Additional Resources

Here are links to more information, important research and evaluation reports.

In North Carolina

• Duke Divinity School is a primary partner of The Duke Endowment for many activities in the Rural Church program area. This site offers information about Duke Divinity’s role in the Thriving Rural Communities Initiative, as well as applications for continuing education or professional development.
• The North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, based in Raleigh, covers 56 counties in eastern North Carolina. The website includes a way for visitors to find a church in their area.
• Based in Charlotte, the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church covers the 44 western counties of North Carolina. The website includes information about its 1,100 churches, mostly rural.
• The Covered Dish: Meditations on Rural Life and Ministry is the blog of the Rev. Jeremy Troxler, who oversees the Thriving Rural Communities Initiative at Duke Divinity School. It shares his insights on various aspects of the Initiative.

In the United States and Abroad

This article on the United Methodist Church website covers the Thriving Rural Communities program with an emphasis on the needs of rural churches: New Duke program will address rural church challenges.

Evaluation

The Duke Endowment is beginning an evaluation of the Thriving Rural Communities project, which includes evaluation of the seven Thriving Rural Churches. The evaluation was designed and is being conducted by the Center for Assessment and Policy Development.

Contact Us

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Director of Rural Church
704.927.2251