidence in support of the four affirmative answers included the aban- donment of the "cooler", the temporary lodging place for peace disturbers in South English, the absence of drunken men on the streets and highways, and the increasing per- centage of church workers among business men of the village.
The five leaders outside the congregation viewed the ques- tion largely from the standpoint of the entire community, including the village. On the other hand the Brethren lead- ers appeared to look at the situation primarily from the standpoint of the immediate neighborhood. Neither of these groups, however, ignored the influence of all church groups in the endeavor to maintain the highest possible moral standard for the entire community.
Fifteen leaders - ten of the Brethren and five from the community - responded to the question, "What is the greatest need of the church to maintain ordinances and traditions, to interest the young people in spiritual growth and to have the widest influence in the neighborhood or community?" Responses of the Brethren leaders with reference to the maintenance of ordinances and traditions were : "study them more", "study, teaching and prac- tice", "better teaching and reasoning", "better teaching, more preaching", "more study, better class of teaching", "teach more Gospel", "occasional teaching is sufficient", "give less attention to doctrines and traditions", "not necessary to maintain all of them", and "not concerned with traditions". Three of the five leaders of other de- nominations responded to this phase of the question with, "sound Bible teaching, including reasoning", "well enough
79
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
maintained through present day preaching", and "not im- portant in our church". The other two of these five leaders answered that they had nothing to say on this point.
Suggestions from the Brethren leaders on how to interest the young people in spiritual growth included : "become more spiritual ourselves", "give them a chance to do active work", "give them something to do", "have well directed activities", "provide better leadership", "give more free- dom", "have more social life", and "entertain them". Suggestions from the five leaders from other denomina- tions were : "see that older people do the right thing", "let those in the church live better lives", "let all cooper- ate and pull together", "have higher standards for adults", and "provide a good pastor".
Needs suggested by the Brethren leaders for widening the influence of the church in the neighborhood or commu- nity included : "live nearer the Gospel", "live according to the teaching of the Gospel", "get those in the church to live up to their professions", "apply the Golden Rule", "bring young people together more", "open the church for social uses", "give practical active Christian service", and "organize all forces of the community for constructive work". Suggestions of the five leaders from outside the Brethren Church on this point were : "get those in the church to live better lives", "get all to do right", "be es- pecially friendly", "have organized effort along social lines", and "have higher standards for adults in the church".
The fifteen leaders responded also to the question, "From the standpoint of the neighborhood or community, what is the biggest problem or task confronting your local church?" The responses received from the Brethren lead- ers included : "saving young people", "developing lead- ers for the continuation of church work", "keeping young
80
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
people interested", "holding the interest of young folks", "keeping the members active", "getting the members to live the simple life", and "getting people to live up to their profession". Responses from the leaders of other denomi- nations to this question were : "knocking out selfishness", "getting organized social and religious effort", "main- taining principles and showing the world the need of a Savior", "getting people to attend services", and "getting people really converted".
Church Membership and Religious Activities. - In 38 of the 47 families both the husband and wife were members of the Brethren congregation. Two husbands who were members of the Brethren had wives belonging to churches of other denominations, and two wives who were members of the Brethren had husbands who were non-church mem- bers. The four women who operated their own households in South English were members. Only one family studied had no direct connection with the Brethren group; the hus- band was a non-church member and the wife belonged to another denomination. Seventeen of the 31 children from 6 to 15 years of age were members of the Church of the Brethren. Twenty-one of the 26 who were 16 years of age or over were members. One child of this group be- longed to a church of another sect. The adult male member- ship, 40 in all, included 3 elders, 1 minister, and 7 deacons. The total membership included in addition 17 other leaders of church activities - the president and vice president of the Christian Workers' Meeting, and the superintendent, assistant superintendent, teachers, and assistant teachers of the Sunday school. Nine of these leaders were high school graduates or had attended college, either Mount Morris or the Iowa State Teachers College, for at least a semester.
The membership of the church is represented in 65 fam-
81
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
ilies, 46 of which were included in the survey.57 The local congregation is under the supervision and care of 3 elders, 1 minister, and 10 deacons. No records of church attend- ance are available. Regular church attendance was held to be slightly higher than the attendance at Sunday school which averaged 93, 135, and 92 persons respectively for the years 1915, 1917, and 1919. The lower figure for 1919 was held to be due to sickness, chiefly "flu".
Money raised for the support of all church work increased from about $50 in 1880 to $400 in 1900 and to about $1200 in 1919. The expenditure for home mission work amounted to less than $200 in 1900, $555 in 1911, and $725 in 1919. Assisted by the Sunday school of the North English church the local Sunday school now supports a missionary worker in China.
A budget of $3000 for the first year's allotment of the Interchurch World Movement fund was raised by the local congregation during the last week of April, 1920. It seems probable that this amount will be increased annually dur- ing the next four years. In general, the Interchurch World Movement met with favor throughout the congregation. Several members expressed a feeling of uncertainty, how- ever, as to just what the movement might accomplish.
Financially, the local congregation has held its own, as compared with the neighboring congregations of other de- nominations. The membership also has remained steady or shown a slight increase. The supreme test of any local church, however, lies not in the matter of funds or of mem- bership but in its power to gain and hold the interest of the young people, that is, to fit them for the best possible service to humanity. Whether the local Church of the Brethren is gaining or losing ground in this respect is
57 As noted above one family in the survey had no membership in the con- gregation.
82
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
difficult to determine. The opinions of all leaders and work- ers in the local congregation were sought in connection with this point.
Fifteen of the 29 leaders and workers with whom the matter was discussed felt that the church was not holding the interest of the young people as it had in years past. The other 14 were of the opinion that the opposite was true. The majority of the 14 agreed with the other 15, however, in declaring that the interest of the young people was not held as it should be. Among the suggestions for improve- ment in this respect were more social life, better educated ministers, a new church, a piano in the church, less restraint in regard to dress, and the development of a community center like that of the Brethren congregation in Orange Township, Black Hawk County, Iowa.58
Thirteen of the 29 leaders expressed an opinion concern- ing the use of a piano in the church. Seven of these favored its use and six opposed it. Those who favored its use held that a piano "would be found a great help in Sunday school and Christian Workers' Meetings", "that it would be much help to the chorister", that it "had as well be in the church as in the home", or that "other Brethren churches had pianos". Those who opposed its use gave as their chief reason, "such things must be kept out of the church".
Fifteen of the 29 leaders expressed themselves on the matter of restraint with particular reference to dress. Six of these held that the church was placing too much emphasis
58 In the Orange Township community the church and the consolidated school form a religious, social, and educational center in which farmers are "retiring". Through various activities including church services, musical programs, and well-directed recreation, games, etc., interest of the young people has been held, notwithstanding the fact that the city of Waterloo is not far distant. In fact, the close proximity of the city seems to have acted as a challenge to the local congregation to provide clean rural entertainment well enough diversified to hold the interest of its young people.
83
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
on restraint. Reasons given in substantiation of five of these answers were : "form makes little difference so long as people dress sensibly", "a particular cut of clothes should never keep one away from church", "a neck tie should not keep one out of a responsible position in the church", "more time should be given to constructive church matters", and "the Bible doesn't say any one should wear any particular form of clothes". On the other hand, 6 of the 15 held that restraint was not over emphasized in the congregation. Reasons given by 3 of these were : "form is giving way fast enough", "form is giving way too rapid- ly", and "it must be controlled through teaching on plain- ness". The other responses were, "boys are not under too much restraint; girls might have a wider choice", "the matter is giving us trouble", and "it is causing us more concern than ever".
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
From an ecological standpoint the Brethren congrega- tion, near South English, Iowa, has experienced a gradual expansion during the sixty or more years of its existence. There has been noticeable enlargement of the territory sup- porting the Brethren constituency. With better means of communication, of travel especially, the membership has tended to push out from the center in all directions. Mem- bers no longer hesitate to locate in or beyond South English and Kinross, in an attempt to gain economic or other ad- vantages. Since 1900, eight families have located in South English and two families have located in Kinross, whereas only one family lived in the former village prior to that date. Several Brethren families now reside outside of a ten mile radius from the church building. Balancing this outward movement of expansion to some extent, is the ten- dency toward centralization evidenced by the location re-
84
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
cently of three homes near the present church building. It seems probable, however, that the majority of the Brethren who retire will continue to locate in the village of South English.
Coincident with the outward movement of the Brethren families is the inward trend of people of other denomina- tions. Although this may be of little or no concern to the local congregation at present it is a force which may ulti- mately affect the unity of the group. It is to be hoped, how- ever, that steps similar to those taken by the Brethren of Orange Township near Waterloo, Iowa, may not yet be resorted to as a means of controlling this situation. In the Orange Township congregation "a committee was appoint- ed to devise a plan or system through which farms to be sold were to be disposed of - in such a way as to enable control of the incoming population as to desirability." This does not imply that such a plan might not be resorted to by the English River group as a means of self-preservation when this congregation has attained the state of social de- velopment now held by the Orange Township group.
Economically, families of the local congregation have prospered. Patient, persistent toil, combined with an ab- sence of crop failures and a continued rise in land values, has made the typical Brethren of the locality fairly well- to-do. He has reared his family, made it possible for his children to follow in his occupation - with certain few ex- ceptions - satisfied his cultural wants, and given the need- ed financial support for the work of his church.
Noticeable progress is being made in the modernization of homes. Families not having modern homes expressed themselves as desiring to have them or as planning to have them as soon as possible. Undoubtedly the majority of all homes of the congregation will be completely modernized within another decade. Furthermore, a majority of farm
85
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
women will doubtless be using modern electric and other equipment such as power washers, vacuum cleaners, and pressure cookers.
The local congregation has experienced an increasing in- terest in education, especially in the Mount Morris College. Progress in secondary education in the neighborhood or community, however, seems not to have kept pace with the desire "to see people better educated".
Better methods of communication, including rural mail delivery, telephone, and automobile, have expanded the con- tacts of the group with the world at large. The telephone which provides a ready means of visiting while remaining at home may be one of the causes of the lack of sociability within the neighborhood of the congregation frequently re- ferred to by members of the community. The daily paper, made accessible by rural delivery, has put the typical family of the locality in closer touch with the outside world. The automobile has become a means for getting families together for church activities, but it has been an equally effective means of "contacting" these families with society at large. Practically all persons of the local congregation are inter- mingling more freely in a larger and more varied human environment.
Territorial expansion, economic prosperity, the improve- ment of farm homes, better methods of communication, and the like, have been accompanied by a growing support of all church work including home and foreign missions, bene- volences, and the "forward movement". The Sunday school, established in 1877, has grown from a small group of work- ers meeting semi-monthly to a gathering of the entire church membership organized into various departments and classes. The Christian Workers' Meeting has been accept- ed as a means of furthering and deepening religious ex- perience, and the "Sisters' Aid" has become the principal
86
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
channel for the provision of funds and other goods for the different home and foreign mission outposts.
The church building has been remodeled and partially modernized, better to meet the needs for all church services. It now comprises seven separate class rooms for Sunday school use, although all are small, in addition to the audi- torium which is used for the four additional classes as well as for the regular preaching services. The church yard shows no improvement, however. It is destitute of shade trees and shrubs which in many other congregations add comfort and beauty and furnish desirable places for neigh- borhood gatherings, such as basket dinners and other social activities.
The net membership of the church has shown no appre- ciable increase since 1896. The church roll carries approx- imately 40 names in addition to those carried a quarter century previously. Furthermore, church letters which have been granted during this period are not greatly in excess of letters which have been received. Increases in membership appear to correspond quite closely to increased interest in the new church activities, that is, the Sunday school and the Christian Workers' Meeting.
In the face of many counteracting social influences the local congregation appears to have maintained a high de- gree of loyalty to the parent organization. It has held strongly to the traditions and customs of the larger group, known locally as "faith and practice". From a religious standpoint, members of the congregation have observed the Golden Rule toward each other and toward individuals of other denominations with whom they have intermingled. The local congregation has done all in its power to main- tain peace and harmony, within the local group and with society at large.
Notwithstanding the progress and development noted
87
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
above and an unquestioned loyalty of the group to the par- ent organization, the feeling exists throughout the congre- gation that there is a lack of the sociability characteristic of former days. "People are not as sociable as they used to be", members say, and the spirit of genuine neighbor- hood cooperation appears to be growing less evident.
In the community surrounding the local congregation the churches of other denominations are declining. One church in Kinross closed its doors and the three churches in South English are moving all too rapidly in that direction. Not- withstanding this fact, Brethren families are retiring in South English. In addition, the families who do retire there are composed of individuals who find it difficult to attend church services in the country, evening services especially.
The church groups of South English are not gaining and holding the interest of the young people as they should. From pioneer days to the present, boys of South English and vicinity have not had a place to meet in groups, other than in village restaurants or on street corners. Here their pastimes have included loafing, smoking, swearing, and listening to and repeating foul stories.
The prevailing opinions of a number of church leaders are to the effect that the moral tone of the neighborhood or community is rising. But certain immoral acts or prac- tices, including illegitimacy, appear to be increasing es- pecially in the larger community surrounding the local con- gregation. Although increased immoral tendencies can not be attributed definitely to the lack of vigorous social activ- ities in the community at large or to the prevalence of re- ligious restraint within the Brethren congregation the mat- ter deserves careful observation and attention.
The public schools of the villages of South English and Kinross rank below those of many rural communities. One
88
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
of the reasons for this seems to be the unwillingness of school patrons and others to vote for the higher local taxes necessary to provide better and more modern school sys- tems. Probably the real barrier to progress lies in the lack of active cooperation between different families and differ- ent larger social groups, regardless of religious sects or denominations.
In view of the above findings, the local congregation may see fit to consider the matter of striving to go beyond the maintenance of loyalty to the parent organization. The realization of this objective, as well as the passive applica- tion of the Golden Rule, has failed to meet the challenge for service among the young people of the neighborhood and the larger community. To do unto others as one would be done by, although an ideal guiding principle in daily life, does not always imply giving the greatest possible service to humanity. The teachings of Christ are the same today as during the time when He spoke to and among men, but the relationship of father to son, brother to brother, and friend to friend differs materially. The negative "Thou shalt not" Christianity is giving way to the active principle of service as embodied in Christ's teachings. The true re- ligion of the future promises to deal with social uplift more than with personal salvation. The great task, then, of any religious sect or denomination becomes twofold : "The church must give the individuals what they want and the individuals must be made to want what the church should give them.''59
On the assumption that the local congregation, without incurring disfavor of the parent church body, may care to embark on a more active forward looking program of ser- vice for the immediate neighborhood and community the following suggestions are offered.
59 Pratt's Applied Sociology, p. 324.
89
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
(1) It appears that the development of sociability could be enhanced through a well-arranged series of gatherings within the local congregation. These might start in a con- servative way, preferably in the homes as semi-monthly or monthly evening meetings during the winter. Although all members of the congregation could not be accommodated at any one home at the same time some plan of reaching all homes in the course of several years' time could be de- cided upon. Provision could be made for the playing of well-selected and properly directed games at these meetings.
(2) Study clubs might form an interesting and valuable pastime during these evening meetings, particularly during the winter. Young people, as well as adults, will find pleasure and profit from the careful study of good books, particularly those relating to rural life, under the guidance of capable discussion leaders. Books adapted for such study include : The Country Church and the Rural Prob- lem and Chapters in Rural Progress, by K. L. Butterfield; The Country-Life Movement, The Holy Earth, Universal Service, and What is Democracy? by L. H. Bailey; Farm Boys and Girls, by W. A. Mckeever; Rural Life, by J. M. Galpin; Rural Sociology, by P. L. Vogt, and Constructive Rural Sociology, by J. M. Gillette. The choice of the book to be studied should be made by the study group with the approval of the discussion leader. Some considerations in the choice of any book are its contribution to actual every- day Christian living and its adaptability for study by the discussion method. The leader of the study group should draw expressions of opinion from others.
(3) Neighborhood or community recreation is desired by many individuals of the congregation. This type of activity is worthy of trial, under the careful direction of a leader, preferably a young man or woman who has had college training. The leader should have good judgment
90
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
and a fair knowledge of activities which are suitable for different occasions or gatherings, such as relay races, hand ball, and group games. Baseball, basket ball, and volley ball are ideal games for boys, the two latter are enjoyed by girls as well. An assortment of games adapted for gatherings of different types and sizes may be had from Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium, by Jessie B. Bancroft.
The value of wholesome recreation is now recognized by leading authorities of the Church of the Brethren. D. W. Kurtz of McPherson College holds that "proper games and play can be made a part of education .... In wholesome play there is more than physical development, for many games require a high degree of alertness and there is the accompanying spirit of happiness that gives healthy tone to the entire system." He adds : "A boy can play a game of ball in such a way that the boys who play with him will be drawn to the Master - Good temper, fairness, courtesy and honesty, as well as freedom from swear words and other evil expressions can not help but impress boys who have not been so careful".60
Participation in these group games and activities should be extended to members of families outside of the congre- gation. It appears that the time has come for an extension of Christian service to the larger community and such ex- tension can be developed most effectively through social contacts between individuals of all denominations. If Chris- tian living is to be vital and enduring it must be broad in its application as well as practical in the results which it seeks.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.