Turning Over a New Leaf

Foreword

A little more than fifteen years ago, I met Tim Beadle for the first time. He had been hired by our denomination to fill the newly created position of Church Coach and I was one of the pastors assigned to his roster. I wondered how this new relationship was going to work out. For one thing, Tim was a true urbanite, having lived all of his life in London, England, and then in Toronto and Calgary, and I - well, all of my pastoral experience and most of my life had been lived in a rural setting. Time would tell.

Looking back, I can see how providential it has been to know Tim and have his input into my life. In 2009, I began to share with Tim a dream I had of doing something which would offer hope, encouragement and support to pastors serving in rural communities. Tim's encouragement and support for my idea was unflagging and it was he who helped three of us rural pastors with the same concerns to connect with one another and ultimately birth the Rural Church Pastors Network in 2011. The RCPN now meets with rural pastors throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan each spring and autumn at some nine different locations. None of this would have happened without Tim's support, hard work, and unfailing enthusiasm. Which leads me to suggest several reasons why the book you hold in your hands will be of benefit to you.

Tim makes no claim to be an expert on things rural. In fact, as he humorously puts it, he is a citiot. But rural and things rural have become the subject of a lot of thinking and study by Tim - so much so, that he pursued doctoral studies to better understand how denominational leaders might be more effective in resourcing and equipping rural pastors. It is that kind of commitment, along with Tim's posture as a learner, which gives him both something to say and something to say that is worth paying attention to.

So, whether it is helping to define the various types of rural, or giving demographic or cultural insights which arise from his research, or identifying the strengths and unique characteristics of rural churches and rural church life, Tim approaches his subject matter not as an insider who takes it all for granted (and in so doing might miss the significance of it) but as an outsider - albeit, an informed outsider -- who has come to appreciate the insight he has gained.

If our denomination is anything to go by, 40% of churches are rural, serving 20% of the population, who live in 90% of our country, which is considered to be rural. That little factoid, along with the insight that not all rural contexts are alike, suggests that more thought must be given to how rural pastors are resourced and equipped for the work that they do. One size does not fit all any more than it does when dealing with the variety of churches present in an urban setting. Rural culture is diversified and rural church culture is as well. We do well to recognize that and to think, and act, accordingly. As Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery put it, If we think right, we will act right.

In the book you are about to read, you will find more than enough grist for the mill as you encounter rural ministry in all of its multi-faceted glory. If you have been in rural ministry all of your life, you will find information and ideas which will make you sit up and think, How did I not know that? And if you are a bona fide citiot, I hope that you will never look at rural ministry the same way again, but will have a deepened appreciation for those who have been called by our Lord to serve in the out of the way places of our nation - places where you know that you have to be called to be there - places where God is doing amazing things which don't very often make the headlines.

Rural ministry is a unique and privileged calling, a calling which is - as Tim points out - very much in sync with our Lord's ministry while He walked the earth. That alone should give us incentive to learn about and appreciate what God is up to in the rurals of our nation. Maybe as you read, you will sense the Still Small Voice calling you to serve in a rural setting. If so, listen to that voice, heed its call, and you will embark on a life of adventure and not a little blessing.

Rev. Paul R. Warnock

Rural Church Pastors Network

Introduction

Turning over a New Leaf

on Rural Life and Ministry

Thirty years ago, the Kellogg’s cereal company faced a serious dilemma. Sales of its all-time leading brand, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, were slumping. It seemed the sugar coated flakes, the snap crackle pop, and fruit loop varieties had captured the imagination and palate of the general public. There was little hope that the anchor cereal of the company would every regain its former dominance along the cereal aisle. The appeal of its mascot, Cornelius ‘Corny’ Rooster’s slogan, ‘Wake up, up, up to Kellogg’s Corn flakes’ had lost its appeal over the years against other competing brands.

Study groups were put to work and Leo Burnett, the brand's advertising agency since 1951, was called in to assess the situation. Burnett was tasked with the responsibility of considering if there was any hope in continuing the Corn Flakes brand or if it should be retired from production. To many, it seemed to have reached the end of its natural product life cycle. After all, how does a bowl of plain corn flakes compete against the likes of Tony the Tiger and Toucan Sam?

The fact Kellogg’s Corn Flakes still finds its prominent place on the cereal shelf at your local supermarket, would reveal the sagging cereal made, what some consider, an amazing comeback. But how did this take place? 

Study groups found that people actually liked the crunchy flakes of corn when asked their opinion of the product. The result of the study was the creation of a new slogan in the late 1980’s. ‘Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, taste them again for the first time!’  The advertisement actually became one of the most popular ads when aired in the fourth quarter of NFL Super Bowl XXVI in 1992. Sales skyrocketed and continue to this very day. Kellogg’s was willing to stake their cereal sales on the fact their product not only had merit, but if people would only stop and really taste their flakes of corn, they would reach for them time and time again in the cereal aisle! 

When I chose the title of this book, ‘Turning over a New Leaf, Rediscovering the Uniqueness of Rural Life and Ministry,’ I did so based on the same scenario Kellogg’s was confronted with many years before. For many, rural life and ministry function ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ I believe it’s time to discover again, ‘for the first time’ as it were, what rural life and ministry are all about.

You may ask, ‘Why bother, what’s the big fuss?’ Personally, I believe it is a significant subject to sink our teeth into! I found it hard to believe, before researching the historical fact, that it has been barely over ten years since a global tipping point occurred related to the setting people inhabit on this planet. I was dumbfounded to learn that until 2007, more people on the face of the earth lived in rural environments than urban surroundings. Let that fact sink in for a moment. Until recently, there were more rural residents than urbanites on the face of the earth. I had no idea.

After studying migration and immigration patterns, sociologists determined that on or around May 23rd, 2007, ¹ for the first time in human history, more people now identified with an urban address than they did with a rural postal code.

Of course, in many locations, the shift occurred much earlier. In 1861, eighty-four of the population, in the soon to be Confederation of Canada, identified as being rural. Within sixty years however, a majority of the country’s residents had migrated and settled in urban settings, mostly within proximity of the U.S. border. Today, Canada has one of the lowest percentages of rural population. The shift happened in the province of Alberta, where my family resides, in the mid-1950’s. Surprisingly, today in 2020, there are still regions in our country (Maritime provinces and Northern Territories) where rural residents nearly equal or still outnumber those living in urban centers.

I believe the success of our national narrative rests on the fact that we have developed as a resource-based economy. Our landscape is expansive which means we have come from rural roots. I believe that, unless we respect where we collectively have originated from, we will suffer a significant loss in the richness of our identity. Not only will we will lose a sense of the context and foundational principles upon which this country was built, but we will quickly become ignorant of the enduring worth and necessity that rural life and ministry continues to have throughout the fabric of our land, to this current day. 

While many have left an agricultural setting, and head for the cities, rural population continues to grow, albeit at a slower rate than urban centers. The practical fact remains that while over eighty percent of Canadians live in urban cities², over ninety percent of our land is cared for and tended to by those who have a rural postal code. This national reality is imbedded with thousands of small rural churches and pastors with heavily burdened hearts for influencing the people throughout their expansive parishes.

In the following pages, I invite you to join me on a journey of exploration and rediscovery. It’s a journey I myself have been forced to take in the past decade and a half, as I was confronted with spending a good portion of my time professionally and pastorally in small towns and villages throughout Alberta and into the Northern Territories, serving church leaders on behalf of their denominational office.  The journey of rediscovery has changed my life to a great extent and, I believe if you accept this invitation, you will be forever changed and enriched as well. If you care to follow, this is where I am heading in the chapters to follow.

First of all, I have a confession to make. I am not a rural resident nor ever have been! Until I began this journey, I owned the title of ‘citiot.’ A citiot is an urban dweller who basically is an idiot when it comes to all rural matters.  I want to share my personal story that has led to a genesis of passion and important discoveries related to matters of rural life and ministry. I bring an outsider’s objectivity and acknowledge a starting point of initial ignorance as I share this journey with you.

Our first consideration will be to address the multiple stereotypes and stigmas often associated with all things ‘rural,’ including the misinformed view many urban dwellers have towards those who serve in rural ministry. It is such views that even Jesus himself was subjected to when Nathaniel blurted out, ‘Nazareth, can anything good come from there?’ (John 1:46)

You can’t talk about church and pastoral ministry unless you consider Jesus, the Head of the Church, who Himself was a rural teacher and preacher.  In these pages, I will encourage you not only to consider His teaching in its original context, but also view Jesus ‘in the rural context’ from which He launched His ministry and changed the world as we now know it.

Next, we will unpack the experience of being considered ‘rural’ in terms of creating a working definition, related to both ‘place’ (location) and ‘space’ (way of life and living.)  The diversity of rurality will also be unpacked, through identification and delineation of seven distinct types of rural communities and subsequent lifestyles. We will also consider different mindsets or default settings held by those in both rural and urban churches.

Many have never thought of attaching the words thriving or flourishing to rural churches. I intend to share what I believe are ten elements that enable rural faith communities to flourish. This will include a consideration of how to appreciate rural communities in their specific contexts, rather than viewing them from a superficial, distant vantage point and subsequently painting them all with the same brush. A church evaluation resource is provided in the appendix section to evaluate your own rural setting.

A tool to assist complete a rapid community diagnosis will also be provided, that I have found helpful to both those in a rural environment, and also to denominational leaders. I believe it is helpful to understand the unique ministry characteristics held by those in rural ministry. Subsequently, we will dig down to understand the experience of rural pastors, who I affectionately consider to be ‘outstanding in their field!’

Next, we will consider the place rural ministry currently holds, and potentially can play, within our national context. Current practices will be examined with the challenge of considering meaningful new approaches to ministry in matching the needs and reality being experienced in rural communities across Canada.

I will share practical suggestions, based on my field ministry, and observations which will lead towards a more collaborative and integrated ministry approach, so that urban and rural can work cooperatively and celebrate the gifts each can offer the other. This focus will involve denominational leaders and institutional educators making time and creating margins in their busy schedules to attend to the challenge at hand. Within their sphere of influence, the opportunity is theirs to fan into flame a renewed sense of identity, amidst the challenging future being faced by those who serve in rural locations.

Finally, a challenge will be directed toward those who live and serve in rural settings. A timely word is given to ‘turn over a new leaf’ themselves, by learning to take note of the many assets within their churches and communities. By appreciating all that they have within their environment for finding a fulfilling expression of church ministry. This is, in my estimation, the worst time to consider ‘selling the farm.’

An appendix section is provided to introduce you to rural resources, and a rural church pastors ministry network currently functioning within our national context.

For the purpose of learning and reflection, questions for personal consideration and group discussion are provided at the end of each chapter.

So, join me as we ‘turn over a new leaf,’ with a renewed resolve to rediscover again, for the first time as it were, the world of rural life and ministry.

Points to Ponder

What drew you to pick up this book, and what finds you now about to enterChapter One?

If you were to consider rural life and ministry again ‘for the first time,’ where would you find your thoughts heading?

From the journey outlined in the introduction, what intrigues you most or whets your appetite to read on and learn more?

Describe your level