“A soft place to land, a place where rural ministers can refresh and recharge, where connection can offer value to the pastors who may feel isolated and drained.”
That’s exactly what Rev. Kali Christensen hopes a new group offers to rural clergy throughout the Minnesota Conference.
She and several colleagues together created Rural Ministry Matters, which aims to support clergy serving in rural settings. Its mission is “to gather as a community to provide hope, support, and share ideas for the specific challenges of rural ministry.”
The group will gather quarterly in person and meet virtually the other months. Attendees will pray, share, connect, and rejoice in the ways rural congregations make disciples and add to the vitality of their communities. The first in-person gathering will take in Brainerd on Jan. 24.
“There is camaraderie in sharing resources, sharing stories about what works, sharing hope, and sharing encouragement because rural pastors are not next door, not always available due to distance and time schedules to meet up for coffee or a contact with another pastor,” said Christensen, who serves Communities of Faith United Methodist Parish (a three-point charge) and Peace United Church.
Rural Ministry Matters organizers noted that while there is a beautiful sense of community in many rural areas and congregations, rural ministry also comes with a unique set of challenges for clergy. Among them:
- There is oftentimes no other paid staff—so the clergyperson is not only preaching and providing pastoral care but also serving as the business manager, the receptionist/administrative assistant, the IT specialist, and sometimes even the janitor. On top of that: Because rural clergy often see the needs in their communities up close, much of their job involves figuring out how to provide critical resources to folks who need them.
- Given that people are more spread out in rural areas and many rural clergy have multi-point charges, a huge portion of their time is spent traveling.
- There’s less privacy for rural clergy—they often see church members at the grocery store or other public places—and it can feel like their personal life is on display.
- Rural clergy must learn to minister to and find common ground with a diverse group of people—whose political leanings, views on social issues, and interpretations of the Bible are often very different, even within a single congregation.
- Worship attendance can be inconsistent and unpredictable, especially in resort/tourist communities.
Rev. Allison Schwarz, who is in her first appointment serving Vineyard UMC in Hutchinson and co-founded Rural Ministry Matters, is excited about what the group will provide. She noted that it can be difficult to stay in touch with clergy colleagues across the rural landscape, but that connection is hugely impactful.
“I find that a sympathetic ear, a suggestion, and shared prayer have encouraged me many times during my first couple months of my appointment,” she said. “In fact, occasionally they sustained me when I needed a reminder of hope. It is my hope that regularly gathering for both conversations about challenges and prayers for our struggles will go beyond sustaining and uplift our rural pastors. They deserve to be poured into and thrive. I see this as one way we can invest in each other as colleagues in ministry.”
Rev. Jen Matthees, a group co-founder who serves Grace UMC in Pequot Lakes, also hopes Rural Ministry Matters can help address critical ministry gaps in rural Minnesota.
“I want to be a resource or catalyst for covering some of our areas that are without a pastor or struggling to remain a viable church in their space,” she said. “Let’s get creative to cover these churches. Too often, those of us who identify as ‘rural’ whine about being ignored by the metro area; perhaps we need to intentionally find our voices and get to work so that our ministry can be a model rather than a ‘placeholder.’”
The organizers can’t wait for this new group to take off, and they pray that it serves as a blessing to their colleagues in rural settings.
“My hope is that the group will take on a life of its own for many years to come and the Minnesota Annual Conference will have a better understanding of the importance and beauty of rural ministry,” said Scheuer, a group co-founder who serves Wesley UMC in Hibbing and Hill City UMC.
Originally published by the Minnesota Annual Conference. Republished with permission by ResourceUMC. Christa Meland is director of communications for the Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.