The Church: Responding to Rural America and Rural Community in Crisis – A Study Paper

During the past century, the United States has moved from an agrarian society to a nation dominated by metro-urban centers. Understandably, the focus of ministry of the Presbyterian Church has followed urbanization. With each new wave of urban migration, the fabric of rural/small town life has become increasingly threatened until today many rural communities stand on the brink of total collapse. In many cases the church is the only remaining social institution that can form a foundation for the re-emergence of community life.

The history of our denomination's commitment to rural ministry has been mixed at best. However, during the past decade a new focus on rural ministry has begun to emerge in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), partially stimulated by the development of a series of three General Assembly rural strategy papers. The following document contains the two most recent papers, the 1992 report, "The Church: Responding to Rural America" and the 1985 report, "Rural Community in Crisis."