02454cam a22003253u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003701000130007804000110009104100170010205000070011910000390012624500190016526400510018430000470023533600260028233700260030833800360033450000310037050801720040152013680057353400630194165300220200465300360202665300230206285600430208574857UtSlPG20260610134731.0mcr n260607r20241925utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  a25010792  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aBV1 aGalpin, Charles Josiah,d1864-194710aEmpty churches 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2024  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2024-12-08  aCarla Foust and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)  a"Empty Churches: The Rural-Urban Dilemma" by Charles Josiah Galpin is a sociological analysis written in the early 20th century. The book addresses the pressing issue of declining church attendance and the overabundance of competing churches in rural America, highlighting the detrimental effects on community cohesion and spiritual life. Galpin argues that rural churches are often underfunded and understaffed, which contributes to a spiritual crisis in areas where the churches should be serving as vital centers of community and faith.  The opening of the book sets a poignant scene in a rural church where a struggling young minister faces a nearly empty congregation, serving as an immediate portrayal of the larger problem of "competitive religion" among numerous denominations that ultimately dilutes the effectiveness and reach of spiritual guidance in these areas. Galpin highlights stark statistics depicting the spiritual neglect of rural populations, such as a significant portion of children growing up without exposure to any religious teachings. Through a mixture of personal anecdotes and alarming research findings, the beginning lays the groundwork for an in-depth discussion on how to address the imbalance in church distribution and the urgent need for churches to better serve their communities. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  pOriginally published:cNew York, NY: The Century Co., 1925  aChurch attendance  aRural churches -- United States  aCommunity churches40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/74857