I remember the moment clearly. On a June evening, I was visiting the rural community of Winchester, Kansas, sitting on a patio with my host as we watched the setting sun dip beneath the cornfield horizon. As twilight turned to dusk, a silent chorus of fireflies began to appear, gently floating on the breeze that swayed the grass. It was a scene of absolute serenity, and I thought I had found my own little haven from a busy world. Of course, that is not exactly true. This country town I now call home, peaceful as it may appear to be, is not untouched by the sin and misery of the world. What I see now is a community filled with people whose lives have been shattered by the presence, power, and penalty of sin who desperately need Jesus Christ.

Our obligation to rural and small town ministry⤒🔗

In the Acts of the Apostles, we have the inspired account of the marvelous advance of the gospel. Before his ascension, Jesus commissioned His apostles, saying: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:10). Like concentric circles the influence of the gospel will expand until all of creation is brought under its proclamation.

The subsequent ministry of the apostles demonstrates how expansively they understood their Master’s charge. In fascinating detail, Luke illustrates this as Peter and John travel to Samaria to confirm the work of Philip and impart the Holy Spirit. As they return to Jerusalem, we read that they “preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans” (Acts 8:25). This indicates, as J. A. Alexander observed, that the gospel was not confined to the city “but extended to many of the smaller towns.” It appears that for the apostles the word “all” meant just that. The ministry of the church excludes no one, and it also excludes no place. Even the smallest commu­nity had a role in the strategic advance of the gospel.

If two important apostles took time to preach Christ to the villages and towns scattered throughout Samaria, then we should pause and reflect on the obligation we have to also fulfill the words of Jesus to “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23).

The reasons for rural and small town ministry←⤒🔗

The urgency of this obligation can be established by several reasons; let me emphasize three. First, statistically, the rural population in the United States accounts for between fifteen and twenty percent of the total population. To put that in perspective, the forty-five to sixty million people who live in rural communities outnumber the great majority of the world’s countries and dependent territories — including Chile, Guatemala, South Africa, and Canada. If one factors in the population of those living in small towns, then that number grows exponentially. While America is increasingly becoming a metropolitan-centric nation (politically, culturally, and economically), these numbers still indicate an incredible opportunity and mission field.

Second, there is a tremendous need for the gospel of hope and glory in these communities. Sociological studies have painted an alarming picture of the once idealized rural and small town. Far from romantic and imaginary notions, these communities represent, as J. D. Vance depicted so compel­lingly in his book Hillbilly Elegy, a culture in crisis. Rural and small towns are permeated by drug use, alcohol abuse, poverty, family dysfunction, and inclining suicide rates. Of course, as Christians, we see beneath the surface and understand the spiritual root of these things: the Bible accurately interprets these personal and societal ills. They can be attributed to the worship of the creature rather than the Creator, the ongoing hatred of Adam’s hate-filled race, and the overwhelming burden of hopelessness and despair in a fallen society. This is the result of a world held captive to the dominion of sin and the heartbreaking pain of living under its influence.

Third, there is reason to consider this obligation because of the way it has been overlooked. Political analysts were surprised by the upsetting victor of the last presidential election. It has been suggested that the presidency was won by the vote of an excluded minority tired of being neglected by their government. One commentator remarked that what we witnessed was a culture war and rural America won. Tragically, this neglect by the government is analogous to the neglect the church has shown to this same demographic. For many reasons, the church in recent decades has emphasized a priority on the city. To this end many denominations have allocated their people, resources, and time to the planting of new churches in the city while neglecting the apostolic vision for small and rural towns. Sadly, many small town churches burdened by budgets, buildings, and membership woes have been forced to close their doors, silencing, in some cases, any gospel witness in those communities. With its focus elsewhere, the church has done little to help. American essayist Wendell Berry lamented that the church is destructively valuing urban life over rural life, writing: “The message that country people get from their churches, then, is the same message they get from ‘the economy’: that, as country people, they do not matter much and do not deserve much consideration.”

If we reflect on this, here is the analysis: there are tens of millions of people scattered throughout small and rural communities who are not worshiping and glorifying Jesus Christ, and the only power and institution on planet earth that can remedy that is the gospel ministry of the church. These reasons prove our obligation to fulfill the commission of Jesus and bring the light of the glory of the gospel of Jesus into these sin-darkened towns.

A vision for rural and small town ministry←⤒🔗

To embrace the heart of Jesus for gospel ministry means we cannot neglect and ignore rural and small towns. While they will never be places of political, cultural, or societal influence, by the Spirit’s blessing they can be places for gospel ministry. So what can be done? Simply, there are two effective ways forward: church revitalization and church planting.

In his book From Embers to a Flame, Harry Reeder helpfully pointed out that the apostolic fulfillment of the Great Commission “was not just a ministry to unreached places and people, but also a ministry of revitalization.” Troubled and distracted by many besetting problems (personal and theological), the Apostle Paul, for instance, spent a significant amount of time strengthening those churches he had previously planted. The work of revitalization must begin by those already pres­ent in rural and small town churches. They need to reclaim a biblical understanding of the ministry of the gospel; they need to reevaluate their place within their community; they need to renew their commitment to the work of gathering and perfect­ing the saints; and they need to be overcome by an obsession with the glory of Jesus Christ. But they can use help through others’ abilities to offer people, resources, time, and prayer. To that end, Charles Spurgeon once preached:

To me, it seems it should be your glory to join in the poorest and weakest churches of your denomination and wherever you go, to say, ‘This little cause is not as strong as I should like it to be, but by the grace of God, I will make it more influential. At any rate, I will throw my weight to strengthen the weak things of Zion, and certainly I will not despise the day of small things.’

The church also needs to carefully think through the planting of churches in rural and small town communities which, as the case may be, simply have no faithful gospel witness. There will be challenges unique to such a context varying with every community the church invests in. It was once quipped that bringing the gospel to a small town is more difficult than evangelizing Muslims. I do not know if this is a hard and fast rule, but its rhetorical effect demonstrates the burden. But church planting operates on one principle: faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ. Faithfulness must never be outweighed by the difficulty of the task.

History tells us the moving story of John G. Paton from the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Scotland. When no one could be found to labor among the heathen of the New Hebrides cannibals, the Lord seemingly interrupted Paton, saying within him: “Since none better qualified can be got, rise and offer yourself!” Eventually he was overpowered and offered himself to the work. However, it did not come without opposition, and some tried to persuade him against it. In his autobiography, he wrote: “I was sorely tempted to question whether I was carrying out the divine will, or only some headstrong wish of my own. But conscience said louder and clearer every day, ‘Leave all these results with Jesus your Lord who said, “Go into all the world, preach the Gospel to every creature, and lo! I am with you always.”’ These words kept ringing in my ears; “these were our marching orders.”

Rural America is in desperate need of the gospel. If the church — our churches and your church — do not respond to that need, who will? It will not be politics; it will not be gov­ernment programs; it will not be educational institutions; and it will not be economic solutions. So let us do as Jesus commanded and pray that the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into the ripe fields of the countryside. What kind of laborers will they be? They will be those who ignore the gain, advantage, and influence of the world and all it offers, but dominated by a sense of the glory of Jesus, they will labor and toil with all men in all places because the Lamb is worthy to receive the reward of His suffering. And in so praying let us all ask, “What can I do?”