The Need for

Rural Ministry
by Kyle Borg
In the evening glow of the setting sun, I can stand on my front step and gaze down the street, taking
in the full length and width of the community I am glad to call home. Fading letters that almost spell
“Winchester” on the weather-beaten water tower—the sole object in our skyline—are a fitting
reflection of a small town that is modest but not altogether unattractive. This rural community does
not off’er much economically. It will never be a place of significant cultural influence or worldly
success. Nevertheless, I have a settled indiff’erence, because I am convinced that the gospel has much
to off’er and can have a profound influence in the forgotten places of rural America. What gives me
that confidence? Jesus does.

Small and rural towns were not peripheral to the life and ministry of Jesus. He was born in
Bethlehem, which was not, even in His time, a booming city (Mic. 5:2). When His family returned
from Egypt, He was raised in Nazareth, which was not an epicenter of potential but an obscure
village nestled among the hills (Luke 4:29; John 1:46). During His ministry, He intentionally
preached in towns and villages (Mark 1:38; Luke 13:22), and sent out the Twelve with the
assumption that they would do the same (Matt. 10:11). He taught that the summons of the kingdom
was to be heralded even to the out-of-the-way and irrelevant places in order to fill His Father’s house
(Luke 14:23). In reading the Gospels, it is undeniable that Jesus had a heart for ministry in rural and
small towns.
One must wonder, however, if the contemporary church shares Jesus’ heart on this matter. The rural
population of the United States accounts for 15–20 percent of the general population, or between
forty-five million and sixty million people. To put that in perspective, this number is greater than the
populations of the vast majority of independent countries in the world, and it is a population ranking
in size between the populations of Italy and France.

In the last thirty years, however, a significant movement has devoted much of the church’s resources
and people to planting and growing churches in the city. Without diminishing the good this has
accomplished, we can raise reflective questions. Has an enthusiasm for planting churches uprooted a
devotion to the equally necessary and Apostolic work of revitalization? Has an overdependence on
the economy been more formative for our ministries than the universal call of Jesus? Has the pursuit
of influence produced a partiality against the least influential? Has a vision for urban centers
overlooked small communities? Has the light and noise of the city blinded and deafened us to the
critical and spiritual needs of rural America?
The twentieth (and now twenty-first) century had a devastating eff’ect on the regions of Appalachia
in the East, the farms of the Midwest, and the fishing and forestry areas along the coastlines.
Mechanization and industrialization have motivated a rural exodus, leaving depleted populations,
economies, and communities. But the social realities confronting these places pale in comparison to
the spiritual crisis of these rural communities. Substance abuse, poverty, suicide, broken families,
tragedy, and danger—at rates that are proportionally higher than in the city—betray a shared sense of
fear, pessimism, and discouragement.

These issues have spiritual causes and effects. The only thing capable of speaking meaningfully of
these problems is the gospel. Unfortunately, as rural towns have declined, so too has the presence of
Christian witness. Churches that at one time were the center of community life now grapple with
diminishing budgets, aging membership, empty pews, and the desire that many young people—
including pastors—have for the opportunities and conveniences of the city. When these
congregations are forced to close their doors, it is the end of a ministry that has likely existed for a
century or more. Communities are leftwithout any witness to Jesus Christ and the glory of
His gospel.

This should motivate the church to think and act upon the need for rural ministry. This begins, of
course, with those who already find themselves in that context. It is easy to wallow in self-pity at the
way the rural church is neglected or give in to defeat because the resources seem lacking. It is easy to
despair because success seems impossible. But the truth remains: there are millions of people in
rural communities who are not worshiping Jesus. He calls His church not to worldly success but to
faithfulness. He does not ask us to steward resources we do not have; He asks us to be faithful with
what we do have. He does not demand from us worldly recognition but reminds us that a cup of cold
water in His name has eternal benefits. The rural church must fulfill the ministry of gathering and
perfecting the saints because that is the work Jesus has given us to do.

Rural America needs to be seen (and invested in) by the broader church as a mission field. It might
be a bold suggestion, but we should embrace the extreme challenge of planting in small towns with
courage and resolve. Yet it cannot end there. More can be done to encourage people toward the
arduous work of revitalizing that which is growing weak. In the words of Charles Spurgeon:

To me, it seems it should be your glory to join in the poorest and weakest churches of your
denomination and wherever you go, to say, “This little cause is not as strong as I should like it to
be, but by the grace of God, I will make it more influential. At any rate, I will throw my weight to
strengthen the weak things of Zion, and certainly I will not despise the day of small things.”
Rural ministry is worth our time and effort because the Lamb is worthy to receive the reward of His
suff’ering—a reward that is, I am convinced, present even in the rural communities of our world.