Planting Between the Cities

 

A recent article inspired me to write this - not as a rebuttal, but as an alternative. As a pastor in a rural church that plans to plant more rural churches, I offer this as another talking point.

Cities are growing, but rural areas aren’t going away. Urbanization has been happening since the first cities began, yet the village has remained as constant as man’s depravity. People in small towns need Jesus as much as people in cities. And while no one would deny that fact, it’s easy to get caught up in the allure of the fast lane. In my ministry career I’ve served in two small-town churches and one large suburban church. The small towns both have populations less than 20,000. The suburban county had a population of well-over 100k, with many commuting to nearby Washington DC. Having experienced both, as well as been in presbyteries that planted churches in both, I speak with some experience. Again, while I think that planting churches in the city is necessary, we should also be equally representing opportunities and needs in the rural areas within our boundaries.

The map above was taken from a online map that shows reformed churches. While it’s far from complete (my own church isn’t even listed) it does show a great need for churches. The map shows the area that encompasses Memphis, Huntsville, Nashville, and all parts in between. It shows an area of roughly 30,000 square miles, which is about the size of South Carolina. The dots show reformed churches, with the orange dots being ARP churches (except for the northernmost dot, which is an RCUS church). Murray, where I pastor, is at the far north of the map. It is easy to see the areas in between the cities have very few reformed churches. At Redeemer, we’ve had families that drive up to an hour to attend our services. It’s not an ARP thing. It’s frankly not even a reformed thing. It’s a “preaching the Bible” thing. Sadly, churches that actively and effectively exposit the Word of God are few and literally far between. While I typically depend on reformed churches to fill this void, I’m able to trust that less and less. Our  answer at Redeemer is to plant churches in our surrounding communities. While an ARP church in Nashville would be great, I’d much rather have churches in Paris and Mayfield, KY. While my kids might end up in Nashville, there are already great churches there. We need churches between here and there. 

Funding a church in a rural area is a much different paradigm as well. Whereas a plant in the city will cost well over 100k/year, a rural church will cost much less. As commitments shift and the dollar becomes less valuable, would-be planters need to consider other funding methods, including bi-vocational ministry. While the city may offer more opportunity for this, it also offers an increased cost of living along with increased stress. The stresses of traffic, crowding, and crime must be factored into anyone planning to plant a church in the city. In a rural setting, these things are nearly non-existent. The stressors are still there, but they tend to be linked to ministry. In a Barna study concerning plant costs, planters in small towns and rural areas were more financially secure. This leads to great stability on the whole, which will be apparent in family and ministry life. (Great read btw - I recommend that article)

Another thing to consider is the agreement with other NAPARC churches. All NAPARC churches have made a comity agreement, essentially stating that we consider other churches around as we plant. While that agreement isn’t always high on the priority list of others, it is something we have agreed to as ARPs. While Nashville and Birmingham may have lots more room for reformed churches, there are places like Booneville, MS and Huntingdon, TN where ARP churches would be welcome, and wouldn’t be treading on the ground of others. While those aren’t exotic destinations, they are full of God’s starving sheep and those who “are not yet of this fold.” Let us go into the countryside between the cities and fill them with bible-preaching and confessional ARP churches!

Obviously this is not an “either/or” idea, and no one has even insinuated that. Both the city and the country need churches that glorify Jesus Christ. However, I would hate to see us alter our course because of how society feels at this moment. As we consider planting in the coming years, let us be open to any and all possibilities.