GLIMMERS OF HOPE FOR SMALL TOWN AND RURAL MINISTRY

David Wendel

Are you a member of a small-town or rural congregation? Are you pastor of a congregation in a rural or small-town context? If you said “yes” to either one of these questions, there may have been times when your congregation was just struggling to survive. Such an experience may have led to serious questions - “How do we continue?” or even “Can we continue?” Since industrialization began in the U.S. there has been significant rural flight to more urban areas with greater opportunities for employment, shopping and entertainment, leaving many existing rural congregations with fewer members, families and potential for stability, not to mention growth. This rural depopulation is documented in a 2019 article by Kenneth Johnson and Daniel Lichter.

How widespread is depopulation? In all, 746 counties representing 24 percent of all U.S. counties are depopulating, and nearly all of them—91 percent—are rural. Just 9 percent of urban counties are depopulating …. Such depopulation is a clear indicator of a lack of demographic vitality in a significant part of rural America.

Over one-third (35 percent) of all rural counties (676) are depopulating … Today, only 6.2 million residents remain in these depopulating rural counties, a third fewer than resided there in 1950.1

Working with Small Churches Across North America

For the last twelve years, I have served as assistant to the bishop for ministry (and ecumenism) for the North American Lutheran Church. The bulk of my time was spent working with pastors and congregations in the call process, most of whom were under 100 average worship attendance, many with average attendance between 20-50!

While congregations have been struggling for years, it is clear that the recent pandemic and increasing secularization have had an impact on decline in already small congregations. Carey Nieuwhof, pastor and writer in Ontario, reported that after reopening after the pandemic, congregations were seeing a loss of 10-40% of their pre-COVID attendance, and after an initial surge in online worship “attendance” after Easter 2020, that surge has declined and current in-person and online attendance is only higher than pre-COVID attendance in 18% of congregations. This means that online and in-person attendance in congregations is flat or declining in 82% of congregations.2

For the last twelve years, I have served as assistant to the bishop for ministry (and ecumenism) for the North American Lutheran Church.

Consider what this might mean for a congregation of 20-50 average worshipers, as well as a congregation with an average attendance under 100. Most were already struggling financially, and fewer worshipers is almost always reflected in reduced giving. It also means fewer folks participating in other activities, fewer members supporting the week-to-week worship, learning and service ministries, fewer active disciples of Jesus in the congregation supporting mission outside the congregation. These challenges are multiplied when the smaller congregation may be in small-town, rural contexts. Often, pastors and members see these realities as a “death knell,” a self-fulfilling prophecy of collapse leading to negativism, defeatism and a general sense of, “why bother?”

Fresh Eyes for Mission

My experience with these smaller, often rural congregations compelled me to develop a renewal process entitled, “Fresh Eyes for Mission Summits,” aimed at addressing decline and stagnation is congregations of all sizes and shapes, yet particularly helpful for smaller and rural congregations. While congregational decline in worship attendance and giving is a reality in North American congregations in every context: urban, suburban and rural; the effect of such “shrinkage” is particularly impactful in smaller and rural communities. Furthermore, a smaller, stable (or even declining) general population doesn’t support congregational growth, regardless the outreach and evangelism efforts of a congregation. The challenges, then, can be more pronounced and obvious, leading to even greater fear and anxiety about the future of already small and struggling congregations. What guidance can be offered to smaller congregations in small-town and rural contexts?

Determine Reality

First, determine reality. Many congregations develop narratives which are in and of themselves, self-defeating. Small town and rural congregations often have communal memories of thriving generations long gone by, when pews and Sunday School classes were overflowing, confirmation photos included crowds of confirmands and church buildings were sprawling facilities with educational and fellowship wings. Larger farming operations and greater employment opportunities elsewhere led to the movement of younger persons and families away from rural, small-town America. That, together with the decline in birth rate in recent years has led to smaller, less vibrant small towns, which has meant smaller congregations, often with few or no children or youth. As the remaining members walk down the halls of the church, viewing photos of huge congregational rally days, large Sunday School and confirmation groups, it’s easy to develop a narrative that their congregation will continue to decline and will inevitably close! That narrative quickly becomes a self-fulfilled and self-defeating prophecy.

Small town and rural congregations often have communal memories of thriving generations long gone by.

For this reason, it’s essential that congregations assess the reality of their situation. When reviewing the last ten years of average worship attendance and income, what is often discovered is that the situation is not as dire as the commonly accepted narrative suggests! Yes, the congregation, currently, may not be as it was post-World War II when the Baby Boom filled our churches with children and youth. And yet, many small town and rural congregations find that realistically, they have been stable in recent years. The lack of children and youth may be reflective of the wider communal situation, as school enrollments are also down due to declining birth rates.

One congregation I worked with was convinced they would be forced to close within six months, when in reality, income and expenses as well as worship attendance had been fairly stable for ten years. Upon realizing this, they expressed a sense of hopefulness and began to think about and plan for the future!

Assessing reality within the congregation is essential, but it is also necessary to assess the reality of the surrounding community context. Data is often available from government sources indicating current trends related to population and school enrollment. Has there been growth or decline in recent years? Are there areas of growth within 15-30 minutes-drive time of the church location which might be targeted for outreach, either through direct mailing or door-to-door delivery of fliers inviting the unchurched or the nominally churched to visit? Sadly, small town and rural congregations often become inwardly focused after years of being “family oriented” – a dysfunctional phenomenon where ministry has been focused for generations on the families who started the congregation. COVID-19 increased the inward focus in many congregations and even more so in small town and rural contexts. But simple, common-sense outreach efforts will often bear fruit. The addition of one or two new member households in a congregation of 25-50 average worship attendance will make a significant impact in energy and excitement for ministry!

Develop Mission Outside the Church Walls

Second, it is important for congregations of all sizes to develop or redevelop mission outside the walls of the church building! As I worked with congregations in renewal, I often shared that when in seminary in the late 70s, evangelism was understood as “the pastor unlocking the doors of the church on Sunday morning!” My experience as a young pastor in 1981 was that even in Hobbs, New Mexico (aka the “oil patch”) we had considerable numbers of visitors worshiping with us on Sunday morning. That isn’t the case for many congregations today, especially in rural and small-town settings. In many of the churches I visited, congressional leaders admitted that most people in their community knew little about their congregation, if they even knew of its existence at all. Congregational involvement in the community, whether in village or town or township is the best way to achieve two purposes: to love and care for our neighbors, while also being visible—introducing others to our congregation!

Set Goals for Growth

Third, don’t be afraid to set goals for growth! Setting goals for a small town and rural congregation creates a mindset that we are not accepting decline, but are looking towards the future. If a smaller congregation has an average attendance of 25, it’s not reasonable to set a goal for the year of growing to 50 average worship attendance! Worship attendance grows slowly, as it’s an average over a number of Sundays. Set a goal of increasing average worship attendance by 3-5 worshipers, then keep that visible so that members realize their presence makes a difference! Maybe make a chart so that folks will see their progress.

Now there are pastors who believe that tracking attendance and being intentional about growth are legalistic methods which aren’t reflective of the fact that it is more important to have members growing in faith, rather than numbers. While there is some truth to this, the fact remains that there is no indicator more reflective of congregational health and vitality than worship attendance, just as there is no indicator more reflective of an individual’s spiritual health and vitality than worship attendance! In corporate, communal worship, we hear God’s Word and receive the presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar; we dive deeply into Holy Scripture hearing readings from Old and New Testament, and we listen to the faithful proclamation of it. We join together with the assembly of believers in an act of public witness, and we join in fervent prayer with other followers of Jesus as we support and encourage the overall ministry of our congregation! Often, those who reject intentionality in tracking worship attendance are those pastor and congregational leaders in declining congregations, who are afraid to look honestly at the reality of their church life! (See the first point above.)3

Small Town Ministry is about Relationships

Fourth, it’s important to remember and celebrate the reality that ministry in the small town and rural church is not primarily about size, but about relationships! Pastor Brad Hales, Reformation Lutheran Church, Culpeper, VA, formerly part-time staff of the North American Lutheran Church and an experienced pastor, pastor developer and expert in congregational renewal, developed a course for the small and rural church that is still available as a free recorded course online.4

The resource is aimed at helping congregational leaders consider the special relational blessings of ministry in small town and rural contexts. It explains how to strengthen relationships within congregations and between congregations and within the wider communities outside the congregation.

Manage Congregational Finances for the Long-Term

Fifth, to survive and sustain themselves, smaller congregations will need to manage their finances for the long-term. This may mean cooperating with other nearby congregations, sharing church facilities with local congregations of other denominations, or sharing a pastor with another congregation or congregations. This is one of the most difficult transitions to accept, when a previously “free-standing” congregation with its own pastor enters into conversations with another congregation to share space or share a pastor. Many will see this as regressive. However, it may also be understood as freeing; freeing the congregation from the financial pressure of covering the cost of a full-time pastor and family, maintaining a church building and property with fewer members, feeling continually pressured to remain solvent and viable. Sharing ministry with another congregation and/or pastor is very much a “back-to-the-future” strategy, as many congregations in North America had their origins in such partnerships and cooperation. In twenty-first century ministry, creative relationships between congregations, even of differing denominations and traditions, can be life-giving and life sustaining!

To survive and sustain themselves, smaller congregations will need to manage their finances for the long term.

Renewed Hope

Finally, it’s worth remembering that there is a renewed hope for small-town and rural congregational ministry! This hope is discussed by Thom Rainer in his article, “Five Reasons Rural and Small-Town Churches are Making a Comeback.” He points out:

1. The migration trend from these less populated areas has reversed.

2. There are a lot of people in rural and small-town areas.

3. More church leaders are expressing a calling to rural churches and small-town churches.

4. More church leaders are serious about rooting themselves and their families in these communities and churches.

5. The simpler life of rural or small-town areas is becoming increasingly attractive to many people, including church leaders.5

In spite of the rural depopulation cited above, many rural and small-town communities are have experienced growth and signs of hopefulness. Johnson and Lichter write:

Though rural depopulation is widespread, many rural counties are thriving and gaining population. Indeed, 35 percent (673) were at their peak population in 2010 and contained 24.8 million residents in 2016—54.5 percent of the rural total. Such growing rural counties often benefit from proximity to metropolitan areas or are centers of recreational and retirement activity that attract urban tourists, retirees, and businesses. The remaining 31 percent (599) of rural counties, which contain 14.6 million residents or 32 percent of the rural population, have had mixed periods of growth and decline, but their cumulative population losses have been far more modest than in the depopulating counties that have been in decline for many years.6

While small-town and rural ministry presents its own unique challenges and opportunities, it is worth remembering the Church of Jesus Christ began with twelve disciples! Obviously, even twelve disciples can be a worthwhile worshiping, serving community!

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel served as Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry and Ecumenism from 2012-2023, and now serves as Senior Pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Westerville, Ohio.

Endnotes:

1Kenneth Johnson and Daniel Lichter, “Rural Depopulation in a Rapidly Urbanizing America,” University of New Hampshire, Carsey School of Public Policy, February 6, 2019, https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/rural-depopulation-rapidly-urbanizing-america.

2“COVID-19 Conversations: Nona Jones on Digital and Social Ministry,” Church Pulse Weekly Podcast, Barna, Jul 29, 2020, https://www.barna.com/research/digital-social-ministry/.

3For more information about the importance of tracking worship attendance, see “ How to Track Church Attendance,” One Church Software, June 6, 2024, https://onechurchsoftware.com/how-to-track-church-attendance/.

4Brad Hales, “Small and Rural Church Ministry,” NALC Renewal Team, North American Lutheran Church, https://north-american-lutheran-church.teachable.com/p/small-and-rural-church.

5Thom S. Rainer, “Five Reasons Rural and Small-Town Churches Are Making a Comeback,” Church Answers, November 25, 2019, https://churchanswers.com/blog/five-reasons-rural-andsmall-town-churches-are-making-a-comeback/.

6Kenneth Johnson and Daniel Lichter, “Rural Depopulation in a Rapidly Urbanizing America,” University of New Hampshire, Carsey School of Public Policy, February 6, 2019, https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/rural-depopulation-rapidly-urbanizing-america.