Center for Rural Ministry

Grantee: Grove City College
Location: Grove City, PA
Website: www.ruralministry.org
Project Contact: Charles E. Cotherman
Email: office@ruralministry.org

Who we serve

We aim to serve pastors and congregations in our region (western PA, eastern OH, northern WV, and southern NY) through programming that is primarily in-person. We also hope to be part of the national conversation around rural ministry. We think in terms of cultivating a regional presence and a national voice.

How we support rural congregations and ministry leaders

We lean into our identity as a Christian college in a rural community and attempt to connect college, church, and community. We serve pastors and lay leaders through affinity groups, an annual conference and a variety of media. We connect students to local churches through a Plowshare program and spring break mission trips. We also partner with local community foundations to help local congregations better serve their communities through micro-grants.

Partners

Our official partners fall into three categories:

• Community foundations
  • Two local foundations that serve six counties
• Denominational partners
  • ACNA (Anglican Church in North America)
  • ECO (A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians)
  • EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian Church)
  • PCA (Presbyterian Church in America)
  • Vineyard USA
• College and university partners
  • Taylor University, IN
  • Oklahoma Wesleyan University, OK
  • anticipated: Covenant College, TN

Faith tradition

Grove City College is broadly reformed and evangelical. We are working with an ecumenical spirit.

Geographical focus

Our focus depends on the program. Our in-person programming serves people within a two-hour drive, but our podcast offers a national voice.