author

Harlow S. (Harlow Spencer) Mills

b. 1846

A country pastor and writer, he explored how small-town churches could shape everyday community life. His work is closely tied to Benzonia, Michigan, where he served for many years and wrote about the wider mission of rural congregations.

1 Audiobook

The Making of a Country Parish: A Story

The Making of a Country Parish: A Story

by Harlow S. (Harlow Spencer) Mills

About the author

Born in 1846, Harlow S. Mills is best known as the author of The Making of a Country Parish, a 1914 book that reflects on the growth of a rural Michigan church and the larger social role he believed country parishes could play. Records for his published work also identify him as Harlow Spencer Mills.

Mills wrote from direct experience. Historical material connected with Benzonia, Michigan, identifies Rev. Harlow S. Mills as pastor of the Benzonia Congregational Church from 1896 to 1916, and his surviving books focus on rural churches, village ministry, and the practical life of the parish.

His other known work includes The Extension Program of a Village Church from 1911. Genealogical records indicate that he was born on October 8, 1846, and died in California in 1931, with burial in Benzonia Township Cemetery in Michigan.