Over the past year, the Center for Rural Ministry (CRM) at Grove City College has formed two partnerships with other colleges to expand its mission of facilitating connections between rural churches, colleges, and the community to support invaluable, yet often overlooked, ministries in rural places.
Grove City’s CRM has awarded grants to Oklahoma Wesleyan University (OKWU) and Taylor University and has funneled a portion of the funds received from the Lilly Endowment Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns Initiative towards their proposed rural ministry programs.
“Both institutions produced outstanding proposals to explore ways that they could each build upon their current efforts to enhance their collaborative ministry with local churches. Each school received a grant [from GCC CRM] this past July, and it will run for two years. We anticipate awarding them follow up grants for a subsequent two-year period. We have also been in conversation with faculty and administrators at Covenant College in Georgia and anticipate awarding them a two-year grant in July 2026,” CRM Academic Director Paul Kemeny said.
The CRM’s college partners were invited to the 2025 Rural Ministry Conference at Grove City College a day early and engaged in conversations about their shared vision and prayer. They also joined leaders of Grove City’s CRM at the Lilly Endowment conference in Indianapolis in November. The partners have also been meeting online with Kemeny each month and are accessing a shared-resource folder, created by the CRM’s Administrative Director, Adelia Matson. The goal is for the CRM and all partners to share resources and strategies as they launch and refine their programs.
Rural Ministry at Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Oklahoma Wesleyan University proposed the OKWU Ship Program, a rural ministry initiative centered around cultivating relationships through mentorship, discipleship, and leadership. The program aims to “empower individuals to grow in faith, serve their communities effectively, and develop the next generation of church leaders” with the goal of “cultivating stronger relationships with rural congregations, establishing connections between emerging student leaders and seasoned rural ministers, and developing a culture that advances the Kingdom of Jesus.”
“I want our students – and everyone who comes into our orbit – to get a strong sense of God’s amazing work in rural places, to see these communities as not only needing support but also providing so much in return in terms of experiences and transformation,” said Patrick Oden, Oklahoma Wesleyan Associate Dean of Ministry and Christian Thought. “I want to help students get a renewed imagination about what God has been doing and what can happen in rural areas. These aren’t stepping stones on the way to a bigger congregation but real places of the Spirit’s work that can profoundly impact people’s lives and even wider society. God’s work tends to be like a fractal, a small transformation that happens in unexpected places then grows and grows.”
The university has made progress building the OKWU Ship Program since receiving their grant in July. The program’s website is live, and leaders of the initiative have collaborated with pastors across the country to develop content and training resources. Kenny Johnston, a leader from Gastonia, North Carolina, has been creating small group resources for OKWU. The college has also worked with Worship Quest on worship training resources and to send worship bands to churches looking to give their own worship teams a week of rest. Semi-retired Barstow, California pastor Chris Monroe has assisted the program’s efforts by providing them with training tools to give to rural worship leaders. South Dakota business entrepreneur and pastor Shelly Gaddis has worked with Oklahoma Wesleyan to develop training resources focusing on showing pastors how they can build resources and connections in their communities. Oden himself has built resources centered around transformative theology and the work of the Holy Spirit designed to heighten our awareness of the ministry of the Holy Spirit happening in rural places.
“Whether just helping by giving someone some weeks for rest or building up support resources they couldn’t afford or populate themselves, we want churches to feel so valued and encouraged about what God is doing in and through them,” Oden said. “In all of this, our goal is to join in with the Holy Spirit and work together with churches, leaders, and experts in finding whatever ways we can help empower men and women in small communities to live out the callings that God is giving them where they are at.”
Serving Rural Pastors at Taylor University
Taylor University’s Rural Ministry Initiative (RMI) is committed to “supporting leaders to promote holistic flourishing in rural areas and small towns through the church” through service-learning courses for students, funding rural ministry practicums for students studying Christian Ministries and Youth Ministry, and developing an apprenticeship program for Christian Ministry students. Taylor also plans on offering spring break mission trips, a Plowshare program, and retreats for students who decide to get involved in the RMI. The college will directly support rural congregations through subgrants, faculty support, a rural ministry conference, and affinity group meetings. The college will add two rural ministry Sacred Roots Spiritual Classics and a free microcredentialing online youth ministry course. Taylor also will be partnering with the CRM on research projects focusing on the intersection of human flourishing and rural ministry.
“The Rural Ministry Initiative provides an opportunity for Taylor and its students to be actively and practically involved with churches and ministries in several rural communities. I believe it is important for the college to be involved in supporting rural ministry as it combines the Biblical mandate of servant leadership, along with the opportunity to meet the needs that are prominent in the communities around us,” Taylor’s Director of Rural Ministry and Christian Ministries professor Tommy Carrington said.
RMI leaders have prioritized developing strong relationships and having conversations with church leaders to learn about the current needs of the rural church. To do this, the college has hosted rural church leaders on campus for “listening sessions” so that they can share their mission and tell the RMI how they can support them. This past fall, the college connected more than 45 students with rural churches, providing them with mentorship and coaching as they serve Christ’s Kingdom in rural communities.
“When we are able to match a student with a church that needs a volunteer youth leader, or a children's worker, or a worship leader, the church ultimately benefits from the program. We see it as a ‘win-win’ when students are able to meet a need that a local church has, and the student is able to gain ministry experience as they prepare for full-time ministry,” Carrington said.
More to Come at the CRM
As for Grove City’s CRM, its leaders hope to continue working with these colleges and new partners to continue to spread its mission to serve the small places in God’s Kingdom that are often overlooked by connecting them with resources and people committed to supporting local ministries sharing the hope of Christ in rural communities.
Emily Fox is a senior at Grove City College and a CRM Student Fellow. She grew up in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and is studying English with minors in Writing and Digital Marketing at the college. Post-grad, she hopes to pursue a career in Public Relations.
