where a
similar program has been carried out, with the same results. These cases
constitute a fairly conclusive demonstration that the varied community
life which is stimulated and made possible by the modern country church
program is the normal one, and that without these various activities
general moral and religious health is impossible.

The leadership of a modern country church minister brought about just
such an improvement in the community life of Old Fort. This pastor came to
realize the needs of his community by taking part in the Ohio Rural Life
Survey. One direct result of his work is a centralized agricultural high
school, which will become the means of keeping the best families on the
land instead of letting them move to the larger towns in search of better
schools for the children. Once gone they rarely return.

The young men of Old Fort, who formerly had little to do with the church,
are now active in its work. Special attention has been given, in a
neighboring parish served by the same minister, to the farm laborers and
tenants. Whereas formerly these people rarely went to church, now as large
a proportion of them take part in the activities of the church as of any
other class. This is an achievement of real importance. It appears from
Map 12, which is based on data from the United States Census, that, in no
less than 54 of the 88 counties of Ohio, more than 25 per cent of the
farms in the year 1910 were operated by tenants. On Map 13 it appears that
in no less than 50 counties the number of farms operated by tenants is
increasing. Here is one of the great obstacles in the way of church
progress in the State, for it is well known that farm tenants usually take
little interest in the community where they live, while only a small
proportion of them are members of the church. Until reform in the system
of land tenure can be brought to pass through legislation, it is most
important that the church shall give special attention to the tenant
families.

[Illustration: MAP 12 SHOWING BY COUNTIES PERCENTAGE OF ALL FARMS OPERATED
BY TENANTS]

[Illustration: MAP 13 SHOWING INCREASE (+) OR DECREASE (-) PER CENT IN
NUMBER OF FARMS OPERATED BY TENANTS YEARS 1900-1910]

Success in this parish, according to the testimony of the minister, is due
to the program brought to light by the modern country church movement.
Indeed, we have observed no notably progressive country churches in small
communities where the n