Preaching the Gospel in Flyover Country

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Much of my ministry since Robin and I have moved to central Oregon has been preaching in the little churches in the small towns outside of Bend. Cultural elites would call it "flyover country" because they believe nothing much is happening in the country between New York and LA as they fly between coasts. The National Geographic defines "flyover country" as follows:

The term "flyover country" is often used to derisively refer to the vast swath of America that's not near the Atlantic or Pacific coasts. It sounds like the ultimate putdown to describe places best seen at cruising altitude, the precincts where political and cultural sophisticates visit only when they need to.

Frankly, not many go out of their way to visit the little towns and hamlets where I've preached. Sure, you see people from Portland on their Harleys on the loop tours of Eastern Oregon. They eat at the Dayville Cafe because they read about it on some travel blog.

But then they're gone.

Places like Antelope, Fossil, Dayville, Camp Sherman, Christmas Valley, Fort Rock, and others populate my imagination with the names and faces of people who are called to these locations and endeavor to live their lives for Jesus there.

I've often thought that maybe a measure of ministry success is not how many people you preach to on Sunday morning but how few people you're willing to preach to on Sunday morning. If so, the pastors I know in these places are a success. When I speak in their churches, I'm just filling in the gaps. They're getting needed time away. I'm happy to accommodate.

Here are three characteristics I've observed about small town/rural churches:

They seem to value relationships more than other churches I've been in.

One place I've preached has the smallest population of any county in Oregon. And it's losing people faster than any other county.

Maybe relationships are more important because they are so few and everybody knows everybody. When it comes to prayer time in the worship service, people are mentioned by their first name: "How's Bill doing? Any news from Lois?" And if people aren't mentioned by their first name, everyone at least seems to know OF them.

Read through Romans 16 after reading this article and note the people Paul names with such affection and concern. I see this same closeness in these small-town churches.

They respect biblical preaching.

People in these churches appreciate good preaching. Not that I've always preached well, but the congregations generally honor preachers who take God and his Word seriously. Maybe it's because of the lack of choices in churches. No church hopping when you're the only congregation in town!

I am struck by the attentiveness of God's people as Ezra the priest read and taught the Law. Nehemiah 8:3 says, "all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law." In 8:5 it states that the people stood up as Ezra spoke. Then as he and the other Levites read "making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read" (Neh.8:8), the people responded in weeping and repentance (8:9).

I've sometimes seen people in these small churches respond with a holy hush as they take in God's Word through preaching. It's a work of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, what these churches lack in sophistication and competence, they make up in dependence on God.

I've shown up for Sunday services where there's no one to lead the service, much less have someone to play a piano or organ. Some haven't thought through whether they should compensate me for my mileage and message. Few have websites. And I could go on.

But when a crisis in the community comes, God's people are often the first to pray and help. They really turn to God first. Which is as it should be. Psalm 62:8 says, "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."

Don't think I'm blind to the faults and weaknesses of these churches. I'm not. Sometimes I'm an accuser just like the cultural elites.

I'm reminded of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's encouragement to give thanks for our churches from his book, Life Together:

If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty; if on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so paltry and petty, so far from what we expected, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow according to the measure and riches which are there for us all in Jesus Christ.

This applies in a special way to the complaints often heard from pastors and zealous members about their congregations. A pastor should not complain about his congregation, certainly never to other people, but also not to God. A congregation has not been entrusted to him in order that he should become his accuser before God and men.

Thank God for his people in flyover country. They need (and want) the good news preached to them.