Strong Rural Churches Strengthen Their Communities

Robb Webb, director of the Rural Church program area, discusses how The Duke Endowment is strengthening rural churches in the Carolinas.

United Methodist Churches have deep roots across North Carolina and play pivotal roles within rural districts. In addition to being centers of weekly worship, baptisms, weddings and funerals, these churches are home to community events, food pantries and child care centers.

By developing rural United Methodist churches and supporting their clergy leaders, we aim to expand church outreach across North Carolina. We work collaboratively with the North Carolina and Western North Carolina conferences of the United Methodist Church and Duke Divinity School to help rural churches serve their neighbors.

Learn more about the strategies, lessons learned and resources behind specific efforts, both past and present, by filtering our work below.