Recognizing Rural Ministry: Moving from Anecdotal Assumptions to Data Derived Opportunities - Paperback

by Carl P. Greene (Author), Jeffrey Clark (Foreword by)

Rural ministry can be a frustrating endeavor. Traditional metrics of success are misleading and anecdotal, one-size-fits-all approaches which often fall flat in the field. In Recognizing Rural Ministry, Carl Greene uses his research to suggest tools to customize your ministry to your community and effectively engage often-overlooked mission fields. These tools come from data-driven academic research presented through the lens of the author's lived experience as a dairy farmer, rural pastor, hospice chaplain, rural layperson, rural policy advocate, and administrator of a network of churches. The book is intended for rural ministry practitioners who want to use current scholarship to better examine the complexity and diversity of rural contexts. The book engages with the rural ministry impact of cultural phenomena such as the rise of the "Spiritual but Not Religious" (SBNR) phenomenon and "early old age" (EOA) demographics. The text also addresses key theories surrounding rural subcultures, demographic tools available to describe rural communities, and the shaping influence of rural community rituals on religiosity. Intended for pastors, seminarians, college students, and rural laypersons who are passionate about adding to their toolbox of rural ministry assessment.

Author Biography

Carl P. Greene is a rural ministry researcher and advocate. Carl has served as a rural pastor alongside his family and has enjoyed life as a dairy farmer in partnership with his father and brother. Greene and his family currently live in the middle of corn and soybean fields in southern Wisconsin where Carl serves as executive director for a network of churches located in the United States and Canada.