Open Secrets: A Memoir of Faith & Discovery
By: Richard Lischer
Random House, 2002

A prolific writer who frequently touches upon Rural Ministry is Wendell Berry. His stories are mainly based in Kentucky.

Not specifically Rural Ministry, but definitely good reading for new pastors:

Letters to New Pastors
By: Michael Jinkins (of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary)
Eerdmans, 2006

Becoming a Pastor: Forming Self and Soul for Ministry
By: Jaco Hamman
Pilgrim Press, 2007

Dr. Hamman also has a book which is quite appropriate for Rural Ministry, though not specific to it:

When Steeples Cry: Leading Congregations through Loss and Change
By Jaco Hamman
Pilgrim Press, 2005

@Jay, many thanks for your testimony. I pray that just such intelligent, creative, and open-minded people take calls to rural parishes, and more often. Who knows, maybe the slumping economy will help pastors reevaluate things and look anew at the blessings of rural ministry.

@anyone, what are your favorite books on rural ministry, or addressing the rural life?

My PCUSA support group includes 8 pastors within 90 minutes of a central location. This group meets faithfully every month, and it is here that I feel the most secure and safe to share.

Another support group includes mostly PCUSA pastors (two Presbyteries), along with a few ELCA and Methodist pastors. This group is more focused on the issues of ministry in rural, declining areas. We consider the difficulty of merging congregations, setting up shared ministries, doing asset-mapping, etc. The agenda is mostly task oriented, but there is a mutual support here in the real struggles of life in an area that is declining in many ways.

The other support group is predominantly Lutheran, involves many states, and includes spending significant time together each year – a couple weeks at a time. This was mainly for the first couple years, though the group continues to function as a support, as we got to know each other very well.

Whether ELCA or PCUSA, it is very difficult for a young, first-call, single woman, to make it three years in a rural congregation. I’ve not seen one around here last more than 2 years. Second-career single women have enough trouble as well – with attitudes which make a pastor dig deep for strength and courage.

And to be honest, there are some clergy-killing congregations among the small, rural congregations. Sometimes that is how they got to be small – running people off.

One of my ELCA friends in his first call, brought along his wife and a couple of small kids to a rural church. The congregation told him in many ways they figured he would leave as soon as his 3 years was up. He told them in many ways that he loved them, and wanted to stay longer. But, as three years neared, they found ways to make it miserable and basically force him to want to get out of there. That’s not a healthy situation.

From what I’ve seen, the three year minimum is not really helpful. For those following the lectionary, that’s one time through. It doesn’t force a person to dig deeper. Generally it sets up a lifetime pattern of three year pastorates – and that’s not really healthy for the congregation or the pastor.

I didn’t know about “family systems” before seminary, but I feel blessed to have the opportunity to dig into it so that I don’t get caught up in the anxiety traps. It’s important to know who you are as a person, and as a pastor. I would NOT advise going to a rural church just because you feel sorry for them, or aren’t sure what else to do. But if you take the call, seek God’s will there.

I’m especially interested in your support group comments. That’s great. I do know a pastor friend, though, who took a rural call and is really wishing there was more for him in terms of support. Part of it is an age thing: he’s the only pastor under 50 at almost every meeting and there’s only one other first call pastor in the Presbytery.

Congregations will hold together for a little over a year without a pastor. Sometimes they even rally if there is good leadership developed there. Many rural congregations end up with supply pastors from other denominations – and pay significant mileage to have a Moderator for Session and Congregational Meetings, as well as to have communion (until the Elders are trained and approved by Presbytery).

I’m currently seeing very long interims – even in towns of 20,000 or more, even in congregations with attendance of 90 – 120. I’m seeing lots of rural congregations struggling to find a pastor – bringing in candidates for an interview, only to have the candidate say it wouldn’t work for them when offered a call. Three congregations near here are at 2.5 years with interims. It generally takes several months to get an interim, especially within the PCUSA. It’s distressing to see this, as 2 of the 3 interims are retired pastors who thought they would be helping a congregation for about a year, and these retired pastors aren’t interested in being creative (and they lack energy).

In such situations, it’s tough to get people to agree to serve as Elders and Deacons, as they don’t know if the congregation has a future. But when someone accepts the call, the congregation seems to come to life – like a new plant in Spring-time.

We definitely need creativity and energy in the small, rural congregations. And yes, we do need pastors with a sense of self – not so pliable that they get twisted every which way by the will of the people, so that they get wrung out and souls dried up by ministry in the small church. There can be some very strong-willed people out among the cows (though that can probably be said about any place of ministry – strong-willed people. But remember that you are not there to be “driven” by the people, trying to satisfy everyone.

I do think we tend to have very effective support groups in rural areas. I’ve participated in several Lily Funded events and groups, and these have been helpful. I’ve got three support groups beyond those in the local town, and I’ve found this helpful as a first-call pastor.