BR 555 .K3 S4 1922 COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS SURVEYS TOWN AND COUNTRY DEPARTMENT Edmund deS. Brunner, Director SEDGWICK COUNTY KANSAS "^'^' A CHURCH AND COMMUNITY SURVEY BY BENSON Y. LANDIS NEW >CBir YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY BR 555 .K3 S4 1922 Landis, Benson Young, 1897- Sedgwick County, Kansas V COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS SURVEYS TOWN AND COUNTRY DEPARTMENT Edmund deS. Brunner, Director SEDGWICK COUNTY . KANSAS A CHURCH AND COMMUNITY SURVEY ii^idkl i\ BY V^ BENSON Y. LANDIS WITH ILLUSTR-ATIONS MAPS AND CHARTS NEW ^IS^ YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOREWORD THIS pamphlet is one of a series which present the results of a Church Survey in the field of Town and Country, begun under the auspices of the Interchurch World Move- ment, and completed by the Committee on Social and Religious Surveys. From among the one thousand county surveys which the Interchurch had undertaken and in which considerable prog- ress had been made, a limited number were selected for com- pletion on an intensive plan, in the belief that these would throw light upon some of the more important problems of church and community life. The selection was made with great care. Certain fundamental factors were examined in all of the counties in which a survey had been undertaken, so that outstanding abnormalities might be avoided, or proper account taken of them. Agricultural, educational and religious officials were consulted. State and Fed- eral census reports studied. The counties selected are so dis- tributed over the United States as to afford fairly typical specimens of Town and Country Survey for all the great regions into which the country is divided. It must be recognized, however, that no county can be completely typical of any larger area in respect to every situation. These studies have been made from the point of view of the church recognizing, however, that economic and social conditions affect church life. The community has, therefore, been studied as well as the church. Communities have been located and defined, their economic background investigated, their population analyzed. Those factors which enter into the make-up of the social mind, such as social life, public opinion, leadership, means of communication, social affiliations and community spirit, have all been evaluated. Community activities, particularly those dealing with amusement and recreation, have been recognized and noted. The schools and their contribution to community life have been taken into account. And all has been from the point of view of the church. The study of the church has been made from the point of view of its history, its equipment, its financial system, its members and their occupations, its services and their type, the parish, organiza- tions such as the Sunday School, the Young People's Societies and their program. FOREWORD An intensive study has been made of the distinctly rural areas and of those centers of population which have less than five thousand inhabitants. In the cases of towns larger than this, an attempt has been made to measure the service of such towns to the surround- ing countryside. Spiritual results in church work are not measurable by the foot rule of statistics. This survey does not deal, therefore, with the spiritual product of any church in the lives of individuals, but with community conditions and the mechanics of administration which are instruments for carrying on church activities and spiritual work. The reader must understand that figures have often been given in percentages as aids in comparison. He should be cautioned, how- ever, against being misled by percentage figures wdiere the number of cases happens to be very small. The aim of the survey is distinctly practical. It is hoped that it will prove to be of value not only to the churches and communities of the county surveyed, and to church boards and societies operat- ing therein, but also to social and educational agencies which are interested in rural work generally. It is also believed that the situations discovered and the problems emerging in each of these surveys will be found to bear sufficient resemblance to those in other counties within the same region, as to render the policies and programs proposed of definite value beyond the boundaries of the areas that have been intensively studied. The results of these surveys will ultimately be published in twelve volumes, three of these will treat individual counties illustrating a survey method in a single rural geographical and political unit. The Sedgwick County volume is one of the three. .Similar studies were made of an Eastern and Far Western county. The remaining volumes will treat of outstanding problems in several well defined regions such as the South, the Range and the Northwest, on the basis of surveys in two or more re]iresentative counties in each of these regions. There will also be a final volume summarizing the total results of all these counties. ACKNOWLEDGMENT THE Director of the Town and Country Survey Department for the Interchurch World Movement was Edmund deS. Brunner. He was hkewise the Director of this Department for the Committee on Social and Religious Surveys. The original survey of Sedgwick County was conducted under Francis M. Leaman. State Survey Superviser of the Interchuch World. Associated with him was a county leader the Rev. W. A. Bosworth. of Wichita, who did the active work in gathering the data on the hlanks provided. Their work was done during the years 1919-20. The field worker of the Committee on Social and Religious Sur- veys for Sedgwick County was Mr. B. Y. Landis. During the spring of 1 92 1, he verified the results of the survey work previously done and secured additional information, not included in the original study. The services of Dr. Sanderson, the executive secretary of the Wichita Federation of Churches, and Mr. Macy, the county agri- cultural agent, were of great assistance. Valuable help was given by the Home Missions Council and the Council of Women for Home Missions through their Sub-Committee on Town and Country Survey and also by the Joint Committee on Utilizing Surveys, which was appointed by the Home Missions Coun- cil and the Federal Council of the Churches for the purpose of co- operating with the Committee on Social and Religious Surveys in endeavoring to translate the results of the Survey into action. The members of the Joint Committee were : Representing the Federal Couucil of Churches Miss Anna Clark C. N. Lathrop Roy B. Guild U. L. Mackey F. E. Johnson A. E. Roberts A. E. Holt C. E. Schaeffer Fred B. Smith A( KXOWI.KDC.MKNT Rcprcscniituj the Home Missions Council and the Council of Women for Home Missions Alfred W. Anthony Rolvix Harlan L. C. Barnes R. A. Hutchison Mrs. F. S. Bennett Miss Florence Ouinlan C. A. Brooks R. W. Ronndy" C. E. Burton W. P. Shriver A. E. Cory I'aul L. \'o^ D. D. Forsyth Warren H. Wilson VI CONTENTS PART I : A GENERAL VIEW OF THE FIELD CHAPTER PACE I Introducing Sedgwick County ,,.,., 13 II Economic Characteristics ....„.,. 18 III The Making of the Rural Community . . , , 27 IV Social Characteristics .......,„ 32 PART II: RELIGIOUS LIFE AND INSTITUTIONS V The Religious Situation in General . . . , 39 VI Equipment and Finance . « , . , c o , 44 VII The Ministers ,.,... o .. - 50 VIII AlEMBERSHir , , .. c » . 55 IX Organisation and Programme „..„.. 61 X "The Par Standard" ..... .0, „ 65 XI The Federated Church at Waco , . . , „ „ 67 XII Non-Protestant Work , . , . . . , » o 72 XIII Conclusions and Recommendations , , » . . 74 ILLUSTRATIONS, MAPS AND CHARTS ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Every Community Has at Least One Co-operative Grain Elevator 21 Apple Orchard Near Wichita 24 Bank at Andale 28 High and Grade School, Valley Center 32 Autos of School Children, An Ordinary Day at Valley Center 33 High School Gy'mnasium, Garden Plain . .... 35 M. E. Church, Bentley 44 M. E. Parsonage, Clearwater 46 Dl'ring the Sunday Service, Federated Church, Waco, Kansas 67 Road from Wichita to Waco 70 Roman Catholic Church, Andale 72 MAPS Church and Community Map of Sedgwick County, Kansas 40-41 CHARTS I Effect of System in Church Finance .... 47 II How the Church Dollar is Raised 48 III How the Church Dollar is Expended .... 49 IV 53 Protestant Churches Classified According to Residence of Ministers 51 V Salary Scale of the Ministers 52 ix ILLUSTRATION'S. MAPS AXI) CHARTS PACE VI Number of Pastorates During Past Ti:n Years . 53 VII Church Members in Population 55 VIII Ri;sii)i:nce and Activity of Ciu'rch Mi.mi'.i-.rs , . 56 IX Relation of Size of Church JMembership to Gain 57 X NuMBf.R of Churches Gaining and Losing in One Yi:ar Pi:rioi) 58 XI Freouencv of CiiL'Kcii Ser\tces 64 I A GENERAL VIEW OF THE FIELD A CHURCH AND COMMUNITY SURVEY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY KANSAS Chapter I INTRODUCING SEDGWICK COUNTY X"T THEN a great and thriving city such as Wichita grows up ^%/ within an area Hke Sedgwick County, certain questions naturally arise in connection with a rural Church Survey : Does a city "bleed" or aid the rural communities around it? What services are rendered by the city — in church life especially, in recrea- tion, in marketing? How has the farmer aided the city? Again: Thirty-five or forty years ago the various denominations in what is now Sedgwick County helped to establish churches in what was then a frontier region. What has been the result? Now that the churches have graduated from the "home-mission-aid class" how well are they ministering to the people? What great tasks remain to be accomplished? In addition to discussing the usual data of a church survey, this narrative will place emphasis upon these two topics. Sedgwick County lies in South Central Kansas. Kansas is part of the Prairie region, which embraces Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and some parts of surrounding states. In this region farming is passing from "one crop" to diversified. Wheat growing is being accompanied by the raising of corn or other grain and alfalfa. Fruit and truck are coming to be grown near the cities, while dairying is being developed owing to the demand for these foods from the urban population. Cities are. comparatively few. Towns and villages are closely related to the farming population. They have. little manu- facturing, and would hardly amount to anytliing did the farmers not retire to them. To a less extent this is also true of the smaller cities. Here the church has passed through the problems of the frontier 13 SL R\'KV OF SKDCiWICK COUNTY. KANSAS stag'e, and has settled down to ministering- to a comparatively stable ptjpulation. Sedgwick lies in the more favoured section of this area, and the present analysis of churcli achievements and j^roblems will therefore throw some light on the church life of other counties in the state. This will be only in a general way, answering in a certain measure such (|uestions as: What is the program of the churches in their respective communities? What progress has been made in religious education? Is there a tendency toward overchurching? What neglected groups are there? What physical equipment have the churches? PHYSICAL AND HISTORICAL This county has both upland-prairie and river-bottom lands. The former are, generally, rich clay loams of a dark colour, red pre- dominating. The bottom-lands are a black, sandy loam, and the intermediate lands or second bottoms (small in area wdien compared to the others) show a rich, deep, black loam, containing very little sand. The county is crossed by the Arkansas, Little Arkansas and Minnescah Rivers and Cowskin Creek. None of these streams is navigable. Along each is found some woodland, and except for this small amount and the trees planted close to the houses and barns for protection against storm, the county has no forest land. The surface of the land is level or gently rolling, and one covers gre^.t distances with an automobile on the excellent roads in short spaces of time. Automobilists from the city frequently drive fifty miles in the evening. The climate is very healthful : Sedgwick can build its sanatorium at home. The country is spared both the rigours of haril winter and extreme heat in summer. The history of Sedgwick County, including Wichita, has more than the ordinary touch of romance. In "Folks," that remarkable series of "miniature" character studies, Victor Murdock has written the romantic side of the development of the city. Throughout the narrative of the building of the city, there appear interesting side- lights on the farms round about. The men and women who, years ago, poured into this section of Kansas came for one purpose — to build an empire. Those who settled in Wichita, under the guidance of brave and ins])iring leaders, became ])ossessed of but one pur- pose and idea — to build a city. Thev "boosted" and waited. .And, unlike the people of most small towns, who only dream of tall buikl- ings. stirring enter])rises. wide avenues and ])aved streets, those who lived in Wichita succeeded. Their sjiirit was marvellous. Hardships and sacrifices were undergone willingly. Men were so busily engaged It INTRODUCING SEDGWICK COUNTY boosting their city, writing articles in its praise, advertising, making speeches, that they made no personal investments and died poor themselves while others prospered. But the city was built. An historical sketch recently published in the Wichita "Beacon" sketches the early events of the settlement and pictures the result : "On Du Pratz's map of Louisiana, published in 1757, at the junction of the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers is marked *A Gold Mine.' "In 1836 Jesse Chisholm, a half-breed Cherokee Indian for whom a trail and a creek have been named, guided a party from Arkansas in search of buried treasure. "In 1869, just fifty years ago, the peaceful and kindly Wichita Indians moved on from their camps at this place, where the Little River — Xe Shutsa Shinka — empties into the Big Arkansas — Ne vShutsa — and the Wichita of the white man was born. "Now, after the passing of fifty years, the gold mine is here. A magnificent city of mills and banks and factories, and skyscrapers and homes, made possible by the fabulous wealth of agriculture and cattle and oil which surrounds it, rises to dwarf even the most rosy dreams of the pioneers. When Moke-to-ve-to, Oh-has-tee, Oh-hah- mah-hah and other chiefs squatted around the council fire and signed the treaty whereby the white men acquired rights to the country about Wichita, the Indians were indeed yielding a gold mine holding riches to exceed the wildest fancies of the Incas. "Fifty years ago a few venturesome white men camped in the forested bends of the Little River near its mouth and began to trade calico, beads, sugar, tobacco and coffee for buffalo and coyote hides. They named their little village after the Wichita Indians. 'Scattered Lodges' is the meaning, and 'Scattered Lodges' may be a truthful description for good and all, since the modern tendency is to reach far out in the quiet by-ways in building homes for city dwellers." In the early days of its history, this settlement on the prairie was a town of the first dimension, most of it being strung along Main • Street. Then it graduated to a city of the second dimension : Douglas Street was developed beside Main, and "^Vlain an' Douglas" became the centre of its life. Now in the past two decades a city of the third dimension has come : In the neighbourhood of "Main an' Douglas" are the tall hotel, bank and department store buildings, the massive forum and exposition building, etc. Wichita has grown also in height. Near all of this, very near to the development of the citv. some- what excluded, yet looking on with much interest, lived the farmers 15 SURVEY OF SEDC.W l( K (OUNTY. KANSAS of Sc(li,^wick Count}-. 'I'hcv settled widely scattered farms, took l)ii^ mortgages, ran heav\- risks, worked long days. Some lost out in the struggle, but more won. After a few decades they became ])rosperous and began to retire. Because of the homes the retired farmers built there, the village grew. Great numbers came to live in the homes along the wide, long, .shaded streets of the city which their grain and cattle had hel])ed to make prosperous and famous. Victor Murdock closes "Folks" with an account of "The 1%'u-mer," stating that his narrative of the city would not be com- plete without it. One reviewer has pointed out that he has given us merely the kind of farmer the average city dweller wants to see — content in every respect, working hard, resigned to the fact that he must delve while the people of the city luiild, not realising that the city is using in its building some of the fruits of his long hours of toil, l^erhaps INIurdock has not described the farmer as he really is, but only his ideal of what a farmer ought to be. Be that as it may, a very different kind of farmer lives in Sedgwick today : he knows more about the city, resents certain things about it, is rather discontented, more alert and more inteUigent than his forebears, and engaged in endeavouring to solve what problems re- main unsolved in the building of "his empire." The "gold mines" which take the form of cattle, grain, wonder- ful climate, favourable situation, railroad development, have all con- tributed in attracting people from other i)arts of the country to Sedg- wick and Wichita. There were and are no racial or denominational groups, except the Germans in the western part of the coimty. The larger part of the population came from Indiana and Ohio, while some of the earliest came from Pennsylvania and Xew England. There is still a "Buckeye" organisation which meets once a year. The growth of the population of the city and county during the last fiftv vears is shown as follows: iSSo rSoo 7000 IQTO lOJO Entire Coiintv . . -. 18.573 43,626 44.037 73.095 92.234 Rural '. . . . . . 13,662 IQ.773 19,366 20,645 20,017 City .. 4.gii 23.853 24,671 52.-150 72.217 These figures reveal a steady rural increase down to tqto, then there was a slight decrease for the last decade. In six communities, from twenty-five to fifty per cent of the people have lived in the ])lace for fifteen years, or over; in eleven communities from fifty to seventy-five per cent ; in one, ninety-five per cent and in one only ten per cent. There are no "New Americans" in tlic rural sections of Sedg- ir; INTRODUCING SEDGWICK COUNTY wick County, with the exception of approximately one hundred Mexicans, who Hve in the various villages and work, mostly, as section hands on the railroads. While "migrants of the less migra- tory type." still these men are hard to reach, teach and assimilate. At any rate the communities have made virtually no move in regard to them. The Mexicans live in cars or bunks along the railroads. Of the older immigration from Northern Europe, chiefly German, have come 12.6 per cent of the farm owners of the county. These live in compact communities of their own. They are thrifty farmers, good citizens, breaking away slowly from the use of their native language, and living too exclusively. Blame for the slowness in bringing more contacts and introducing a larger cordiality into the relations of these people rests partly on themselves and partly on the natives. 17 Chapter II ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS CO^I PARED with most rural counties in America, and com- ])arecl with the less favoured sections of the Prairie states, the rural communities of Sedgwick are very i)rospcrous. In 1920, the County Assessor's figure for real estate value of the county (excluding the city of Wichita) was $54,814,912. Personal property for the same area totalled $12,000,000 in value. In 1921, however, after the drop in the price of farm products had been seriously felt, the assessor estimated, on the basis of incomplete re- turns, that the value of personal property outside of \\'ichita would be $3,000,000 less. In contrast, he estimated that that of Wichita, totalling $33,000,000 in 1920, would remain the same for 192 1. Agriculfitral In Sedgwick the farms are mostly quarter sections — 160 acres. Practicall)' the entire county is under cultivation. In 1920 there were 3.346 farms; in 1910, 3,434. Though Sedgwick is popularly known for its wheat, more acreage is given to corn. This is due to the large area of river-bottom and "intermediate" lands. In 1910, 112,933 acres were given over to the cultivation of winter wheat, 176.698 acres to corn, 40.827 acres to oats, 25,719 to alfalfa. River- bottom lands earn the larger income. In the spring of 192 1 they sold for about $200 per acre ; while the best uplands brought about $50 less. During the last ten years the number of dairy cattle has been constantly increasing, while the numl)er of sheep appears to have decreased. In 1920, the number of dairy cattle on farms was 15,736, according to the assessor's figures, and other cattle of farms, mostly for fattening, numbered 15.471. The demand of Wichita for milk has rendered dairying more jwpular. The leaders of the Farm Bureau, and esjK'cially their employed agent, have been constantly striving to secure heavier stocked farms, and a greater diversifica- tion of grain-crops. Generally speaking, the native farmers are following instructions. The foreign born, however, have not alfili- 18 ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS ated with the Farm Bureau to any apprecialjle extent: they still de- pend mostly on wheat, and stock their farms lightly. Ozvncrship and Tenantry Since 1910 owners to a considerable extent have retired from their farms and taken up other occupations in the cities. In iqio, more acres were cultivated by farm owners: in 1920, the tenants tilled the greater acreage. The figures follow : igio n)Jo Acreage operated by renters 267,900 3i3.,^S7 Acreage operated by owners 333.559 246,817 Ten years ago 55.2 per cent of the farmers operated their own farms. In 1920 the county assessors' figures show the proportion of tenantry considerably to have increased. Today only 44 per cent of the farms are oi)erated by owners. FariJi Labour A great wheat county like Sedgwick needs seasonal help for gathering the harvest. About 2,500 harvest-hands come every sum- mer. Half of these stay from ten days to two weeks, while half are usually retained for about two months to do work incidental to harvest. During 1920, and for a few years previous, $6.00 per day and board was an ordinary wage for this help. In 1921 no wage scale was agreed upon. The best opinion held that in all probability a fifty per cent reduction had been made. Up to 1920 the farmers had not enough all-year-round help. In 1921 they hired very little, and there was a surplus of men for farm work. Great numbers of migrant harvest hands pass through Wichita on their way to smaller cities and villages. The Sedgwick House furnishes room and board at very reasonable rates, and the employ- ment agencies of the city render valuable service. Possibly welfare work on a larger scale could be undertaken, though the men stay for very short periods. A greater need for welfare work exists in the towns and villages where the men must wait for employment, and spend sometimes several days in idleness. Fall in Prices of Fanii-Products Farmers of Sedgwick felt the 1921 drop in prices of farm prod- ucts as sharply as any county on the Prairie. When wheat drops from two dollars and twenty cents to one dollar and five cents a bushel within a year, dissatisfaction all around is to be expected. Wheat moved slowly from farm to market in the spring of 1921, though there was a fairly large hold-over in the hands of the farmer. 19 SURVEY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS This was somewhat due to the agitation set on foot to hold out for three-dollar wheat, begun in the fall of 1920, and continued until the spring of the following year, when there was no longer any hope of gaining any advantage in holding. Then followed a good deal of disgruntled selling, from necessity. On the wliole, the Sedgwick County farmer was in no happy mood as he prepared for another harvest. Co-op era t i: ■<' Organisa t lo >is In the opinion of well-informed people, the farmers now sell between sixty and seventy-five per cent of the wheat of the county through their own co-operative elevators. During the last ten years especially has there been a great develo])ment of co-operative market- ing. There are twenty-three co-operative elevators for shipping grain. These elevators also usually handle feed and coal. Every community in the county has at least one elevator, nm by the farmers. The privately owned elevators have, of course, not dis- appeared, but do business in competition with those owned by the farmers. Each of these co-o]ierative elevators has a full-time man- ager, all of them are financed by selling of stock, and up to the spring of 1920 practically all showed a profit. They are in the main "one man one vote" organisations. There has been no fail- ure of a co-operative organisation in Sedgwick County. The real test of these organisations came in the summer of 1920. The year was one of deficits for many of the companies, yet while the farmers are not altogether satisfied with their ventures, there has been no serious talk of abandoning any of them. Moreover, the rural banks have played square with the co-operatives as with other organisa- tions in their communities. In one community the farmers have organised their own hardware store. In 1920 the Farm Bureau organised a wool pool, whereby the farmers marketed co-operatively 35,000 pounds of wool. Some of this was brought in from the farms of surrotinding comities, because their Farm Bureaus had no pool. The tremendous drop in the price of wool made marketing of this commodity very difificult and though local handling expense was saved, the pool was far from being a profitable undertaking. In the spring of 1921, when this survey was being made, the farmers' income from 1920 wool had not been paid off, although they were again ready to shear sheeix Vet they went about it rather good-naturedly, considering that there had l)een no actual return from their work of the previous year. An interesting venture in co-operation between the farmer and 20 ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS the city consumer has taken place in the vicinity of Wichita. There had been a good deal of agitation in Wichita for clean milk. A group of dairymen determined to supply it, and also to secure for themselves some of the profits being secured by the city milk dis- tributor. They formed a company, sold $20,000 worth of stock, put up a pasteurising plant of their own. and in one day secured enough orders from city consumers for all the milk they could produce. Farm and Home Equipment There are approxnnately 362 silos and 392 tractors used on the '?,346 farms in the county. This means one silo and tractor to EVERY COMMUNITY HAS AT LEAST ONE CO-OPERATIVE GRAIN ELEVATOR every nine farms. Fully three-fourths of the farms of the county have automobiles and other power machinery for farm work. Fully this proportion also have telephones in their homes, but less than ten per cent have electric lights or running water in the homes. Machinery is used to lighten the work of the barn, but not as yet that of the kitchen. Rainfall and Irrigation The rainfall in the south-central part of Kansas is just too scant for the highest production of crops. The County Agricultural Agent, in co-operation with the State College of Agriculture, has been experimenting with irrigation for corn, and better yields are 21 SURVKV OF SEDCaVICK COUNTY. KANSAS the result. At the present time irrigation is projected on a very small scale, bin rliere is no douhl that its wider use would greatly increase yields of crops in this area. I-anii lUircan The greatest influence for better agricultural methods in Sedg- wick County has been the Farm Bureau, working through its em- ployed agent, a man who has had a wider experience in this work than any other agent in the State of Kansas. The Farm Bureau now has 1,113 loyal members and the dues are seven dollars and fifty cents per year. The work of the Agent has ])een mainly with indi- vidual farmers. He had no part in the organisation of the co-opera- tive marketing organisations, because they were in existence before he began his work. On account of the unusual marketing condi- tions during the past year he has, however, given more attention through meetings and personal interviews to the matter of marketing grain, live stock and wool. A few kaffir-corn and poultry clul)s ha\e been organised. The Farm Bureau has also carried through a tul)ercular test for all the cows, the expense being met by Federal and State appropriations. Other phases of the work have been spraying demonstrations, plowing tests, a farm-bureau picnic, nu- merous articles for all local newspapers and the "Monthly News Let- ter" which goes to the Farm Bureau members. TJic Part of IVicJiita in Agricultural Life Wv. have already observed how the Sedgwick County farmer looked on interestedly while W'ichita was being built. His grain and cattle helped to make it famous, but on the whole he had a rather detached relation to the builders. From it he obtained some money in the form of loans, and there he sold his crops. When he found the farm a failure, or not to his liking, he usually went to the cit}' for other em])loyment. Many who saved enough retired. Today W'icliita is said to be "full of" retired farmers. This means that the city has taken population from the country, but the fact was not noticeable until within the last decade. Let us briefly \iew the cil\- of W'ichiia today, and then consider its present relation to the surrounding countryside. In 1869 it was a collection of log houses. In 1880 its population was slightly over 4,000; now it has 72,000 inhabitants. It is the biggest "job- bing city" in Kansas. In this capacity it has a large trade area, and serves the dealers of smaller cities, towns and villages within a radius of about one himdred miles to the north and cast, and a much 22 ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS greater distance to the west and south. It is the largest tractor and implement centre in the United States, the largest broom corn mar- ket in the world, the first city in Kansas in bank clearings, deposits and postoffice receipts, the second largest live-stock market and pack- ing centre in the State. Over 1,000,000 head of live stock were received at the Wichita Union Stock Yards in 19 18. The one hun- dred counties in Kansas and Oklahoma nearest to Wichita pro- duced over 100,000,000 bushels of winter wheat in 1919, with the result that the city is a great milling centre. The Wichita Board of Trade did a cash grain business of more than $150,000,000 a year up to 1920. If you draw a circle with a radius of fifty miles around Wichita, it will embrace eight great oil and gas producing counties ; a circle with a radius of 150 miles includes thirty-six counties producing oil, gas, lead, zinc, coal and other minerals, with an average annual production of more than $12,000,000 per county. The well known El Dorado and Augusta oil-fields are in Butler County within twelve miles of the city. It is asserted that 200 oil companies have offices in Wichita. Annual building permits increased in value from $243.- 250 in 1900 to $4,849,831 in 1919. Industries are well diversiiied. In Wichita the immediate countryside has a shipping point for produce to still larger centres. The farmer sells his wheat to the local private or co-operative elevator, which in turn sells to a city broker. All live stock that is sold passes through Wichita, being sold by the farmer or local dealer to the handler in the city. Again, all the "feeders" that farmers buy from western points for fat- tening are bought from the dealer in the citv. Wichita has its commission houses which buy food and sell to the dealers in the towns, villages and small communities round about. No active opposition toward co-operatives on the part of those in the city handling farm products is evident, but the country looks with some suspicion on the methods of handling its products after they leave the country station. Of course, the development of merely local co-operatives has not disturbed the Board of Trade. But the development of "integrated" marketing on the part of the grain growers, whereby the local co-operative may sell to its own agency at the great terminal centres, is causing active opposition from Boards of Trade. "War Funds" are being raised throughout the country to fight such action. Wichita buys up all the fruit, milk, potatoes and vegetables raised in its immediate locality. Poultry products are brought in from 23 SURVEY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS practically every community in the county. The city could use more fruit, garden vegetables and potatoes — especially the latter — than are locally grown. The produce sold to the city goes either to the commission men or is sold from house to house by the indi- vidual farmer. There is no organised market, or curb market, to which the farmers may bring produce and sell to the consumer. The market in the Forum Building is simply a ])lace where city dealers sell produce which they have bought from farmers or from commission men. This means a higher cost of these foods to the city consumer, and a lower cost to the producer. There seems to be need in Wichita for a better market. li ORCHARD NEAR WICHITA Beside having twenty-five local banks and trust companies, Wichita is the home of one of the Federal Farm Loan Banks with the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico as its territory. The h^arni Loan Bank has a total capital stock of $2,200,- 175. It loans money to associations of farmers, giving them the opportunity of getting money for mortgages from the Federal gov- ernment, allowing a lower than current rate of interest, and long- time payments. Inhere is no such association in Sedgwick Comity. Eight of the Wichita banks carry most of the farmers' loans in addi tion to those carried by the country lianks. Within forty or bft\- miles, ])eople from villages, towns and small communities come more or less habitually to the city, especially to the department stores. It is difficult to determine, in so large a city as Wichita (because of the shoppers from "satellite cities," as well as from the 24 ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS farms), the proportion of the total business and trade which comes from farmers. In economic Hfe. rural and urban people are interdependent. The city admits that agriculture is the backbone of its prosperity, while the farmer needs the manufactures which come from the city. And he has needed its marketing facilities, which are. however, in private hands. The big question the farmer is asking today is whether he can supplant these marketing agencies with organisa- tions of his own? In his ability to answer this question affirma- tively lies the means for effecting, in the near future, a radical change in the economic relations of the city and the surrounding countryside. On page 21 is given an example of the co-operation between the dairymen and the city milk consumer brought about in Wichita on the initiative of the former. The grower of grain wants to get close to the miller and exporter — or he may even build an export agency of his own. NON-AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES A few miles beyond the corporate limits of Wichita are a few oil wells not extensively developed. Those who are interested in agricultural development really hope no oil will be discovered in the county because of the havoc it plays with farming. Other than agri- cultural pursuits in Sedgwick are confined to storekeeping. banking and professional work. The villages, made up almost entirely of retired farmers, promote no manufacturing at all. The number of people employed in pursuits other than farming probably does not exceed five hundred heads of families. TRANSPORTATION Wichita is one of the large railroad centres of the Prairie states. Six railroads centre here, connecting every community in the county. There is also the interurban trolley which runs from Wichita through the northern part of Sedgwick to Hutchinson in Reno Countv, and Newton in Harvey County. Railroad schedules are arranged pri- marily for freight and express transportation, but the people of Sedgwick County have fair schedules for passenger travel, in and out of Wichita. The county seat is the hub of a system of good highways which are being constantly improved. The constantly increasing use of motor trucks and automobiles plays a big part in the development of better roads. The total road mileage of the county, according to the figures of the county engineer, is 1.959 miles, of which 20 25 SURVEY or SKDGWKK COUNTY. KANSAS miles are hard surface. I-^ederal-aid roads, 188 miles iin])roved county roads, 876 miles improved hy the townships, and 875 un<;[raded. For the last fiscal }ear $85,410 were expended hy the county for new roads and repairs; $47,985 for hridges and culverts. I""or new work and repairs on township roads $119,662 were s]XMit. Plans are now under way for improvinj;- the "Cannonhall Road" which will give Sedgwick County a thirty-mile, hard surfaced road straight across the county, running east and west. The impro\ements on this road will cost $15,000 per mile. 2G Chapter III THE MAKING OF THE RURAL COMMUNITY IN the hamlets, villages and towns of Sedgwick are located the stores: grocery, general, implement, hardware. Here are the large majority of high schools, hanks, garages and grain ele- vators. Here too are many of the churches. The farmer trades at the village store, garage and grain elevator. Thus every village has its own surrounding group of farmers. Within the area people know one another fairly well. Here are carried on prohahly more than 90 per cent of the activities of the average individual in the group. The map on page 39 divides these groups as nearly as it is possible to divide them. Their limits run irregularly ; in fact, when travelling from one village to another, one sees a group of farmers who go to both places for their activities. This is the so-called neutral strip or territory. This irregularity is also shown by over- lapping community lines, in cases of conflict, by lines that do not join in cases where no communities claim the people in the territory. Sedgwick has nineteen communities, excluding the rural area nearest to Wichita. Within that area are several small groups, which are so near to the city that they have lost their unity. Their churches are hard to maintain, because many of the members would rather go regularly to the city and most of the purchasing is done there. Indeed, these areas may be said to belong to the city rather than to the rural population. Following are descriptions of various communities, giving their population, area, number of churches, and active church mem- bership, and social organisations, their strength and influence. They are presented with the idea of giving a picture at close range of the functioning of these small groups, the units of the church survey. ANDALE . This community extends three miles north, ten miles west, four and one-half south and three and one-half east and is situated on the northwestern border of the county. Its chief source of income is wheat. The population is 720, of which 400 reside in the open country. Andale is a community of thrifty farmers mostly of Ger- 27 SURVEY OF SRIXiWICK COUNTY, KANSAS man birth or descent. The villac^e is new and attractive, havinj:;^ l)cen rebuilt after the cyclone which, live years ago, destroyed every build- in"- except the church. Most of the homes are bungalows. Amuse- ments are mainly furnished by the Roman Catholic parochial school which has an enrollment of seventy-six boys and eighty-four girls. There are three grain elevators in Andale — two privately owned and one a farmers' co-operative enterprise. The large and beautiful Roman Catholic church is an imposing structure, and constitutes the main organisation in the community. The total Roman Catholic population is estimated at 560 — seventy-eight per cent of the popu- lation of the community. There is no Protestant church. Andale BANK AT ANDALE is an example of a homogeneous community in which most of the activities centre in the 'church. CHENEY Here we have a community with a fairly large village, four churches, and six lodges. It is ([uilc well organised. It lies on the western ])ordcr of the county, and encloses an area reaching eight miles north, four west, seven south and two east. Wheat and cattle are most profitably raised. The population is 1,250, of whom 750 live in the village. Those of German descent number about 500. The big influences in Cheney are school's and churches. A Chau- tauqua and a course of lectures are supported by practically all 28 THE MAKING OF THE RURAL COMMUNITY groups in the community. Cheney has a co-operative grain elevator, and also a co-operative hardware store which is the largest in the rural part of the county. A weekly newspaper is published here. There are four organised churches — the Methodist Episcopal. Dis- ciples, Reformed Church in the United States, and Missouri Synod Lutheran. The combined membership is 690. All except the Lutheran are located in the village. The active members of the church make up fifty per cent of the population. Here community life is developed around a number of organisations and' institutions, with a co-operative spirit manifest. CLEARWATER One of the largest and most progressive communities in Sedg- wick County, Clearwater is situated near the centre of the southern border line and extends north seven miles, west four and one-half, south six and east six. Grain and stock are its main sources of income. Of the total inhabitants. 800 live in the open country. There are twelve foreign-born Mexicans in the community. Clear- water has a good Girl .Scout troop, a bank, newspaper, co-operative grain elevator and a number of stores. Other active organisations are two women's clubs, four lodges and a Red Cross group. There are two small neighbourhoods in the community. Six miles north is the hamlet of Clonmel with a population of about fifty and a Roman Catholic church with a school of twelve boys and eleven girls. Seven miles northeast is the small neighbourhood of Bayne- ville having a population of about thirty. The surrounding popula- tion is mostly German Lutheran but there is no church. The Protestant churches are all in the village proper, the ^.lethodist Episcopal, Disciples, Presbyterians, Baptists and Nazarenes beinj^ represented. At the time this survey was made, the churches were being served by full-time resident pastors. Thirty-two per cent of the population are active members of the five churches. Here again we have a progressive community, well organised, showing some results of community organisation. FURLEY This is a small and somewhat isolated community, situated in the northeast corner of the county. Grain is its chief product. There are only 380 inhabitants — eighty in the village, including fifteen foreign-born Germans and ten Bohemians. Farms here are heavily stocked and sheep are largely kept. Farmers have diversified their 29 SLR\KV OF S1•:I)(.^\■1( K COL'NTY. KANSAS crops. The coinnnuiity is a wvy (|uict onr. Stores are small. The schools and the church arc thi' main inllucnccs making- for pro^n'css. There are no other ori^anisations. The only church in hurley is a Methodist Episcopal, located in the hamlet. Trior to 1920 it was on a circuit with Kechi and Greenwich, but the Conference of that year gave it a resident pastor, he having also the church at Green- wich. The outlook is reported as being unusuall\- bright. As a one-church community, Furley ]iossesses many advantages, but there is need for more community activity and cjrganisation. GARDEN PLAIN In the western part of the county we have Garden Plain with a population of 780, of whom 280 are gathered together in a thriving little village. Garden Plain has a store, a co-operative grain elevator. a bank and a good high school, with the only separate gymnasium building in the county. Garden Plain extends five miles north, one west, three and one-half south and five east. Wheat is its most profitable crop. Churches and schools lead in its community life. Church life in the community is divided between the Methodist F.piscopal and the Roman Catholic churches — both located in the village. At present the Methodists are fairly active, but the Roman CathoHcs are the stronger. In the northern part of the community (in the neighbourhood of Aleppo) St. Mary's Roman Catholic church ministers to a group of farmers living around it. While Garden Plain has made considerable j)rogress, the fact that it is so sharply divided along religious lines renders complete co-operation and organisation difficult and remote. Such are some of the outstanding types of communities in Sedg- wick County. There are others which, for the nuist part, are active. Valley Center and Mount Hope, for instance, might have been taken as examples of large and progressive communities in ])lace of Clear- water and Cheney. The high schools at both these ])laces deserve special mention. The township building at Mount Ilo]ie, and the e(iui])ment of two of the churches at Valley Center stand out con- spicuously. Kechi, too, is known for its township building. Col- wich, like Andale, has its imposing Roman Catholic church, and a ])rosperous, unified, active commimity life. Every community in the county has a co-o])erative grain elevator, while each has some mem- bers of the Farm Bureau. I'Lvery conimunity has something distinc- tive. 'T'm proud to live here!" is heard fre(|uently as one visits tlie various communities. 'J'he iX'o])le are still in the "age of achieve- ment." They have not yet learned to look back; the old spirit of 30 SKDOWICK COUNTY. KANSA: Bcnllcy Turlcy r.ardcn Plain Peck . . . Scdgmck Valley Ccnler Hayaville (nnghl.orhwMl) Wichita (nifiili THE MAKING OF THE RURAL COMMUNITY the pioneer is not dead, and the beginnings of what promise to be significant developments in community co-operation and organisation are clearly discernible. The table opposite lists the organisations and population of every community in the county. 31 Chapter IV SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS Till-' tal)Ie near the end of the ])revious cliai)ter .qives some statistics relating to social organisations in the county hv com- munities. There are other facts, however, which if con- sidered on a county-wide scale will throw additional light on the social life of the people. HIGH AND GRADE SCHOOL, VALLEY CENTER Schools The schools of Sedgwick are in excellent condition. The county has ten high schools all with four-year terms. I<"roni these schools eighty pupils were graduated last year, of whom lifty-one were girls. The number of graduates constantly increases. The county has 121 one-teacher schools. There are also four joint high schools, partly under Sedgwick's control and partly under the supervision of adjoin- ing counties. These latter are not included in this report. Nine schools in the county are consolidated. There is no transportation by 'bus ])rovided, but when transportation is necessary, ])arcnts are paid for the expense involved. Accredited domestic science is taught 32 SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS in eight of the ten high schools, and agriculture in every school of the county. Out of a total of 271 teachers, thirty-three high school teachers are college graduates and seven are normal school gradu- ates ; in the one-teacher schools are two college graduates, one normal school graduate and sixty-two who have taken special work beyond high school. In the grade schools, without high schools, are eight college or normal school graduates. The county became a "Barnes high school county" by popular vote in 1905, and adopted the high standard involved. The County Superintendent of Schools has placed, at his own expense, a framed "Country Boy's Creed" in every school. He states that the drift to the city is not as noticeable AVTOS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN, AN ORDINARY DAY AT VALLEY CENTER among high school grades today as it has been during the past five or six years. Eleven grade schools are known as standard schools. The stand- ard school meets the requirements set forth on a chart of thirty- two points as standard. Among these requirements are : school grounds kept in good condition, proper light and ventilation, attrac- tive interior decorations, sand-table, sanitary water supply, trees and shrubs on grounds. Only when resident within five or six miles of the city do high school pupils go to Wichita for instruction. The state law requires them to go to the high school within their district, or pay for their own tuition if they go elsewhere. This ruling prevents many from taking advantage of the city high school. 33 SURVEY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS There is. Iiowcvcr, a four-year high scliool witliiii reach of the boys and girls of the county. Cltarilics and Correction There is a great contrast in Sedgwick County between the num- ber of social agencies which are at work in the city and the number at work in the town and country communities. 'I'he Wichita Coun- cil of Social Agencies, recently formed, comi)rises twenty-four organisations or county and city departments and officials. Among those which are other than purely city agencies or officials are the County Children's Home, the Red Cross Home Service, the County Commissioner of the Poor, the County Matron, and two Probation (Officers, who work among juveniles only. On the whole, however, when compared with those of other counties, the rural communities of Sedgwick County are very well cared for. For the last fiscal year. $52,592 was expended by the county for outdoor relief — including such items as food. fuel, clothing, hospital care of the sick, burial, rent and transportation. The County Detention Home for Girls was established in 191 8 and is supjjorted by the county under the direction of the County Matron. It fills a great need but is inadequately equipped and should make provision for boys as well as girls. The number of girls cared for at one time in this home is usually six or seven. There are twenty one-room cottages in the County Tuberculosis Sanatorium. Up to two years ago there was no sanatorium at all. The number of patients in the County Tuber- culosis Sanatorium ranges from four and five up to the full capacity of twenty. The Sanatorium is in the transitional stage i)Ut enlarge- ment is being i)lanned. The Wichita C"hildren's Home has been in existence for thirty years and is supported by funds both from state and county, tlie county j)aying the larger share. There are also funds from indi- vidual patrons. For all children ke\A in this home a small charge is made. Between seventy and eighty children are thus accommodated. The Red Cross Home Service does mainly city work, but the out- lying sections are reached when there is time to expand and when aid is requested from rural districts through the divisional head- (juarters. The County V-dvm cares for forty-eight people. This farm of 160 acres was recently stocked with jnire-bred live stock through the influence of the Vavm Rureau. I'p to March. 192 1, a nurse was employed to do county work, supported In' funds from the State Tuberculosis Association. This service has been discon- 34 SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS tinned by the state association and will not be taken up by the county at present. Annual health inspection of public school pupils is made by the county physician. Wichita physicians go into the country in answer to special calls. The city meets a great need in Sedgwick and surrounding counties by supplying hospital service. Social and Recreational Life Interviews by the surveyor with recreation executives in the city of Wichita revealed their knowledge of the lack of recreation throughout the rural districts and their possession of a desire to be HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM, GARDEN PLAIN of service; the}- also realised the handicaps which make this service impossiI)le at the present time. The Boy Scout organisation fur- nishes an illustration of this. The Scouts have an overhead organ- isation through the county, but have only two troops in cb.urches outside the city of Wichita. It is generally recognised that there is a striking contrast between tb.e well organised social and recrea- tional life of Wichita and the lack of it in the rural districts. The rural communities of Sedgwick County, however, have more rec- reational facilities than many other rural communities in other parts of the country. There is a County Baseball League playing Saturday afternoon games with which adult teams from eight of the villages of the county are affiliated. The county high schools have developed athletics and not only have baseball, but hold an annual track meet which was attended in 192 1 by 2,500 people. Seven communities have moving-picture houses and pool-rooms are reported in four different communities. Three communities have 35 SURVEY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY, KAxNSAS bands, and one has an orchestra. There are two social ckibs. I'own- ship buildings are located in Mount Hope, Kechi and Delano town- ships. These were erected by public funds and are used for all kinds of public gatherings. Yet they are not the highly organised centres they might be. The county could use more of them to great advantage, especially if they were equipped with gymnasiums. The thirty-eight lodges of Sedgwick County aggregate a total of 2,660 members with an average membership of seventy. Three granges have a total of 225 members. In spite of the popularity and prevalence of the automobile, the people of Sedgwick County do not go, habitually, in large numbers to Wichita for recreation. They go occasionally for special attrac- tions, or for a frequent Saturday night at the movie. But the recre- ation problem of the communities in the county needs to be con- sidered apart from the facilities offered by the city. The rural com- munities feel the need of recreation within their own borders, and while they welcome that of the city occasionally, they desire more of their own. The situation which exists in the area very close to Wichita (that is, within five or six miles), is an exception to this general statement. 36 PART II RELIGIOUS LIFE AND INSTITUTIONS Chapter V THE RELIGIOUS SITUATION IN GENERAL THE church situation in Sedgwick County must be viewed with the facts of Part I of this survey in mind. They fur- nish the background for the whole discussion. Kansas is still a comparatively new country, with none of the wealth of tra- dition possessed by some of the eastern states. Very little written history is available, and the people's memories are hazy about past events. "It must have been thirty-five or forty years ago" is a phrase one hears frequently, but there seems no written available record that one can refer to. This applies particularly to the his- tory of the Protestant churches. In early days the majority of the new settlers had neither time nor inclination to give to church building which the eastern pioneers of the seventeenth century considered necessary. Trading posts and roads had to be first thought of, forests cut and the commercial side of life emphasised, whether religion had any expression or not. Churches were largely developed through the efiforts of the mission- ary agencies of the various denominations, and the decade from 1880 to 1890 seems particularly to have been the time of very active occu- pation of fields by these agencies. The church life of Wichita is efficiently organised. The city is adequately, but not over-churched. There is a large number of prosperous, growing congregations, awake, facing their changing problems. Again, Wichita is a church-going city. One hears no complaints in regard to the decline of church attendance. Religious education is well organised. At the time of the survey three churches had full-time directors of religious education. Men's classes are active and a force. There is probably more than the usual array of women's organisations. Best of all, Wichita has a very fine city Federation of Churches. Among other things, this organisation has put new vitality into the county Sunday School Association, co-ordi- nated the efiforts of the city churches in religious education, organ- ised a council of social agencies of the city and county, after a complete survey had been made by outside experts, and played a large part in a commendable ministry furnished the Mexicans S9 CHURCH AND COMMTNITV MAP, N^ > 1 w^\\ t>'i\^^— \^ nx i^M i ■^ / 1 / x^^^^AI^ / / J}^^ \>^ ^^ — ' — 7 '~7^/\>;:3? — ^ w (Js?^ f\ A \. Vy^^ ■"'—\)*^ ]/ '•" » X /y^^;^U^^ 1 \ D»,f* J \y R r^ / \ © /^ V-''' -i^^ \^\ /\ ^ ^N IN. yNf\/ /\\ \ %€ -V KEY AND SYMBOLS County Boundary ■^^ — •^ Community Boundary tinj lixf • Homlct ^p Town - over 5,000 D Church -Whif« B Church -Cclored Q Church -Wh.te with Pdstori Residence 5r>a Circuit ■4 Postor-j Reside A Pastor's Residen B Abandoned Chu S Sundoij School .. IS 5undoij School v< ice nifhouf Church-Wirfe ce without Church-Colortd rch. a Inactii-e Church rthout Church -White Ithout Church -Colored hool Sidj. 3 Church -Colored. »ith Pos or's Rrsjdsncc n Church uam^ 5c SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS, I92O. SURVEY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS through a neighbourhood house having a full-time director. In the church life of the rest of the county, too, which is not so well organ- ised, the churches of the city take some part. Geographically, as well as religiously, the county is divided be- tween Roman Catholic and Protestant. The Roman Catholics have seven churches, serving large areas mostly in the western part of the county. There are few Protestants within their parishes. In Colwich, where a Protestant and Roman Catholic church once stood side by side, only a small Protestant Sunday school remains. The Catholic eciuipment far surpasses that of the Protestants ; so prob- ably does their efficiency of organisation, their ministry, their influ- ence in the communities and neighbourhoods they serve. Roman Catholic farmers all live near their church. Where the Roman Catholic church is located few other community organisations are developed because the church provides opportunities for the exer- cise of the main activities. Roman Catholic churcli life in Sedgwick is discussed in a separate chapter, after the following discussion of the Protestant survey. In the town and county area of Sedgwick County are fifty-three active Protestant churches. In this survey, churches are classified on the basis of the following population groups : 1. Those in villages of from 250 to 2,500 people. Twenty-four of the fifty-three churches are in this group. 2. Those in small hamlets of less than 250 people and in the open country. Of these there are twenty-nine. Ten communities have only open country churches, and six have only village churches. Two have both village and open country churches. Two communities have no churches in Sedgwick County, but the boundaries of both extend into adjoining counties and they have churches there. There are six open country churches in neutral territory — that is, between the pull of two communities. The total rural population of the county is divided approximately into a village population of 6,517 and an open country total of 13,500. The total of twenty- four churches in the villages represents one church for every 271 people. In the open country there is one church to every 465 people. These figures evidence the noticeable tendency there is to concentrate churches in the villages. NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF CHURCHES Of the fifty-three churches in the county, the denominational grouping is as follows : 42 THE RELIGIOUS SITUATION IN GENERAL jNIethodist Episcopal 19 Northern Baptist Convention g Disciples of Christ 5 Presbyterian in U. S. A 5 United Brethren 5 Congregational 2 Nazarene 2 United Presbyterian 2 Lutheran, Missouri Synod 2 Evangelical Association i Reformed Church in U. S i 53 There is a record of four abandoned churches. One, at Bayne- ville in Clearwater community, was originally a Union church. It was then turned over to the Disciples and was rated as a mission. Later it was abandoned. A Methodist Episcopal church in the open country between Goddard and Colwich was disbanded a year before this survey was taken. A Congregational church at Colwich was also discontinued four or five years ago, through lack of support, and the Roman Catholics bought the building to use as a parochial school. A United Presbyterian chtirch, two miles west of Viola, was a strong open country church ten years ago. Subsequently the building was sold to the Methodists of Anness, and moved to that place. THE TIME OF CHURCH DEVELOPMENT The main period of development was prior to the year 1890. Since that year church building has slowed up considerably, owing to the adequate occupation of fields. Between 1870 and 1890 the county was the scene of active missionary occupation. Here are the figures : Before 1880 12 i88o-i8go 26 1890-1900 9 1900-1910 2 1910-1920 4 53 43 Chapter VI EQUIPMENT AND 1-IXANCE EACH of the fifty-three churches under consideration in this survey owns its building. The lirst buildings erected were wooden one-room structures. Even today, forty-four con- crrcc^ations have wooden buildings, and nine only— all newer struc- J'^^i-es— have buildings of brick. The total seating capacity is 12,560. The main audience rooms of the churches have a total seating capacity of 10,705. an average of 202, showing that the buildings are all of good size. The total available seating capacity for all . M. E. CHURCH, l!K\ I I I I II I iiM.-KdO^r FRAME BUILDINGS churches averages 237. indicating that many of them have extra rooms, for use when occasion demands. The condition of the build- ings is reported in six cases as "very good," in twenty-seven as "good," in seventeen as "fair" and in three as "poor." These divi- sions were made by the surveyor who saw the various structures. One church owns a stereopticon, another borrows one for occa- sional use, but no church has a moving picture machine, and none 41. EQUIPMENT AND FINANCE has any additional social equipment. Eleven out of twenty-four village churches are lighted by electricity, and four out of twenty- nine open country churches. Of the remainder, six use oil lamps, twenty-five gas or acetylene, and seven gasoline. Three-fifths of the churches of the county have but one room. In the erection of new buildings, however, more rooms are being included. 33 churches are of the usual one room type 6 " have two rooms 4 " " three I church has four 3 churches have five " 1 church has six " 2 churches have eight " 1 church has nine " I " " ten " I " " sixteen " Three churches have both horse space and parking sheds for automobiles. Forty-nine have parking space only and one has neither. The horse has practically ceased "going to church" in Sedgwick County. The following table gives the value of the church buildings in the county, and shows that the average value of those in the villages is much greater than those in the open country : Number Total Average Location Buildings Value Value Village 24 $134,900 $5,621 Open Country 28 75,050 2,680 52 $209,950 $8,301 Connected with the twenty-four village churches are eighteen parsonages ; with the twenty-nine churches in the open country, only eight. This illustrates the concentration of pastors' residence in villages. These twenty-six parsonages are valued at $53,750, averaging $2,067 each. The average value of the village parsonage is $2,267; that of the open country $1,619. Their condition is reported as follows: Seventeen "good," eight "fair," one "poor." One village church has an additional building value at $500, but it is not used for social recreational purposes. One village and three open country churches have income yielding property with a total value of $3,788. Of this amount, $3,500 is held by one church. FINANCES In raising money slightly more than half of the churches use the budget system for all purposes. Twelve use this system for 45 SL'KVKY OF SKI)(;\V1( K COUXTV. KANSAS local expenses only and fourteen lia\e no sysleniatic method of handling their finances. This proportion is aljout the same in village and o])en country. I'ive village and four o])en coimtry churches use single weekly envelopes. Duplex enveloi)t's are tised 1)_\ eight village and two o])en country churches, while eleven \illage and twenty-three open country churches do not use any system of frequent regular ])ayments. Of the nineteen churches using the envelope system, sixteen mrd/'('» Counlry ClnircJi I'or salary $ .33 missions and benevolences. . .;i2 " all other purposes 35 $1.00 48 EQUIPMENT AND FINANCE Following' is the yearly disbursement, per active member, in the churches : /;; J'ilfai/c In Open Country For salary $8.46 For salary $9-09 " missions and benevolences. . 5.70 " missions and benevolences. . 8.59 Other expenses 9.10 Other expenses 9.51 Total $23.26 Total $27.10 This table clearly indicates that so far as per capita giving is concerned the farmers in the exclusively farmers' churches in Sedg- wick County are more than holding their own. See Chart III. HOW THE CHURCH DOLLAR 15 EXPENDED VILLAGE CHURCHES COUNTRY CHURCHES Salary X ^^^^HbAuAR Other Expenses ^^^^^^^^ Other Expenses & Benevolences issioNS & denevolences CHART III 49 ClIArXER VII THE AIIXISTERS WHEN the problems of rural churches are being discussed, no point is more important than that of the pastors. What are their salaries? Are the\- adequate? How loni^" do they reinain in their parishes? Do all have parsonages? What tasks and handicaps have they? How have they been trained? In this present discussion there is one outstanding fact in regard to V.'ichita and the relation it has to the surrounding country. This is the large proportion of churches in the country being served by men who live in the city. At the time of the survey, eleven churches received pastoral atten- tion from the city from students, city pastors, or laymen following other occupations. This number has been increasing, until, in the spring of 1921, fifteen churches out of tifty-three (between one- fourth and one-third of the total number) receive pastoral attention from the city. The churches of the community of Peck, located just across the southern border of the county, are also served from Wichita, making a grand total of seventeen out of fifty-five churches. The surveyor learned of at least four other churches in Butler County which are served by men from Wichita. These facts indi- cate how the city plays a part in the church life of the surrounding countryside, and how, gradually, the country church seems to be less and less able to support a minister. In many villages and com- munities, of course, it is impossible for all churches to have resident ministers. Such being the case, and in view of lack of co-o])eration between the local churches, plans have been worked out to give the cotmtry churches soiue jmstoral attention. One denomination ties up a country clun-ch with a city church, and gives a pastor the oversight of both. He can give a little time for pastoral work in the country. This method seems to be meeting the situation more effectively than that of lia\ing a laym;in or minister who must follow another occn])ation, while living in the cit\-. take care of the country work. I'orty-one jjastors serve the fifty-three active Protestant churches of Sedgwick County. ITeven of them follow other occupations 50 THE MINISTERS or pursuits. One is a college professor, one a state officer of his denomination, three are students, one an architect, one a farmer, one a carpenter, one a painter, one a grocery clerk, while one works at various occupations. At the time this survey was made six churches were pastorless. The churches with pastoral service may he classified as follows with respect to their pastors' residence : Cliurch zcilh J'illagc Pastor resident in parish i8 Pastor non-resident in parish 2 No pastor 3 53 From this table it will be seen that the village churches have by far the larger number of resident ministers, and that those of the open country are handicapped by having a large proportion of absentees. See Chart IV. A further classification has been made Open Country Total 8 26 19 21 3 6 53 PROTESTANT CHURCHES CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO RESIDENCE OF MINISTERS 6 Churches with with with No Non-Resident Resident Minister Ministers Ministers CHART IV on the basis of communities. Nine communities have full-time resident ministers and three of these also have part-time resident mmisters. Three communities have only part-time ministers. Five communities ha\e no ministers; two are served only by Roman Catholic priests, and one, while situated partly in Sedgwick County, 51 SURVEY OF SEDGWK K ( OLN'IV. KANSAS has 11(1 iiiiiiislcr resident therein, hnt lias ministers who h\e in the adjoinint^ count}'. One minister ira\els a distance of forty miles to hold services, one travels eighteen, and one fifteen. Two min- isters live outside the county, and travel distances of less than ten miles to reach their churches. Of the forty-one pastors serving the county only twenty-six have free ]iarsonage ]irivileges. Most of the men living in the city are not furnished ]xu"sonages l)y the country churclies. Salaries paid the full-time ministers range from $1,251 to $1,500. This figure includes $-'50. arhitrarily added hy the surveyor, for each i)astor who has a free ])arsonage. The distrihution of the total yearly salaries of the ministers is as follows: Receiving A'liiiibcr of I'astors (iivhifi Xiuiibcr of Pastors tcwV/i Salary of Full lime to the Mijiistrx Other Occupations $500 or less I 7 $501-750 1 I $750-1000 2 I $1001-1250 8 .2 $1251-1500 9 o $1501-1750 4 o $1751-2000 2 o $2001 and over 2 o No salary i o 30 II $3200 EflOO 24 00 2000H 1600 1200- 800- 400- 5ALARY SCALE OF THE MINISTERS EACH COLUMN REPRESENTS THE SALARY OF ONE MINISTER Average "il269~" Figures include $250 per year as value of parsonage when provided. One minister receives no salory. IMinisters' salaries may he classified further, as follows: (This includes $250 added for the cash value of each [)arsonage provided.) THE MINISTERS Alaximuni salary $33^0 JMinimum " \^j Average salary : A. of ministers without other occupation 1422 B. of ministers with other occupation 541 Alodal average 1251-1500 See Chart V on page 52. Twenty-one ]jastors have antoniol)iles. Twelve of tliese are village pastors and nine belong to the open country. Two ()])en country ministers travel by rail, and two report that they use horse and buggy. In Sedgwick Count}', as in many others, short ])astoratcs are far too frequent for the good of the churches. 5 churches have had two pastors in the past ten years 7 " " " three 3 S 8 a " four five six 6 I church I has had seven eight nine NUMBER OF PASTORATES DURING PAST TEN YEARS 53 PROTESTANT CHURCHES 20 Churches Churches n 16 Churches a Churches 1-2 3-4 5-6 Pastorates 7and over 4 churches had no record of their pastoral changes. For four churches no record of pastoral changes is available. See Chart \T. In regard to the future of each church, the opinion of the pastor or some member qualified to judge was sought by the surveyor. In 5S SURVEY OF SKDGWK K C OLXTV. KANSAS Iwcnty-scvcii instances the ])rosi)ect was considered as beini^ "fair, good or promising." in seventeen it was acknowledged to be poor, while in the case of three churches it was described as uncertain. The chief problems of these churches were also considered. Those most freciuently mentioned were lack of resident ministers, indiffer- ence and denominational competition. 54 Chapter VIII MEMBERSHIP THE rural church rolls give a total membership of 4,830, the active members numbering" 3,915. (The term "active mem- ber" defines one who attends church, at least occasionally, and contributes toward its support.) Of these active members, 2,490 are in the twenty-four village churches, an average of 104 to the congregation; 1,425 are in the tv.'enty-nine open country churches, an average of forty-nine. There are 437 members not resident within the community in which their church is located. The total resident membership is twenty-two per cent of the rural population of the county. See Chart VII. CHURCH MEMBERS IN POPULATION n ■ Members f • NoN- Members 76% \ CHART VII The membership figures for the county follow : J'illage Open Country Churches Churches Total Per Cent Non-resident members 313 124 437 9.1 Inactive members 356 122 478 9.9 Net active members 2490 1425 3915 81. .Total church enrolment 3159 1671 4830 100. See Chart VIII on page 56. A division of the resident church membership of the county shows the following age and sex groups : 55 SURVEY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS Men over 21 years comprise Jg'^/c of the resident nienil)ersliii) Men under " '" " 13% " Women over "' " " 41% " " " " Women under 21 " " 17% " The ])r()])ortion of men, forty-two per cent, is fairlv hii^li and an encouraging sign. RESIDENCE AND ACTIVITY OF CHURCH MEMBERS 53 PROTESTANT CHURCHES WITH ENROLLMENT OF 4S30 9.1 % Non-Residenf^^^^ . 9.9% In-Active 81 y. Active . 90.9 % of Total Roll are Resident 'An inactive member is one who does not attend church or contribute to its support CH.\RT VIII Rural Members of the City Churches Immediately adjoining the city of Wichita is a large strip of territory embracing about two thousand people who live either in suburban homes or on farms. The city churches have some mem- bers from this area but not a great many. While not seriously neglected, here is a field that has been somewhat overlooked. The rural membership of all the seventy Protestant churches was sought by letter, telephone and personal calls. Owing to the lack of infor- mation of the cluu-ches, es]:)eciall\- those without pastors, or whose ])astors were absent, a full rei)ort was not secured for all. From the number that did report, however, it is probable that the total number of Protestant members of city cluu'ches from this area does not exceed three hundred. Situated in this area, too. are eight Protestant country churches with a total membership of 343. With a total of 600 members from approximately two thousand ])eople. plus the number belonging to cotmtrv churches in communities afljoining this 50 MEMBERSHIP area, and allowing for a reasonable Catholic population belonging probably to the city churches, this territory is not so seriously un- churched as is frequently the case in similar situations elsewhere. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain churches in this area. Because of lack of a pastor, one church temporarily closed its doors. Others have the problems of some members leaving ])e- cause they prefer to drive to the city to church. Again, not a single church in this area has a resident pastor, all being served by men from the city. Moreover, it is hard to hold ministers for these churches, and the student pastor has been resorted to as a substitute, and, though he may do better work here than in many other localities, he does not constitute a permanent remedy for the situation. The territory immediately next to the city is plainly a city resj^on- sibility, and some of the Wichita pastors are thinking and working- hard on this problem. RELATION OF SIZE OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP TO GAIN OF 25 CHURCMES with memberships of less than 50 OF 28 CMURCME5 with memberships of 50 or more / ^^^Bgamed did not gam ^^^^^ ( ^^ 68 °/o ^^ did not gam / ^H^^^^^^Hga m e d SMALL CHURCHES LARGE, CHURCHES (During pas' year) CHART IX Cain and Loss of Members The following table indicates the size of the churches and also those which have gained in the last year : Churches with No. in No. No. in No. Total No. Per Net Active vil- Gain- Open Gain- No. Gain- Cent Membership of lages incj Country ing Churches ing Gaining 25 or less 4 I 10 6 14 7 5° 26-50 2 o 9 I II I 9 51-100 8 4 9 I 17 9 53 loi-iso 4 4 o 5 4 4 100 iSi-over 6 5 2 o 7 6 86 24 14 30 13 53 27 See Chart IX. 57 SURVEY OF SKI)(;\VICK COUNTY, KANSAS This slio\vin^i( is perhaps what might be expected from Sedgwick County. It has l)cen found that when a well-established church in a settled community has less than fifty members, it seldom shows growth. In fact, studies made in certain localities force the conclu- sion that under these conditions such a church has but one chance in four of sur\iving. But in a country of such recent growth as Kansas, we may look for a good percentage of gain in both large and small churches. However, the figures show the large church to be the most efficient working force. Forty-nine per cent of the churches in Sedgwick County are gaining, while fifty-one per cent are stationary or declining. Thir- teen have made a gain of over ten per cent in their membership. In the following table churches are classified according to variations in gain and loss. Cliurchcs slum'ing Villages Open Country Total Net loss 6 5 ii Even break 4 11 15 Gain less than 5% 4 3 7 Gain from 5-10% 3 4 7 Gain of over 10% 7 6 13 24 29 53 GAIN 1 1 Churches 15 Churches 27Churches NUMBER OF CHURCHES ING & LOSING IN ONE YEAR 53 PROTESTANT CHURCME5 PERIOD ln<;t 1 1 remained mmmmm^i^i^^imi STanonary Less than 5%. 5-10 % Over 10% Of course, one year's tally may not do justice to all concerned. For, as is often the case, one church may carry on its roll names of members whi(fh should long since have been removed, while another may show a loss due to the adoption of modern methods of keeping its lists up to date. For purposes of comjxirison, however, the foregoing table has its value. IMembership figures for a ten-year period are available for forty-seven of the fifty-three churches. 58 ME:NrBERSHIP (These 47 churches) Membership 10 jears ago 4018 5 " " 4276 Increase 5% " today 4652 " 9% This gain has for the most part l)een made by the stronger clnirches of the county, although the smaller churches also make a good showing : No. No. Present Total No. Churches Per Cent Churches Churches Membership Grozving Grozving Stationary Declining 50 or less 3 19 3 10 51 to 150 13 61 3 5 151 and over 9 90 o i The total gain for the past year for the fifty-three churches is 326. This is eight per cent of the former net active membership of all the churches. The total loss in members is ninety-three. There is thus a net gain of 233, or about six per cent of the former net active membership of the churches. Of the twenty-seven churches gaining, thirteen made a gain of over ten per cent. This gain is 190 or seventy-two per cent of the total net gain of all the churches. The former average size of these thirteen churches was ninety-two members. Six of them have resi- dent pastors, five non-resident, and two temporary supplies. The protracted meeting is a favourite method of enlisting new members. Seven villages and eight country churches held such meetings during the year preceding the survey. Six churches only reported converts, the total number being forty. The meetings lasted from seven to thirty days. One hundred and nine other members were received by Sedgwick County rural churches, on confirmation or confession of faith. The total evangelistic return for the year was, therefore, 149. Thus the total gain by confirma- tion and confession of faith exceeded the total loss. Of this gain by confession of faith, the village churches with resident pastors had an average of twelve per church. Of those with non-resident pastors, one church gained one member. The open country churches having resident pastors gained an average of eight per church ; those having non-resident pastors gained three per church. Only one church has retained a pastor as long as five years. This church gained seventeen members last year by confession of faith. Fourteen, or fifty-eight per cent, of the twenty-four village churches showed a net gain during the year. The figure for the twenty open country churches was thirteen, or forty-five per cent. 59 SL"RV1",V or SKIX.WK K COUXTV. KANSAS Occupation The analysis of tlic clnirch nieni1)cT>lii|) repdrtccl in tlie county shows a total of 1,788 ongai^cd in some ijainful ()ccu])ati()n and retired farmers. ( )nc thousand, three hundred and ninet)-fi\e of these are farmers, and 393 husiness or ])rofcssional men. mechanics, clerks, factory workers, and followers of other occu])ations. Of the i,3')5 farmers, 132, or nine and hve-tenths per cent, are retired, 104 hcins,^ in the \illaij^e churches, and twenty-eiji^ht in the o])en countrx churches. The numher of farm owners is 083, or seventy and four-tenths i)er cent, and of these 544 are identified with village churches, and 439 with o|)en country chtu-ches. Tenant farmers on the church rolls numher 250, or seventeen and nine-tenths per cent. One hundred thirty-four attend village churches and 116 those in the open cotintry. The ])roportion of tenant farmers in the entire county is fifty-six per cent. The church rolls contain a small proportion of farm lahorers. There are thirt)' in all, twenty- five heing memhers of village churches. These figures show that 1,233 'i^ads of families in the clunxhes of Sedgwick County are operating farmers, either owners or renters. According to the government censtts of 1920 there are 3.346 farms in the county. Taking the census count, we have a total of 2,113 farm families not connected with the Protestant chttrches of the county. The Roman Catholic constituency is very large in Sedgwick and is growing. At the ])resent time, however, there is a consider- ahle ntnnl)er of unchtirched farm families in the cotmty. CJiiircli Parishes T'arish houndaries as shown on the ma]i on page 39 include the location of the inain hody of church memhers. In most cases the limits of the parish may be indicated by the cardinal points of the compass. In Sedgwick County there is almost no territory not included in the parish of some church, and no parish whose boun- daries extend to any degree beyond the county limits. Very few people, moreover, attend church in any other county. The average area of the village parish in Sedgwick Cotmty is twenty sqtiare miles, and that of the country parish seven and five-tenths. In only one place is there overlapping of parish botindaries of the same denomination. The village churches thus have a large pro- portion of farmers in their membership, and there is a very notice- able tendency to move both church buildings and jiarsonages from open country to villages. The parishes of open country churches may also be smaller because of the lower proportion of resident ministers. 00 Chapter IX ORGANISATION AND PROGRAAniE SUNDAY SCHOOLS ITH one exception, every church in Sedgwick County has a Sunday school. The following table sets forth the total enrolment, the average enrolment, and average attendance : Location of No. of Total En- Avcrayc Aicragc Churches Schools rolnicnt Enrolment Attendance Village 23 2897 126 69 Open Country 29 2000 69 44 52 4897 94 55 The total Sunday school enrolment is 4.897. one hundred and one per cent of the total church enrolment. In other words, the Sunday school membership exceeds the church membership by a total of sixtv-.'^even. In villages, the Sunday school enrolment is ninety-two per cent of the church enrolment, but in the open country the Sunday school enrolment is one hundred and nineteen per cent of the church enrolment. It is interesting to note that out of the fifty-two Sunday schools in the count}' thirty have larger membership rolls than the churches to which they are attached. Only nine of these are village churches. This is probably due to the fact that children of tenant farmers attend Sunday school while their i)arents do not attend or belong to the church. In the village schools the attendance on a typical Sunday is fifty- five per cent of the total enrolment, while in the open country the Sunday school attendance is sixty-four per cent of the enrolment. Twenty-three village schools report a total of 1,795. "i" sixty-two per cent, living on farms ; and twenty-nine open country schools have 1,728 members, or eighty-seven per cent, living on farms. We see here that the village churches are reaching open country peo])le to a consideralile extent. The following figures indicate how the various Sunday schools are housed : 61 SLItX'EV Ol SKDC.WRK COLNTY, KANSAS 23 Sunday scliools meet in one room 6 " " " " two rooms 4 " " " " three " 3 " " " " four " 3 " " " " five 1 " scliool meets " seven " 2 " schools meet " nine " The clnirches of Sedgwick County liave made a high record in missionary giving, but interest in this ])hase of Christian work has not extended to the Stinday schools. Only nine village schools have mission stitdy. In two it is given weekly, in three monthly, and in four occasionally. Eight o])en cotmtry schools rei)ort mission stttdy — five monthly and three occasionally. Sixty-five per cent of the schools give no instritction. Nineteen village and twenty-one open country schools take missionarv offerings regtilarlv. Decision Day is observed by twelve village and two oj)en cotintry schools. Results are described as good, with five decisions reported. Three village and two open country schools maintain classes to ]:)repare scholars for church membership. Ten village schools sent one hundred and five members into church membership last year, while ten open country schools sent sixty-eight, making a total of 173. There is apparently room for more effort in the work of the Sttnday school in Sedgwick County. Twenty-five schools have eighty-two meml:)ers who are attending college or some educational institution above high school grade. Fifty are from the village, and thirty-two from the open country schools. During the past ten years seventeen scholars have gone from the county into some form of Christian work. Ten of these were from village and seven from open country schools. Annual ]:)icnics are reported by twenty-nine Sunday schools, and excej)t that six schools have classes with social gatherings, and one reports other social times for the school as a whole, no other social activities are reported. Three Sunday schools have musical organisations, and one has a public playground. Some further facts relating to the Sunday school are furnished in the following table : A'o. J'illagc Xo. Of^cn Schools ivith Schools Country Schools Special leadership training i i Organised classes 24 6 Cradle roll 12 15 Home department 10 9 Teachers' training classes 3 2 Sunday school papers regularly distributed 21 21 Libraries 11 5 Sessions all year 23 28 62 ORGANISATION AND PROGRAMME /;. Otlicr Organisations zi'itJiiii the CJiurchcs The total number is as follows : No. of Organisations For in the County Men o Women 45 Boys 2 Girls 2 Mixed organisations 29 Total 78 Of the organisations for women and for young people, there are a few more in the village than in the open country churches. Those for boys are Scout Troops, and the girls' organisations consist of a missionary society and a group called Pilgrim Maids. Those for women are as follows : 21 Missionary Organisations 22 Ladies' Aid Societies *2 W. C. T. U. The mixed organisations for boys and girls, young people ana adults, are as follows: 10 Y. P. S. C. E. 8 Epworth Leagues 5 B. Y. P. U. 3 Junior Epworth Leagues I Children's Missionary Society I Young People's ^Missionary Society I Walter League Fourteen churches are without any such organisations except the Sunday school. General CJiurch Programme Eighteen of the twenty-four village churches are open every Sun- day for preaching services. Four have four preaching services a month. One church holds but one, and another is not able to have any regular services. In the open country, twelve of the twenty- nine churches hold services every Sunday. Twelve have four serv- ices a month, four two a month, while one has only irregular services. — See Chart XI on page 64. Union services are reported by seven of the village churches, held mostly during the summer season. The open country churches' record compares favourably with this, four of them reporting such meetings, also held during the summer. * There are other W. C. T. U. organisations in the county not connected with churches. SURVEY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS As for a general church ]:)rogrammc, nine churches ])articipate in some form of special missionary work; thirteen meet the needs of local charitahle work; three assist in the civic enterprises of their neighhourhoods ; eight take a definite part in social and recreational life; five are responsihle for some educational work outside the Sun- dav school ; six are concerned in the cultural improvement of their communities ; three do special work among young i)eople. in addition FREQUENCY OF CHURCH SERVICES 24 Churches 2.2. Churches 2 4 Services per Monfh 2 churches hold services irregularly. CHART XI to that carried on hy the regular church organisations ; twenty-three of the churches celebrate festivals, holidays, anniversaries, etc. Five churches report definite co-operation with other religious bodies, but none work any of the non-religious organisations in their vicinity. In eleven churches a definite attempt is made to apply (Gospel teachings to existing social problems. All but seventeen churches in the county report that the}- undertake something along these lines. Eight of these are in villages and nine in open country. 64 Chapter X "THE PAR STANDARD" OXE of the developmenis growing out of the Interchurch World Movement was the adoption of the so-called "Par Standard for Country Churches." This standard was worked out and approved by the Town and Country Committee of the Home Missions Council and submitted to a large group of the survey workers of the Interchurch World Movement representing every state in the Union. These persons had all done field survey work and were familiar with the various conditions existing in rural America. It should also be stated that, in addition to investigational experience, these men had been country ministers and knew intimately the prob- lems of the rural parish. There was unanimous agreement that this Par Standard should be placed before the Country Church of Amer- ica not as an ideal far beyond its accomplishment but as a goal which it might, in all reasonableness, expect to reach. Since that time one denomination, and the home mission department of a strong division of another, have with slight adaptations adopted the Par Standard for their own purposes. It should be stated that no attempt has been made to give comparative value to the points of this Standard. So far as the table shows, a resident pastor on full time counts as much as horse sheds or parking space. Obviously, this is a weak- ness in the Standard, but it was drawn up, not for the purpose of comparative evaluation, but for the purpose of suggesting minimum achievements for an average strong country congregation. The points covered in the Par Standard for country churches are as follows : Up-to-date Parsonage Adequate Church Auditorium Space Social and Recreational Equipment Well Equipped Kitchen Organ or Piano Sunday School Room Stereopticon or Moving Picture Machine Sanitary Toilets Horse Sheds or Parking Space Property in Good Repair and Condition r Resident Pastor p J Full Time Pastor Pastor -| ggj-vice Every Sunday LMinimum Salary of $1200 65 Adequate Physical Equipment SURVEY OF SEI)(,W!( K COLXTY, KANSAS Finance Meetings I'arisli Religious lulucation Programme of Work Annual Churcii iUidget Aciopted Aniuially l'"very Member Canvass IJenevolences I^iual to 2^' '< Current I'.xpcnses J Co-operation with Other Churches in Connnunitj' L Systematic Evangelism Church Serves all Racial and Occupational Groups Sunday School Held Entire Year Sunday School luirolment Fciual to Church Membership Attempt to P>ring Pupils into Church Special Instruction for Church Membership Teacher Training or Normal Class ^Provision for Leadership Training Organised Activities for Age and Sex Groups Co-operation with Boards and Denominational Groups Programme Adopted Annually, 25% of .Memhershii) Par- ticipating .Church Reaching Entire Conununitv An analysis has been made of the churches having the highest number of points answered affirmatively. As the following table shows, five churches were tied for third place and eight for fourth place. All except two, which had fourteen points, and one, which had thirteen, were village churches. Number i answered 16 points affirmatively 2 '• 15 Numbers 3 to 7 " 14 " " 8 to 15 " 13 " " (Note: This numbering is not that used on the map.) Twelve of these fifteen churches have full-time resident ministers; all but two have gained in meml)ership during the last, ten years. P'ourteen are situated in centres where there are three or more churches in the same commuin'ty, almost all having full-time resident ministers. The schools of Sedgwick County have l)enefited by the recognition of a standard, described on page 2)Z- The churches will find this Par useful in plaiming their work. 66 Chapter XI THE FEDERATED CHURCH AT WACO SINCE the original survey of Sedgwick County was made there has heen a marked change in the church hfe of the neighhour- hond of Waco, ahout ten miles south of Wichita. The account is here given, not because the success of this church in organisation, finance, Sunday school work, etc., exceeds that of some other churches in the county, but because as a federated cluireJi, endeavouring to solve the problem of overchurching in the locality, it has been achiev- ing significant results. There are, of course, other methods of solv- DURING THE SUNDAY SEKVICK, FEDERATED CHURCH, WACO, KANSAS ing the problem of overchurching, but in the hope that this plan may aid other communities, it is given here. Up to the year 1917 Waco, a small community of farmers ten miles south of Wichita, was like many another rural community — it had a church it really didn't need. It had two churches and three hundred inhabitants. The population had been stationary for a decade, the possibility of increase was remote, when suddenly there 67 SURVKV OF SEIXiWK K ( OUXTY. KANSAS was a widespread feeling that something should be done about the extra church. Hien Waco became one of those few progressive communities which sets out to solve its ])roblem. It received no help from outside. A few brave people from both churches simply I)on(lcred conditions and tried remedies. Neither the Presbyterian nor the United lirethren church had been making any gain in mem- bership or finance. Yet it seemed that there must be some way by which a brighter and better church life could be brought to the community. First, it was once suggested that I)oth local congregations leave their denominations and invite a third denomination to enter the field. Again someone proposed that the new church they needed should be union and undenominational. Neither of these plans was adopted. Federation, or less binding local arrangement, was then thought of. First one church and then the other made proposals of federation, but each time the plans offered were rejected, because the congregation making them was not willing to give up sufficient control to make the proposition attractive to the other. Meanwhile, the churches found themselves facing a new prob- lem. The "non-churched" began to assert themselves. Like other churches, these two in Waco tried to win new members — but without success. The non-members were becoming increasingly stubborn. They would not join the churches, declaring they did not care to favour one denomination against the other. This fact furnished new food for thought for the men and women in the churches. Some held that those out of the churches were merely making poor excuses, that they had no real intention of joining either church. Others there were who took the opposite view, and these included the minister of the Presbyterian church, who placed himself squarely in favour of making a real efifort to have but one church in Waco. Then in the fall of 1919 the United Brethren church was de- stroyed by fire, and since plans of federation had been previously suggested, the members of this congregation were loath to contribute funds to erect another building when the one remaining was ade- quate for the needs of all. They were doubly willing to try again. Plans of federation were adopted in October, 1919. In detail, they included the following: Though one denomination had twice the numl)er of members of the other, missionary offerings were to be made as one church, and the sum divided equally. The pastor of the Presbyterian church was elected to lead them in the Federated church, because he seemed to them the best man to carry through the plan, and perhaps, also, because he was quite willing to leave the field 68 THE FEDERATED CHURCH AT WACO for the sake of having one church in Waco. It was found that forms of haptism and communion were no harriers, and that the order and conduct of the church services contained few dififerences. Litera- ture of hoth denominations was to he used, and an attempt at equal distrihution to l)e made. The superintendent and teachers of the Sunday school were to he elected hy popular vote, with no pretence at having any offices held alternately hy memhers of the two denomi- nations heing attempted. The church hudget was to be a common one, and hoth congregations agreed to try this plan of doing all their local work together for a year, while still remaining members of separate denominations. Then each might vote separately for or against continuance. The Federated church continued to have the same pastoral serv- ice the Presbyterians had had. Rev. Adlai G. Wallace of Wichita was to conduct one preaching service on Sunday and to spend sev- eral days each week in the community for various activities and for pastoral work. WMiat happened? For the first few months it seemed an awk- ward arrangement. Men who met each other without embarrass- ment at store, bank, and grain elevator felt (|ueer in each others' presence in the same church. The pastor thought it wise not to try to secure new members for fully a year. New members had the privilege of uniting with either denomination, and it seemed that if one group were to secure a larger numl)er than the other some friction might result. Meanwhile new things were happening in the Sunday school. In the course of several months, new officers and teachers began to work in harmony. They began to put more into the school ; much to their surprise, a great many non-members made good. In October, 1 91 9, the Presbyterian Sunday school had twenty-five members, that of the United Brethren fifty, making a total of seventy-five. In the spring of 192 1, after a steady, gradual increase, the member- ship of the school numbered one hundred and thirty-five, with an average attendance of sixty-five, as compared with the previous com- bined attendance of thirty-five or forty. And the spirit of the meetings is better than heretofore. The pastor declares he could not have a more harmonious school. It runs well without his help. He is not even a teacher, but a delighted listener. The leadership of the school has rallied and accomplished more by uniting its strength. When you walk into the church auditorium you are greeted with a sign above the pulpit which reads: "united to win." There are 69 SURVEY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS no indications at i)re.sent that the jicople of Waco are going to do other than win. They have won many hattles already. Suspicion has gone and the spirit within the church has spread to the com- munity. The leading churcli memhers have heen instrumental in securing for the community one of the best new hard-surfaced roads in the State. They convinced the rest so effectually that a ])etitif)n with a sufficient number of taxpayers was secured. The community has helped to pay for the road, as do other communities according to the state law. #. V ^m^ KU.\U FKO.M WICHITA TO WACO. CONCRETE WITH BRICK P.WIXG (In Construction) The pastor waited patiently for the annual meeting before en- deavouring to increase the church memljership. Bolh congregations voted unanimously to continue the arrangement. They were happier, were doing greater service in the commum'ty. In one vear thev had doubled the total amount of money raised by both congregations for benevolences during the previous twelve months, and that without adding a memljer. That was something to rejoice over. The pastor had been fair and square to everybody. He was working for the good of the community. All were his friends. He greeted the United Brethren and the non-churched just as cordially as those who were Presbyterians. Everybody saw that. At the end of the trial year hie was still willing to leave the field, now that the plan was under way, but the people would not hear of that. Soon after the 70 THE FEDERATED CHURCH AT WACO annual meeting there was no difficulty in securing fourteen new members, six for one denomination, and eight for the other, ^mong them being some of the finest young men in the Sunday school and in the community. This is most significant when set over against the record of the two preceding years, when not a single member had been added to the church. The attendance at the church services has shown as great an improvement as that of the Sunday school. 71 ClTAPTF.T^ XTI NON-PROTESTANT WORK TI 1 1'" only non-Protestant work in the town and country com- munities of Sedgwick County is that carried on by the seven Roman CathoHc churches. In adcHtion to these, one church at Derby has been for some time inactive. Information for survey puri)oses was not furnished by the Roman Catholics themselves, hence this statement must of necessity be brief, and limited to the meagre information contained in the National Catholic Directory, plus the obvious influence exerted by the churches, as gathered during a visit to the communities of which they form a part. Six priests serve the seven organised and active churches, one of which is classed, officially, as a mission. This is the church at Clonmel. served by the priest residing at Schulte. RO.MAN CATHOLIC CIIUKCll. AXDAI.E Speaking generally, it may be stated that the Roman Catholic churches in .Sedgwick are all in a flourishing condition. The priests themselves admit the difliculties of the work, and seem to think that real i)rogress has been slow, but some really wonderful achievements can be recorded. The farmers of German descent who live in closely knit comiuunities cannot be said to have bigger incomes than 72 NON-PROTESTANT WORK their neighbours. In fact, the agricultural leaders feel that they have not fully grasped their opportunities nor realised the best possible returns from their farms. Probably they are more thrifty, for they have certainly put more of their su1)stance into the equipment of their churches than have their neighbours. In a very literal sense, they brought their church with them; it is a fixed and determinate factor in their lives, and has been ingrained in their consciousness for a longer period than in the lives of their neighbours. There is hardly a more inspiring sight in Sedgwick than to drive through the west- ern part of the county among the plants of such churches. Even their very size is impressive: the huge dark-red brick building at Colwich, the bright-red brick at Andale. the brown stone edifice of St. Marks, the pure white tile of St. Mary's. All churches have schools, and around them centres a complete community life. The devotion of the people to the Church and its leaders is admirable and membership is said to l)e increasing. According to the National Catholic Directory, the total enrolment of the parochial schools is 534. The total Catholic membership of the seven churches is estimated to be 1,833. The outstanding features of the Roman Catholic work are, then: superior equipment, large memberships, remarkable devotion and support by the people, an active participation by the Church in the social and community life of its people. 73 Chapter XIII CONCLUSIONS AND RI':C( )MMENDATIONS THE foregoing chapters revealed the economic and social life of the county, together with facts relating to its church life. After such a recital of facts, many conclusions may be reached. Every dweller in the county, every worker, especially every minister, should come to certain definite conclusions and recommendations in regard to this survey. The conclusions and recommendations of the surveyor, who can have no part in the carrying out of any plans or programme which may result, are here given for whatever value they may have as a summing up of prob- lems, or as a means of conveying certain definite suggestions. ASSETS As a reading of this narrative reveals, the churches of Sedgwick County have accomplished a good deal and have great assets. At this present writing all but two churches are self-supporting. Churches are slowly improving their buildings and parsonages and are devoting space for social equipment in new buildings. Unlike that of most cities, the rural population near Wichita is fairly well cared for religiously. A high proportion of expenditures goes for benevolences : an average of twenty-seven per cent is a good record for a group of country churches. Per capita giving is high. There is a large proportion of men in church meml)ership. Very nearly the entire county is included within the boundaries of the church par- ishes. Erom the Sunday schools of these churches seventeen per- sons have gone into some form of definite Christian work during the last ten years. In addition, the spirit of the people of this region is a great asset to anv organisation working therein. It is a section with strong community pride and sj)irit. Its peo})le believe in change. They say. "As it was in the beginning, is now — and we'll change things now to suit ourselves." The church in Sedgwick County has not the disadvantage of working in a static, settled, con- servative area. Those who settled in Kansas came to do great work and to accom])lish big things. Communities are now settling down and are thinking more of social and religious problems. 74 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS In addition to these impressions of assets, there are others dealing with outstanding needs which are here recorded. NEGLECTED AREAS AND GROUPS Unchurched Territory With the aid of the map showing the community iDoundanes, an effort should be made at once to reach all unchurched territory in the county. This can best be done by a house-to-house religious census with all the churches of the local community working together. An examination of the community and parish map will show that there is very little unchurched territory in the county. That which still exists can be easily eliminated by an effort on the part of the churches to reach out, and embrace the entire community in its work and ministry. A map of the county placed in the hands of every minister will enaljle the pastors to study their parish l)ound- aries in relation to the extent of their communities. By united effort, all unchurched territory can be adequately cared for. Neiv Americans Increased service should lie rendered liy the Protestant churches, preferably in co-operation, to the small groups of New Americans located in the county. This should be l:)egun by definite friendly services, by visiting and by a study of the problem of the new American in the local community by the local churches. These people should Ije brought into the homes of the village, taught the English language, and, so far as possible, assisted in the solving of their housing and other economic problems. Above all, a constant friendly spirit should be evinced towards them l^y all the churches. As yet there are few New Americans in the town and country areas of Sedgwick County. They are chiefly Mexicans working on the railroads together with a few Bohemians and Polish farmers. Their number is so small as to render them easily neglected. Again, those who work on the railroads are mainly transients, and this adds to the difficulty in reaching them. Yet among these first New Americans slowly making their way into Sedgwick County lies a great oppor- tunity for the exercise of the ministry of the churches. The first who come may be but forerunners of others, and if these are given kind and hospitable treatment, a great deal will have been done towards solving the problem of the relations between New Ameri- cans and the native born, in case the former come into the com- munity in considerable numbers. 75 SURVEY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS Farm Tenant families Pastors and all church workers should increase their ministry to the tenant families. Fifty-six i)er cent of the farms are operated by tenants, but only twelve and nine-tenths per cent of the farmers in the churches are tenants. This is because the tenant has not been vitally reached by the churches. In Sedgwick County thirty out of fifty-two Sunday schools have a larij^er enrolment than the church of which they form a part, and this is due, to a small extent, to the fact that, while the children of tenant families attend the Sunday school, their parents do not belong to the church. In nearly every respect the farm tenant has, of course, the same standing as the farm owner. He is, however, somewhat handicapped. He shifts about a great deal more than the owner. There is a con- stant effort on the part of tenants to get to the better farms. Even- tually, often after severe struggle, the best tenants will land on the best farms of the community ; but even then their stay is uncertain and insecure. The survey of Sedgwick County shows that between 1910 and 1920 the proportion of farm tenantry increased greatly. Farm owners moved to the city or to the villages in goodly numbers, and many of them are renting their farms. This practice has brought numbers of new people into the county and increased the shifting of population. Today there are considerably more acres of land being cultivated by tenant farmers than by owners. The family of the tenant is hard to reach, and in view of the high proportion of non-resident ministers, the problem of ministering to it is not easy of solution. Frequent conference and discussion between pastors and lay leaders should bring about a more intensive pastoral care and the rendering of an all-around service to this group of the inhabi- tants of the county. Hanrsf Hands The thousand harvest hands who come into Sedgwick County every season are also among those needing attention. To minister to them demands an expansion of the programme of the local church. In the beginning such ministry may have to take the form of enter- tainment for men who are waiting in the villages for farmers to take them to the fields. In some towns, elsewhere, tents or huts have been devised to occupy the time of the men and a friendly spirit made to ])revail. The harvest hand is suspicious of the Church, but he may be induced to welcome that which is not regarded as being strictly religious in character — as a beginning. The other 76 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS community organisations, if brought in on a co-operative plan, can play a real part in friendly service to the harvest hand. RECREATION AND LEISURE TIME Some agency within the county needs to take up the responsi- bility of providing better recreation, and more of it, in town and country communities. With the exception of the farmers who live close to Wichita, people from the rest of the county do not go there habitually for movies, theatres or any other recreation. They do go for special occasions, however. There is a notable lack of organi- sations having for their object the provision of recreation for women and girls. There are no community libraries in the county outside of Wichita. In one county in the Middle West a county lil)rary has established twenty branches, some of which have a total circulation of one thousand books per month, showing the great hunger for good reading matter existing among people of town and country communities. The matter of libraries might be taken care of by an extension work of the Wichita City Library, if it had the equipment and finances. The need for recreation must be faced ; and the country churches should have a part in seeing to it that the right kind is I^rought into their communities. In one village a pastor has been the leader in providing a small playground. The start thus made in one com- munity might well be imitated in the others throughout the county. LACK OF RESIDENT MINISTERS In considering the problems of the .churches of the county, one of those that looms largest is the problem of the non-resident min- istry. Out of twenty-seven open country churches with pastors, nineteen were served, in the spring of 1920, by non-resident min- isters. There is a noticeal)le concentration of non-resident min- isters in the villages, and in the city of Wichita. At the time of the survey eleven country churches in the county were served by pastors from the city. This proportion has been increasing until, in the spring of 1921, fifteen of fifty-three town and country Protes- tant churches were served by ministers living in the city. In addi- tion, both of the churches in the community of Peck, which is located just across the southern boundary of the county, were served by Wichita pastors. For the most part the ministers of Wichita who serve open country churches either serve another church in the city or are men following other occupations. 77 SL'RVKV OF SKDCiWICK COLXTV. KANSAS Several ihin^^s might lie done. First, it should be possible to tie up more of the country churches to churches in Wichita, thus giving one city and one country church to a pastor. This would work out in a fairly satisfactory way for churches not very far dis- tant from the city of Wichita. It would go far, too, in supplying the lack of resident ministers provided the man gives a few days each week to pastoral work in the country. Second, the ministers living in Wichita and serving open country churches should be brought together at regular intervals for fellowship and the con- sideration of their problems. Through such conferences, plans might be worked out for the furnishing of a better ministry to the churches concerned. Third, steps should be taken for the considera- tion of the problem of overchurching and competition taken up in the next section. Only through a closer co-operation on the part of the local churches can the problem of adequate pastoral service be developed. There are seven or eight communities in Sedgwick County with more than one church, and with present resources such that it is out of the question for all of them to maintain a resident minister of their own. OVERCHURCHING AND COMPETITION There should be federation, withdrawal, "swapping" churches by denominations or other means used in order to eliminate the com- petition and overchurching which exists at present. In the villages there is one church to every 271 people. This is too small a number to sup])ort a pastor on full time, and put on a virile programme such as the modern rural community needs. In the open country there is one church to every 456 people, thus showing that there is a notable tendency to concentrate churches in the villages. W'hen one compares this pro])ortion of churches to population with the stand- ard suggested by all interdenominational organisations — one church to every thousand people — it becomes evident that these villages especially are badly overchurched. Moreover, almost half of the churches in the county number less than fifty people, and cannot support a resident pastor or furnish better equipment. Thirty years ago Eastern Kansas was l)eing rapidly occupied by various missionary forces. Today it is clearly evident that this occupation was altogether too adequate — that is, there were too manv church organisations and buildings erected, accompanied by too great a concentration in the strongest villages. It just happens that the churches in the overchurched villages of the county are making more progress than the others, but this is solely because 78 CONCLUSIONS AND RECO^^^^^^WnDATIONS they receive very much more pastoral attention than elsewhere. There is a great deal of overla])ping and competition in these vil- lages w^hich might l)e avoided and the effort spent in more adequate ministry to the people in the ope)i country. There is need lor a much greater co-operation hetween denominations than there has been in the past, in order that the waste and competition so evident in some of the communities of Sedgwick County may be prevented. LEADERSHIP TRAINING Pastors and Sunday-school teachers should take definite steps to train leaders within the churches. This means more than keeping young people interested in the Sunday school or in supplying them with work in the various organisations. It means that special atten- tion be given those who show promise of oecoming leaders beyond the ordinary Sunday-school period. Only two churches make defi- nite efforts to train leaders in this manner, and yet it is one of the vital needs in most country churches. Sunday-school and church work often becomes too much of a mere routine, and there is not enough outside effort put forth on the part of those who are already leaders to develop more leaders. Sometimes pastors or Sunday- school superintendents do their greatest service when, in addition to conducting Sunday-school services, they .see to it that those who bid fair to become leaders get the ])roper kind of encouragement and training to fit them for their place and their work. Those who desire to serve and to grow should not be prevented from doing so. MEAGRE LOCAL CHURCH PROGRAMME Bound up with the problems of a non-resident ministry is that of a meagre church programme. This refers, of course, to such as special missionary work, local charital)le work, etc. The fact that nine churches do some form of special missionary work is one of the encouraging things in the church life of the county. Thirteen meet the needs of local charitable work, but this is seldom done on a systematic basis. Only three churches assist in the civic enter- prises of their neighbourhoods and eight take a definite part in social and recreational life. Five are responsible for some educa- tional work outside of the Sunday school. Others are interested in cultural improvement in their communities, and three do special work among >oung people. Twenty-three churches celebrate festi- vals, holidays, anniversaries, etc., but seventeen churches claim to undertake nothing in the way of general programme. Through some 79 SLR\'KV O^i,- s'-l)('WI(K COLXTV. KANSAS C(iiini\- organisation or agency more churches could he educated to the a(l\antages of nutting on a wide church programme. FREQUENT PASTORAI. CIIA.\(;ES In Sedgwick County there is a similar record of short pastorates to that found elsewhere in rural America. It is a condition which results in ministers heing unacquainted with their parishioners and church i)eople unacquainted with their ]iastors. Not one church in Sedgwick County has had its pastor for ten years. Only five churches have had two pastors in the past ten years. It is pretty generally admitted that it is not ])ossihle to do a worth-while and permanent piece of work in an average country church during a pastorate of less than four or five years. In addition to the five churches pre- viously mentioned, one church has had two pastors within the past five years, while the rest have had three, or more, during the past ten years. Many organisations give their employees a year's time to get acquainted — "to get their feet on the ground." The ministry is a big enough job for a man to require some time to get thoroughly acquainted before .doing his best work. Oi course, the question of ministers' salaries enters into the matter. ( )n the whole, these are too low. They average $1,422 per year for ministers without their occupation, while those who have other occupations receive for their church work an average of $541 per year. Those with no special training for the ministry receive the lower salaries. Salaries and conditions should be better, and the problem of short pastorates needs to be solved in order to increase the prosperity of the churches in Sedgwick County. FINANCIAL METHODS Fourteen of fifty-one churches have no systematic methods of handling their finances. Slightly more than half of the churches, or twenty-seven, use the budget system for all the money they raise, while twelve churches l)udget local expenses only. Nine churches use single weekly envelopes for raising money, while ten churches use duplex envelopes. This shows that a beginning has been made in ]iutting church finances on a weekly basis. In a county so i)rosperous there should be nt) difiiculty in securing church money weekly, though in many cases it is done with great difiiculty. Given more education along these lines, financial methods could be greatly improved. This is very evident from the fact that per capita contributions per active member, in churches having a budget system and an every member canvass, are higher than the 80 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMl\^NDATIONS yearly contriluitions in churches without a financial system. The figures are as follows : The average per capita contribution per }-ear for the village churches with a budget system for all money raised and an every member canvass is $26.90. The average per capita contribution per year of the village churches without a budget system and an every member canvass is $12.03. The average per capita contribution per year in the open countrv churches with a budget system and an every member canvass is $25.67. The average per capita contribution per year from the open country churches without a budget system and an every member canvass is $15.40. CHURCH ORGANISATIONS There are no organisations for men in the churches of the county. Women's organisations number forty-five. For boys and girls there are four (jrganisations. Mixed organisations, such as Christian Endeavor Societies. Epworth League, etc., number twenty-nine. These organisations are so distributed that all but fourteen churches have one or more such organisations. The outstanding fact in regard to the church organisations is the lack of organisations for men and boys and girls. These are always a force, and accomplish things when organised for other than church work. Especially in regard to l)ovs" and girls" work, the church should not hesitate in supplying recrea- tion or other social activities, provided there is a need for them in the community. If the matter of recreation and social activitv is adequately taken care of by another organisation in the communitv, then the church need not compete, but it is the duty of the church to do service and to meet prevailing needs in an absolutely unselfish way when such needs exist. And undoubtedly they do exist in the town and country communities of Sedgwick County. INDIFFERENCE The total resident meml^ership of the town and country churches is only twenty-two per cent of the total town and country population. The total Roman Catholic population in the county (excluding that immediately surrounding the city of Wichita) is estimated to be ten per cent of the total rural population. This means that roughly thirty-five per cent of the people are in the churches. Indifiference toward the work of the Church exists everywhere and is a great chal- 81 SLR\'KV <);•' Si:i)(i\\I('K COIXTV. KANSAS k'lij^e. l'"spcciall_s in a ret;iiin like Scdj^wick. it is liard to overcome this indifference, but definite, systematic elTort should l)e made to enlist the interests of the peojile in the work of the churches. TriK RHLK 01" THE CITY IN SECURIXC. GRKATF.R CO-OI'KR.\TIOX BRTVVEEN THE CHURCHES In Parts I and II of this survey the relation of the city and the cit\' churches to some of the rural ])rol)lems is reviewed. We note that in i()2i fifteen churches in the country have their pastors living in \\ ichita. These men. with a few exceptions, would he the first to admit that the\' are badly handicapped in their ministry to the countrx- churches under present conditions. Tl^^c exce])tions are those who are able to devote some time during the week to rural work. Most of the rural churches cannot i)rosper nor is the city doing a great deal to help them under nresent conditions. Most of the arrangements are at best but makeshift in character, because of the weakness of the rural churches and the indifference t)f most of those in the city. For the immediate future the most promising line of action would appear to be the linking up of a nearby country church with a city church, as has been done already in three or four cases. That may be the line to adopt with regard to the churches near to Wichita because eventually they will be real suburban terri- tory. But for the churches in the country, ministering to })eoplc in separate communities, at a greater distance from the city, that method will not solve the problem. The solution lies deeper than in mere denominational ])astoral .supply. It calls for co-operation between the local country churches, federation, withdrawal, and other means of eliminating harmful competition. Among the big things the city churches can do is an increased effort to stimulate better methods in religious educational and young people's work. Possibly the city could take the lead in calling a con- ference on recreation ])roblems. to which all groups in the country should especially be invited. Out of the city's experience in play- ground work and scout work may come some leadership for the rural communities to start on their way. Then, the churches of the city could possibly lead, in an unselfish wa\-. toward the forming of an organisation or agency which could do some of the things that need to be done co-operatively throughout the rural communities. This might be a County Federation of Churches. Wichita already has a federation office. Overhead exi)cnses could be saved by combining the work of the two. Again, there mav be laymen of vision in the city, willing to support such an CONCLUSIONS AND RECO.MME J organisation which would liring together pastors and leaders of all the rural churches. If the city federation is willing to he of service in this manner, and the rural pastors and people desire that service, it seems as though a real start could he made toward a worth-while programme. There is enough to he done to recfuire one man's whole time in rural work. Were the right man secured, he could he a co-ordinator of recreational and social, as well as church, activities. No city, it should he rememhered, can do work ]:)roperly for its out- lying country districts. It can. however, assist in doing what the rural people see needs to he done. CONCLUSION Measured hy old standards, the churches of Sedgwick County are doing their work very well. But with the great needs of the present dav demanding attention, and the necessity for hetter methods and departures from the traditional lines calling for con- sideration, we see that, side by side with great assets, are weak- nesses wdiich need to he remedied. With ministers and people of spirit and courage such as one finds in Sedgwick County, there appears to be no reason why this county cannot be a leader in religious work, in the state and country. There is a great opportunity for advance and for doing some of the great things which constitute the rightful task of the pastors and church people of Sedgwick. 83 SLRVKV ()} SLRVKY ()) Princeton Theoloqical Seminary Libraries 1 1012 01233 8820