Rural Church Turnaround

All across the country, you’ll find rural churches that are either stagnant or declining. Though many factors can contribute to this, it doesn’t have to be the case. There are many churches that have been able to recover and begin to thrive. Danny Davis shares the stories of a few churches that have done just that.

I go to a small rural church, and I have seen ups and downs in both attendance and budget. That is what made this a book that I wanted to read. Each case is outlined as far as the problem and what led up to it, then how the pastors and lay leaders worked to get through the problem is described. Danny Davis states that just because something worked for one church doesn’t mean it will work everywhere, but there is a basic framework laid out for changes. The last part of the book summarizes this framework based on what the churches did.

Even if you are not a pastor, this book can give you help in keeping your rural church growing. Rural churches are still necessary, and this book is an encouragement to help them thrive, not just survive, when problems arise.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is a good book for all pastors and church leaders to review. Having been a member of a suburban (semi-rural) church that eventually closed the doors, and involved with a suburban church that is near death now, I know the many challenges pastors and leaders face. Unfortunately, many do not heed the call to change and suffer a season of death....... literally as the older, unbending and inwardly focused members pass away. The suburban church forced the last pastor to leave rather than answer his call to evangelize the community.
What I would like to see in this study is an expansion beyond the AG churches. I'm a lifelong member of Southern Baptist and see much that our rural/suburban pastors could learn from this. Unfortunately, I've found that many pastors remain within the bounds of their own denominational literature. It would be interesting to take the knowledge gleaned from this and interview the pastors & leadership of many other churches, How does each denomination approach this? Southern Baptist, UMC, UPC, CofC, PCUSA,etc. Also would be interesting to see how the Catholic Diocese is handling the declines in rural areas.
The question is... "What are we, as individuals and as a body of Christ doing to heed the call to disciple others?"

Whilst this book has been written about rural churches in the US – a half a world away from where I live in New Zealand – there are enough similarities to make it interesting, & enough differences to make it...interesting.... Certain truths are going to hold good no matter where in the world one is : “Jesus is still in the resurrection business....even when it comes to rural churches.” Already it has inspired me to consider even our suburban church in a different way, with fresh ideas to wake things up. (I could only wish this was a longer book : hopefully there will be a follow-up with further stories included.) Certainly a book for circulating, it has practical ideas, which are also practicable because they are demonstrated from real-life examples. (I actually read this book to my husband, who commented at the end : ‘It’s nice to know other churches have problems – I always thought they were perfect...’ Church leaders – particularly of small fellowships – can feel very isolated & alone; books like this with actual examples are most helpful, & manage to cross denominational lines.)

"So Christ himself gave the apostles, prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up..."
Ephesians 4:11,12 NIV

Rural churches have been in decline for a number of years. I live in an area that used to be called "The Bible Belt", with churches in every little community, and as many as five or more churches in some communities.
It has been sad to see many of these historical buildings close their doors and put up "For Sale" signs. Rural churches don't need to die!

I belong to a small rural church and the majority of members are older than me (I'm no spring chicken). As children grew up and moved away, and older folks moved to nursing homes, and people died, church attendance on Sunday mornings declined. Our church family is trying to reach out and share the love of Jesus with our community and everyone we meet.

When I saw this book, Rural Church Turnaround: Real Life Experiences of Rural Pastors and Lay-Leaders, I needed to read it. The author Danny Davis writes about rural churches that have turned around their declining numbers and are now thriving.
Danny Davis is a rural pastor, Bible college professor, and church planting and revitalization coach. He has planted and revitalized churches in South Africa and the USA. He has earned a Doctor of Education in Transformational Leadership from Concordia University-Portland.

Danny Davis shares the stories of a few churches - their problems, the turnaround pastors and lay-leaders, steps taken to amend the problems and cause successful growth. Each story is unique and there is no "one-fix-for-all" solution. However, the author does outline the principles and practices necessary to transform a declining rural church into a thriving rural church.
Although this book is written about larger American rural churches than the smaller Canadian rural church that I attend, it was interesting, and inspirational. I recommend this book for pastors, deacons, leaders, and also members of rural churches.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts..." Colossians 3:15 NIVY

**Special thanks to Danny Davis for writing Rural Church Turnaround: Real Life Experiences of Rural Pastors and Lay-Leaders. Thanks to CrossLink Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC so that I could read it and write an unbiased review. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

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