Winds of change are blowing … Small-town churches are not what they used to be.

The day has begun, the sun is shining brightly and I start the way I always do … at Tim Hortons. As I pull into the parking lot, I am greeted by Charlie, a man for whom life has been hard, a man who has seen the bottom of too many bottles, a man who I have come to know through my ministry here. We have met often,not always under such good circumstances. He knows me as “the captain” and understands that he is safe with me.
Entering the store I bump into Luke, the mayor of our little community. He always greets me with a smile and tells me the same story of the time he spent volunteering on the kettles and the wonderful people he met.

Looking around the store, I notice the young couple who came to see me earlier in the week for food and help. Even though I am not their pastor, they still gravitate to the Army. They smile and we share in a wordless exchange.

Just then I am interrupted by Sergeant Smith, a police officer who wants to know how we made out at the fire scene last night. A bad house fire had been raging and the firefighters and police officers were grateful for the services of our Salvation Army emergency response team.

I’m grateful, too, for I finally connected with the young man who volunteers with the fire department. I know he is troubled, for there are no secrets in a small town. We exchanged just a few words, but an open invitation was extended for us to get together at a later date.
The woman that serves me coffee smiles. She comes regularly to the thrift store and is trying to raise her three kids alone. It’s hard, but she works with what she has.

I just moved here a few months ago, yet I know these people so well. This is life in a rural ministry. It reminds me of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:22: “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”

Doing Versus Being
How do we do ministry in a rural setting? How do we work in an ever-changing time and culture? I believe the problem lies with the question, and that little word “do.” We have been so accustomed to programming in the Army, and programs are all about doing. But the church is about being. We are called to “be” the church, not to “do” church. This is the heart of the issue. Whether in rural or urban settings we are called to be a people with a heart of compassion, a heart of understanding. People and relationships are more important than programs.

The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda defines rural churches as those situated in towns of 10,000 people or less. The rural definition also carries over to larger centres that are isolated or “stand alone” churches. These are churches that exist in remote areas, away from localized support.

The legacy of the rural church is great. It is known by strong fellowship, intimate relationships and a caring community. It has deep roots and a story. It has been built upon hardships and a sense of solidarity. Life in a small town seems simple on the surface, yet the challenges of ministry are complex.

Winds of Change
The first issue that needs to be addressed in any ministry is the health of the church. Not all big churches are healthy, just as not all small churches are unhealthy. One of the best approaches to evaluating health is to use the tools of NCD (Natural Church Development) or Vital Signs.

As Salvationists, we have a wealth of these resources at our disposal. While attending the Rural Ministry Symposium at Queens University last fall, I noted that many of the workshops were based around the “how tos” of ministry. At one session, I thought to myself, “The Army has a manual for that.”

In essence, the workshop was all about how to run community care ministries, something the Army has been doing effectively for years. When I shared this with the pastors of other denominations I came to realize that we have a strong resource base at our fingertips, not just with community care ministries but also in other areas such as finances and personnel.

Even with all these resources, the exodus of rural dwellers to the city or suburbs has put a tremendous strain on our capacity, both in terms of leadership and finances. And although 50 percent of our corps are considered rural, the cultural make-up of rural communities is vastly different as you traverse the country.

As a result of these factors, some rural corps have closed, some have amalgamated, some are trying circuit ministry and others struggle on. The coming years will be a time of change for the Army’s rural ministry. How do we continue to “be” the church in rural areas amid a whirlwind of cultural change?

Test Our Roots
Queens University professor Dr. Andrew Irvine tells of an old man with a withered tree on his property. The tree had lived out the best of its life, and in its current state was very unattractive. When his son suggested the tree be cut down, the old man gave him wise advice. “Cut off the dead branches,” he said. “If it has good roots it will grow again.”

The history and roots of our ministry units run deep, but they must also be able to withstand the winds of change in order to sprout new life. We are blessed that our roots mean something in the rural setting. History is important and people enjoy building on foundations of the past. But perhaps there are areas that we need to prune. What do we need to give up in order for our future in the rural community to flourish?

Change Our Viewpoint
What is the church? Is it a building or a structure? No, the church is the presence of God dwelling in his people. We need to rethink the amount of our financial resources that is tied to buildings. Especially in rural settings where there is a financial strain, we need to explore whether or not there are other venues for worship. Can we forge partnerships in the community that will work alongside our Army vision and mission? Can we “be” the church without worrying over property?

We also need to change our outlook on personnel. In our current culture, the success of an officer is viewed by the size of his or her appointment, not by the ministry potential. There is an invisible corporate ladder that officers are meant to climb, and the first rung is usually considered the small rural church. New captains are sent out from training college to their first appointment at a rural church with hopes of soon proving themselves worthy of moving on to something bigger and better.

Consider Our Gifts
There needs to be a strong gift-based emphasis when considering officer appointments. Like surgeons, there are many in the church who are specialists and who do certain things well. But rural ministry pastors are more like general practitioners, gifted at many things. In some cases, there are officers who are gifted for rural ministry who are currently serving in urban settings.

We also need to better understand what we are called to do as the church. Christ has compelled us to “make disciples,” which essentially means empowering local leadership. In the Army, we have long emphasized the “priesthood of all believers.” Officers are not meant to be the “be all and end all,” but are called to help shape vision and to pastor the flock. As for the rest of the congregation, we must continue to focus on the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20.

As I go about my daily routine, I am challenged to live the life to which Christ has called me. I am the face of The Salvation Army to my community, whether I’m dealing with a needy family, a politician, a firefighter or my neighbour across the street. Whether we live in the country or the city, we must each ask ourselves: What are we doing to shine the love of Christ into the lives of the people we meet each day? In the end, the size of our church does not matter as much as the size of our hearts.

Fast Facts on Population Growth
• In 2006, nearly 25 million people, more than 80 percent of Canadians, were living in urban areas
• Nearly 90 percent of Canada’s population growth between 2001 and 2006 was concentrated in large metropolitan areas.
• Two out of three Canadians live near the southern border shared with the United States
• At 3.5 people per square kilometre, Canada is sparsely populated. For comparison, the population density is nine times higher in the United States (31 people/km2)
• Of the 25 fastest-growing small towns and rural communities since 2001, 14 are located less than 50 kilometres from Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver
• In remote rural areas located farther from urban centres, the population remained nearly the same as in 2001 (-0.1 percent)
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 census

by Captain Christopher Rideout, corps officer, Bracebridge, ON

Reprinted from Salvatonist, May 2007