Pastoring Small Towns (A Review)
Pastoring Small Towns by Ronnie Martin & Donnie Griggs (10ofthose.com)
Most books aimed at pastors are written by pastors of megachurches in urban areas. Books based in rural areas are few and far between.
Pastoring Small Towns by Ronnie Martin and Donnie Griggs bucks that trend.
This practical and encouraging book offers biblical insights and personal stories for pastors who serve in villages and small towns.
Martin and Griggs are both experienced pastors who have planted and led churches in Ohio and North Carolina, respectively. They share their joys and challenges as they seek to shepherd God’s people in places that are often overlooked or neglected by the wider culture and church.
Overview
The book is organized into 10 chapters, each reflecting on a key aspect of pastoring small towns. Below is a key takeaway from each chapter:
1. Love
A pastor does not love his church because of how lovable the church is, but because of how much the members are loved by Jesus. This love must be at the heart of Christian ministry:
“Jesus doesn’t want us to lead and teach his sheep but to care for them.”
2. Compassion
This chapter begins with the story of the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus and the disciples had intended to have a time of rest but were pursued by the crowds. Nevertheless, we’re told Jesus had compassion on them. While rest is important as a pastor, compassion for the crowds will necessarily result in going the extra mile.
3. Patience
There is a slower pace of change in rural areas, both culturally and within the church. Though rural pastors frequently lament this, Martin sees this as a positive:
“The slowness of patience leads us toward treating our people less like projects that need to be completed and more like people who need the completeness of Jesus to provide them with wholeness.”
4. Courage
Up to this point, the picture of ministry has been quite positive, but chapter four comes as quite the reality check. Most pastors will sympathise with Grigg’s picture of ministry:
“When you lie down at night, it may not be a sore back that keeps you from resting but a heavy soul and a worry-filled mind”.
He notes two enemies that will require courage to confront:
· Wolves: People within the church who cause division
· Giants: Cultural idols that affect the church
5. Wisdom
Fighting these enemies is not always obvious, and as a result, wisdom is required. Martin suggests that rural pastors need fellow elders and pastor friends from other churches to discuss complex issues with.
“Pray that the Lord will surface some loving, caring and understanding people in your congregation who can care for your soul in a meaningful way.”
(P.S. if you’re struggling to meet fellow pastors, why not join our next prayer call?)
6. Humility
Too many people think humility comes easy in smaller areas. But this isn’t always the case. Griggs notes that small areas can present an opportunity to pursue self-glory, being a big fish in a small pound, rather than the reverse.
7. Faithfulness
This chapter is in many ways the reverse side of the coin. If pride is one danger, despondency is the other. Griggs asks
“If a life is lived in quiet faithfulness in a small place and only a few people are there to be impacted by it…is the sound still worth making?”
He calls pastors to the mundane work of the shepherd daily caring for his sheep, which while insignificant in the world’s eyes is great in the next.
8. Multiplying
One of the great challenges of rural ministry is multiplication, both in evangelism and leadership development.
Griggs six characteristics of future leaders are worth any rural church considering:
· Are they reliable?
· Do they love your village?
· Do they love your church?
· Are they teachable?
· Will they get their hands dirty?
· Do they see a rural church as a stepping stone to something greater?
9. Staying the course
Perseverance is a central part of ministry. Martin lays out five tips for staying the course in rural ministry when the road is hard:
Pray
Take courageous action
Sacrifice for the sake of others
Discern truth from gossip
Complete the work you are called to
10. Finishing the race
The book ends with Griggs giving a beautiful picture of success in rural ministry:
“One of my best friends…wrote me a card early into our friendship that I keep on my desk. It said at the end, “Let’s grow old together doing ministry. Let’s sit on rocking chairs one day watching our grand kids play while we still talk about making much of Jesus.”
As the Rural Project develops, I hope that will be our goal.
Conclusion
Martin and Griggs write with a Christi-centred spirit about rural areas. They do not sugarcoat the difficulties or idealise the benefits of pastoring small towns.
Inevitably, as British pastors there will be some differences of the problems that face us. For example, the political division in the US in recent years forms a backdrop to the discussion of criticism in particular. It would be good for pastoral teams to seriously think through what might be the challenges in their area.
I would also want to make clear that this is not a pragmatic book. Anyone looking for hints and tips should look elsewhere. This is a gospel-centred look at persevering amidst the challenges of rural ministry, not a how-to guide. I believe that makes it more, not less, helpful.
I’d recommend Pastoring Small Towns for pastors and eldership teams in British rural areas. There would be no doubt important and helpful conversations that arise as a result. You can buy Pastoring Small Towns in the UK from 10ofthose at £10.98 at the time of writing
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Tim Wilson
Tim Wilson is pastor of Wheelock Heath Baptist Church in South Cheshire, England. He is part of the Rural Project steering committee, focusing on online content. He graduated from the Union School of Theology, is married, and has three children.
