Rural and Small Towns Ministry Support Initiative
Grantee: Assemblies of God Theological Seminary at Evangel University
Location: Springfield, MO
Project: Rural and Small Towns Ministry Support Initiative
Website: https://www.evangel.edu/rural-church-ministry-partnership/
Project Contact: Keith Jones
Email: jonesk@evangel.edu
Who we serve
Our program focuses on Assemblies of God churches in communities with a population of about 10,000 or less, helping them become anchor institutions in their communities. While we are primarily focusing on Assemblies of God rural churches, our partnerships with Rural Compassion and Rural Advancement work with various denominations.
How we support rural congregations and ministry leaders
Our project supports rural churches in multiple ways.
- Regional networks
We have regional networks within the Assemblies of God covering Alabama, Appalachia, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Ohio. In these regions, the networks provide mentoring, training, and connection to resources to help churches become a more ingrained part of their community. - AGTS and Evangel training
Rural pastors within the Assemblies of God have minimal training for their positions. AGTS and Evangel are developing multiple certificates to be done in a cohort model for rural pastors. This will help provide much-needed training for pastors and build relationships with their peers. We are also working to better connect undergraduate ministry majors with internships in healthy rural churches. - Partners
This program is partnering with the national Assemblies of God denomination, Rural Advancement, Trinity Bible College, and Rural Compassion. The Assemblies of God denomination has established programs that train and promote rural church planting, getting pastors and key lay leaders to recalibrate their church's mission toward their local community. Rural Compassion focuses on training and community events that help make the rural church a foundational participant in the local community. Rural Advancement focuses on coaching rural pastors and working with "Fragile Churches" to become healthy community-engaged churches. Trinity Bible College has courses to train congregational members of rural churches to become active members within their church and community.
Partners
- Rural Compassion
- National Assemblies of God denomination
- Rural Advancement
- Trinity Bible College and Graduate School
- Regional Assemblies of God networks in Alabama, Appalachia, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Northern Missouri, Southern Missouri, Oklahoma, and Ohio
Faith tradition
AGTS and Evangel University are part of the Assemblies of God denomination, but our partnerships with Rural Compassion and Rural Advancement reach various denominations.
Geographical focus
While the majority of our focus will be within the areas of our regional networks (Alabama, Appalachia, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Ohio), our partnerships with Rural Compassion, Rural Advancement, Trinity Bible College, and the national Assemblies of God denomination reach the whole United States.