Rural Home Missionary Association (RHMA)

Rural Home Missionary Association (RHMA)

RHMA logoRural Home Missionary Association (RHMA)

Location: Morton, IL
Website: www.rhma.og
www.tactprogram.org
Project Contact: Adam Kipp
Email: akipp@rhma.org

Who we serve

Our program is dedicated to serving isolated, rural, and small-town congregations across the United States — especially those in communities under 5,000 people.

Whether the minister is vocational or bivocational; whether the local economy is driven by logging, ranching, or other rural industry; and whether serving long-time residents or migrant workers — we aim to support those who desire to grow in their relationship with God and connect with others ministering in small places.

How we support rural congregations and ministry leaders

Cohorts:

We are establishing cohorts both for pastoral couples and ministry spouses to help foster personal, emotional, and spiritual well-being for persons and churches through shared experiences and learning opportunities.

Education:

We are expanding our current small-town pastors’ conference ministry, bolstering current conferences in Illinois and Pennsylvania with online availability, and hosting additional multi-day and one-day gatherings. We are also working to make our master’s degree-level Town and Country Training (TACT) classes available through online education.

Connections:

We are seeking through technology to build a deeper network of communication and connection among isolated rural pastors and churches through the development of online resources. On a more personal level, we’ve launched a pilot program for regional representatives who will seek to minister to local pastors and congregations one-on-one.

RHMA cohortResearch:

We are pursuing focused research to better understand rural and small-town ministers, churches, and communities.

Partners

  • Ministry Partners:
    • Wheaton College Billy Graham Center Rural Church Institute
    • The Center for Rural Ministry at Grove City College
  • Learning Network:
    • North Carolina Rural Center
    • Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement
    • Center for Rural Strategies
  • Subgrants:
    • Small Town Summits
    • Oak Hills Christian College
    • Lifeway Research
    • AmeriSpeak

Faith tradition

RHMA is a nondenominational, evangelical organization. While our educational opportunities are broadly ecumenical — engaging rural ministers from across the Protestant tradition — our cohorts are more specialized, focusing on building connections within the traditional evangelical faith, where pastors and wives typically serve together.

Geographical focus

Because of our location, the greatest area of impact for us will be in the Midwest. But our conferences and cohorts will span the United States.

PA conference