Reflections on Serving A Rural Church and Community
Vesper Society links arms with leaders of overlooked communities that want to create a healthy future. This month, we asked Pastor Ron Griffen from the First United Methodist Church in Imperial County, California, to reflect on what it means to be a church in a rural setting. His perspective offers a glimpse into what is possible if each one of us reaches out with love to our neighbor.
For the past eight years, I have served a rural church and community. Rural settings are different from urban and suburban ones. To begin, rural communities have less access to resources. Living and working “under the radar” can be both a blessing and a curse.
As a pastor, I’ve noticed that the institutional church seems to question the importance of rural churches. Case in point: At our Annual Conference two years ago, we were in small groups discussing issues facing the church, and I offered my two cents worth. One of my colleagues asked, “Does the Bishop know how you feel about this?” I answered, “I don’t think the Bishop knows where I am.” To which my colleague responded, “Where are you?”
For the record, I’m in El Centro. My position here has led me to understand that the role of church in society—especially in a rural setting—has three essential tasks.
- Focus primarily on the needs of one’s own community.
- Collaborate whenever and wherever you can.
- Remember that ALL the important work of the church is done locally.
The last task is the hardest for many of us. We want to save the world. The problem is that thinking only of the big picture means we run the risk of never saving anything.
Here’s an example: Our church’s young group had planted and tended to a small garden. I saw how much they learned and benefitted from the project, and I thought it would be a good idea to involve the neighborhood. But there was no place on our campus large enough for a neighborhood garden. When I brought the idea to my local Rotary Club, a Rotarian who happened to be an elementary school superintendent generously offered his school as a location for the garden.
Five years later, we have a wonderful garden project at Harding Elementary School that over 400 kids have worked on. This year, we combined a Special Education class with a regular class to tend to the garden, and the interaction has been amazingly powerful.
We also learned that, if the kids plant kale, they will eat kale!
It’s only one school. It won’t save the world. But it’s a small step in improving the health and lives of these kids.
El Centro is on the border of California and Mexico, and has a population that is 80% Hispanic. We face a lot of issues regarding immigration. One of our church members is an immigration attorney with a drive and passion to do more to serve our community. Together, we set up monthly legal clinics for our neighbors facing challenges related to their immigration status. This year, we became the 16th full-time legal clinic for Justice for Our Neighbors, a national immigration outreach of the United Methodist Church.
We’re not saving every immigrant. But we are changing the lives of many of our neighbors, and those we do serve are grateful.
Recently, our church leadership decided to do more to connect with our greater community. We wanted to know and support them regardless of their church membership. The result? Grief support groups, a PFLAG chapter (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), ESL classes (English as a Second Language), citizenship classes, community music programs, and an autism support group. By connecting with and supporting our neighbors, we nurture a culture that honors every individual and encourages us all to give back.
Come to think of it, if every church focused on the needs of their own communities, the world just might be saved.