Strong Leaders and Strong Churches

The Duke Endowment has identified seven rural churches in North Carolina that are models for success, and it supports their efforts to serve  their communities and act as demonstration sites for other rural churches.

Insights

While the Thriving Rural Church program is relatively new, an early evaluation has revealed several key characteristics shared by the model churches:

• Strong pastoral leadership is essential. Most of the seven pastors in these rural churches have been at their posts longer than their predecessors. However, members of the congregations also seem to recognize their role in shaping their leaders, and are willing to invest prayer and effort in building relationships with new pastors and in supporting interns and students.
• Thriving rural churches have a clear sense of their identity that members are able to articulate. They know the stories of their church and community and draw strength and connectedness from them.
• Thriving rural churches are simultaneously, and intentionally, focused inward and outward, concentrating on their spiritual growth and their community contributions.
• Members are able to recognize and use their own gifts in the work of the church. They also trust the church as a competent, sound institution.
• Thriving rural churches are engaging. They offer something for everyone, and as a result, most have a relatively large group of members (about 30 percent) who are very active.
• Youth education and involvement are considered assets, regardless of the size or sophistication of youth programs.

Impact

To date, the Thriving Rural Church Initiative appears to be making positive strides in its goal of supporting rural churches and church leaders.

The model churches have hosted 12 Rural Ministry Fellows over two summers (2008 and 2009).

In 2009, four of the model churches received $71,450 in grants from the Thriving Rural Communities Initiative (funded by The Duke Endowment) for community projects:

• Cedar Grove United Methodist Church in Cedar Grove, N.C., is creating a community crafts store and activities center that will provide economic opportunities and connections for 100 people in its first year.
• Fairview United Methodist Church in Shoals, N.C., will add a new preschool  ministry to its successful before- and after-school program that will serve local families, create employment and provide high quality and spiritually sound child development services to 14 to 36 children each year.
• Friendship United Methodist Church in Newton, N.C., is auditing its existing youth services to create a community youth and children’s ministry position that will build on existing community strengths to create new activities and relationships for young people.
• Solid Rock United Methodist Church in Olivia, N.C., completed a successful pilot project to develop a weeklong summer program for 120-150 children in collaboration with other area churches, and will now make the program a regular offering.

Pastors at the seven model churches met four times since mid-2008, including two “Come and See” gatherings. At the 2008 Convocation of the Rural Church, five pastors gave “Come and See” presentations about the lives and ministries of their churches to other rural clergy. Solid Rock United Methodist Church also gave a “Come and See” presentation on the campus of Duke Divinity School as part of a Rural Ministry Colloquium.

Contact us

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Director of Rural Church
704.927.2251