Bronwyn Corlett writes about the challenges facing rural churches, and the resolve to respond in new, daring ways.
On October 25-27, 2024, a Rural Ministry Conference gathered at Trinity United in Fort MacLeod Alberta. The event was organized by LeaderShift in partnership with Chinook Winds Regional Council. I was honoured to be the keynote speaker at this event, though I felt that the real experts were the participants, those offering lay and ordered ministry leadership in rural areas across the province.
Alberta is beautiful, the sky was huge, the distant mountains were inviting, and the winds were strong! I was amazed by the vast beautiful landscapes that stretched out in every direction. The farms are massive!
We were welcomed by an incredible community of faith, Trinity United, that cooked for us, using real plates and slow-cookers that came from home. We were welcomed into their sanctuary, with a pot of coffee brewing at the back. There were screens for worship and much of the event was live streamed. When I wasn’t sure how to plug in my laptop to run PowerPoint, I was graciously assisted with a smile and a helping hand.
On Sunday morning, there were multiple generations gathered in worship. There were announcements about dirty but fresh carrots available from someone’s garden. There was a running tally of Trinity’s Random Acts of Kindness (TRAK) which was over 300! There were prayers offered for other churches in the region, and announcements about an upcoming community dinner – they still needed dish washers. The Rev. MiYeon Kim is a terrific worship leader, faithful, energetic, and reflective. She shared a few homilies throughout the weekend with great care and humor. I loved her idea for a Halloween costume that she shared during the “young at heart” time in the Sunday service: Martin Luther for Reformation Sunday, with a hammer in one hand and a Bible in the other!
The Rural Ministry Conference named the largest challenges rural ministries are facing that are preventing them from thriving.
Together, those gathered named the largest challenges rural ministries are facing that are preventing them from thriving: volunteers (aging and fewer of them); buildings (expensive to maintain and not accessible); huge distances; a sense that people are just tired.
Together, we dreamed a little bit. What if we pursued some of the ideas that are hovering in our hearts: Collaborative ministry, radio or online ministry, exploring the Affirming process, understanding and relating to young people who are missing from so many of our communities. What if we had a few board meetings or a few congregational meetings where we openly discussed doing things differently, trying new initiatives, and even discussed with care whether our church needed to consider closing. What might it look like to say “yes” to one or two things that we are passionate about, even if it meant saying no to the things we are used to doing?
What do communities of faith need to do differently if we would like to grow?
I shared the parable of the tree in the garden that is no longer bearing fruit (Luke 13:6-9). The owner of the land would like to cut it down to make room for new growth. The gardener asks if they can have one more year before the tree is cut down. In that year, they will tend to the tree differently: They will dig around it, till the soil, and place fresh fertilizer at its base. What might this look like in our churches? What is the fertilizer we need to try before we decide to close? What do we, as communities of faith, need to till, need to clear out, need to do differently if we would like to grow? We cannot carry on the exactly the same way and expect different results.
The majority of United Churches are rural and many are struggling. Whether you are in a rural area or not, you can likely relate to many of the challenges listed above. If we hope to be here, as The United Church of Canada in 100 years from now, we need to be honest with ourselves and authentic with the world. We need to challenge each other and not continue to do the same things, the same way. We need to trust each other.
If The United Church of Canada hopes to be here 100 years from now, we need to challenge ourselves to not continue to do the same things, the same way.
When I was a student, I remember speaking to a minister that had been a mentor to me growing up. He had retired several years earlier but had a large box of books he was hoping to pass along. I was eager to take them. When I picked them up, he shared with me that despite what I had seen as an incredibly successful career in ministry, he wished he’d been more daring. He shared that he hadn’t challenged his congregations as much as he should have because he realized now, that he hadn’t completely trusted them. He hadn’t trusted that they would take the challenge, hadn’t trusted that they would work with him in expanding their ministry or trying different things. And he regretted that he hadn’t pushed them more because he realized now that they were incredibly trustworthy and faithful people that would have followed where Jesus was leading them.
As we continue on our journey with the strategic plan, holding up our new call and vision, I hope we can trust each other. I have learnt that rural communities rely heavily upon each other, often stepping in and lending a hand without being asked. But I wonder, as we look ahead, where are the areas that our churches need to go a little deeper, be a little more daring, and engage in discipleship a little more boldly? In other words, what soil do we need to till? What fertilizer do we need to lay?
For my part, I am happy to share that in 2025 Renewal within Rural Communities of Faith will have a distinct activity within the strategic plan that the General Council Office is using to focus its work. I trust that this focus will provide the intentional tending that many of our rural churches are craving.
Please connect with me directly, or through the Rural Ministry Town Halls (register and join us at our next online gathering on November 27, 2024).
– The Rev. Bronwyn Corlett (she/her) is Rural Ministry Coordinator in the Growth Department, Organizational Development and Strategy for The United Church of Canada.
The views contained within these blogs are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of The United Church of Canada.