The Importance of Rural Ministry

 

I grew up in a small town in Arkansas and then I moved to Kansas City for seminary, so I’ve had a little experience doing ministry in both small towns and big cities. The church where I currently serve is in a small town, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere other than where I am right now. Having experienced both small-town, rural ministry, and big-city ministry I can’t say that one is better than the other, and there certainly isn’t one that is more important than the other. What I will say is this; there seem to be fewer and fewer people doing rural ministry today, and there is a huge need for it.

The consensus is that more and more people are moving into cities, but what I’ve noticed over the last couple of years, at least in my ministry context, is that there are lots of people giving up the city life with its expensive cost of living and rising crime rates (in most large cities anyway) for the slower pace and more affordable small town living. Now, more than ever, there is a huge opportunity for ministry in small, rural communities that can have a big impact and change people’s lives. Yes, there may be a higher concentration of people in large cities, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people in small towns. The rural people need Jesus just as much as the city people, and God needs faithful men to step up and do ministry in rural America. 

I don’t want this blog to sound like I’m pooping on people who do ministry in big cities. It’s quite the opposite. I think it is absolutely vital that people do ministry in big cities. As I said, there are people everywhere, city and country, who need Jesus, and I don’t think that there should be a big push or focus on doing ministry in either one. God calls everyone to a specific ministry, and wherever He might call you, you need to be faithful and answer. Whether that’s to the country or the city, the important thing is that you answer and go where He calls you. My calling is to rural America, and I see it as a great mission field. My prayer is that God sends more workers to the rural field, but I know that He has a better plan than me and I just need to trust in Him!