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.

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

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