from 1923 address....

"Sometimes I fear we fail fully to realize the conditions of many in our rural and small-town churches. We assemble in some fine church in a big city and from velvet cushions and gilded pews study the problems of the Church at large. Yonder in the background, quite beyond the range of our vision, are the poor, struggling congregations, burdened by debt, and with failing numbers, in hostile communities where the very name Universalist is anathema. Then, too, there are the scattered Universalists, hundreds of miles from their nearest fellows, no State Convention, no support from without, no fellowship even with kindred souls. For these, especially in the South and West, Universalism is a hard religion, and those who persist and carry on are the real heroes of the faith. I appeal to you in comfortable, united and prosperous congregations not to forget those less favored churches and church members."

- from Universalist General Convention President Roger S. Galer address
to the Universalist General Convention October 25, 1923

I first started to quote this because I was thinking of using "For these, especially in the South and West, Universalism is a hard religion, and those who persist and carry on are the real heroes of the faith." as a subhead for this blog - and I still might -- but then as I thought of it, particuarly the isolated Universalist, I thought ya know this is why God invented the internet......