Show SMALL TOWNS USA revitalized country church plays social economic role by EARLE HITCH rea feature tures long on the road to decline the country church is being revived as an integral force for re energizing small rural communities muni ties acting on the principle that where the community thrives the church also thrives all denominations are backing a widespread campaign t to revitalize the country church without in any sense departing from the christian aims of saving souls and preaching redemption the churches simply are adding an awareness of social and economic responsibility to their mission of sal the concerns of the entire community home family farm ing health become the concerns of the community church particularly valuable and instruct tive as models or demonstrations for study are the community plans rural america being earned carried out at stake by missions of the presbyterian and methodist no 4 churches in the in a series mountains of ken tucky and ten bessee the pres by terian projects are at morris fork and wooton ky and at alpine and big lick tenn the methodists have community missions at frakes ky and sevierville Sevi erville tenn A larger community project at blue springs tenn represents the combined par ashes of the methodists disciples of christ and presbyterians diverse projects all have much in common but in some things each in unique blue springs is the oldest mission and its area is the largest some miles square it has seven churches and four preaching points at neigh boyhood centers a cooperative store an energetic training pro gram in public health and a con series of adult education A comil COMMUNITY uNITY enterprise one of the leading churches in promoting community development is calvary presbyterian church above at big lick tenn the church was built by people of the community which consists of only about 50 families landscaping was done by the pastor and farmers classes in current problems such as farm machinery repair soil conser and home decorations all this represents the life work of a great country preacher he was paul A doran who went to blue springs in 1917 as a divinity school graduate and died there three years ago after 28 years spent entirely in that community s service one of his many lasting ices fees was his homestead plan lie ile made home buying his personal concern through small loans from a nominal sum held in trust by him the minister made it possible for 20 families in his community to become owners of their own farms the pastor at big lick Is both ardent and articulate in behalf of better rural living he has known country life from childhood and he knows how to farm he can run a tractor plow a contour furrow and help in the saw mill he has organ iced a big lick homestead project to a d young men get established on the land and 27 families have been assisted in buy ng farms since 1940 this pastor is eugene smathers ers who has written and preached ably about rural economic problems and who has supplied the leadership which has made big lick a better place to live and work promote health one of big lick liek s finest public services Is its community health clinic there Is a building specially constructed for it in a grove ad joining the church yard A graduate nurse Is stationed there to aid in guarding the health of the people and to assist in emergencies big 1319 lick also has a soil conserva tion program and Is carrying on adult education and demonstrations in fertilizing crop rotation better livestock breeding introduction of new fruits and plants and good for estry management homemaking and home decoration health and child care are studied by the worn wom en there is also a study of the co operative movement and commit tees are ate developing plans tor for future cooperative undertakings possibly to in marketing of home crops proc essing and a credit union big lick has its own machinery pool include ing a tractor a hammer mill and a saw mill build own church wooton community under the ministry of benton deaton has a fine community church and play ground built by the people them selves in the recreation center the children of the neighborhood have a place to enjoy their games and the whole community has its PC picnics acs and outdoor religious gatherings wooton owns a cooperative truck which provides tran tation for the farmers who want to send things to market and have things bought for them in town very few of the people have cars and their usual means of travel Is by mule back wooton also has a circulating 11 arary the beginnings of a demon farm and a training course in handicrafts and cottage indus tries tor for both men and women similar work especially in health soil saving and better arming farming is going on at alpine morris fork frakes and sevierville Sevi erville the programs vary according ito local needs and the resources that can be put to use productive enterprises for example the parish at alpine is the owner of a forest of 1500 acres and a farm of acres A trained forester and an expert farmer make those enterprises produce earnings and furnish exam pies ples tor for other farm and woodlot owners the alpine program is in charge of the head of the mission the rev bernard M taylor and mr taylor has made the mission responsible tor for developing the corn com s full resources through the es of the citizens themselves and their labors are being reflected more and more in better health and living the same can be said of the corn com muni ties at frakes morris fork and sevierville Sevi erville all of which have vastly improved their ways of living because practical economic plans for conserving the land and finding more useful employments for sur plus labor have been made principal aims in the community plan the pastors of course have not neg lecter their religious duties they simply have added economic con cerns to their other responsibilities the next article will tell of the tho important commini community development plan now being carried earned on in on five count es ej centering around tupelo miss the tupelo plan is ss one of the most abbt ambitious that has been undertaken any where ir or the unfolding unfolding rural life move went ment |