live under city conditions." [Footnote: Frederic C. Howe--The City,
the Hope of Democracy.]

Contrasted with this peculiar burden of the city, there is the country
church and the adaptation needed to maintain it in any degree of
effectiveness, when its very life blood has been drained for the
city. It has made untold contributions of ministers, missionaries,
church officers and members to the cities and distant fields, leaving
the mother church childless and weak in its advancing years.

Changes that leave almost none of its former constituency confront
the country church.

Old farms and village stores pass into the hands of aliens--in
many instances Hebrews--summer boarders claim the attention of the
faithful women of the congregation for the most favorable months
of the year. Sunday sports engage the interests of the indifferent,
and there are many other disintegrating elements.

In a land where progress calls to progress, where the results of
hasty development create a large share of its problem--a land
where the need of Christian effort is paramount, and where such
effort is so vital to the world, the decadence of the country
church is of far-reaching significance. Home Missions is called to
direct its energizing, constructive ability to the solution of
this baffling and discouraging feature of its problem to a greater
degree than ever before.

Home Missions at this time also confronts a new opportunity and
obligation--to make its voice heard, its influence felt, for