rch was good for
the community or not. High ideals were conspicuously lacking among the
young people, and disorderly conduct was beginning to appear.

In the year 1907 the Methodist Episcopal Church acquired a pastor who by
nature and training was well equipped for his work. Fortunately he was the
only resident minister in the town, where he remained for nearly ten
years. As the result of his leadership the whole community now has a high
regard for religion and the church, while a practical Christian unity has
been brought about and interchurch competition has disappeared. The moral
and religious atmosphere of the place has become wholesome.

Community life has been made attractive through special instruction and
entertainment, social gatherings, athletics, and all kinds of healthy
amusement.

There still are two churches, but one of them meets not oftener than once
a month, is attended by only two or three families, and has ceased to be a
factor in the life of the community. The other church is well attended and
is generally recognized as the community church. The members of the two
churches which have dropped out have, for the most part, united with it,
while the building of one of them has become the gymnasium of the
community church.

Though the work of this successful pastor was begun before the modern
country life and country church movement had been developed, his program
and methods of work in no way differ from those which are common to the
nation-wide movement. In fact large numbers of country pastors, widely
scattered over the United States, entirely independent of one another or
of the literature of any special movement, have made and carried out
programs for church and community betterment which in their essentials are
substantially alike. The pastors have all studied the needs of their
communities and have tried to meet them. Similarity of needs in the
different communities has naturally resulted in the adoption of similar
programs.

The pastor who did at Ashley the work just described began by making a
thorough study of his parish. He then led the young people into active
work for their community, and later on stimulated the older men to do
their part also, until finally it became recognized in Ashley that the
duty of the Christian and the church is not to work mainly for the church,
but mainly for the common welfare and the development of all the people.

This minister never emphasized any form of