29 March, 2024

Land of Opportunity

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by | 22 April, 2007 | 0 comments

By Barney Wells, Ron Klassen, and Martin Giese


 

 

Newcomers and long-term residents of rural communities may misunderstand and disagree with each other. When this happens, the local church suffers.

This issue of CHRISTIAN STANDARD examines why the two groups sometimes clash””and suggests how to ease the friction. After the introduction on these pages, you”ll find an extended article examining the differences in perspective usually held by those in these two groups. For the purposes of this discussion. Agrarians are those who have always lived in the country. Cosmopolitans are newcomers moving into rural areas from diverse walks of life.

The articles in this issue are adapted from Leading Through Change: Shepherding the Town and Country Church in a New Era, by Barney Wells, Martin Giese, and Ron Klassen, available from ChurchSmart Resources in St. Charles, Illinois (http://www.churchsmart.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=1116 or 800-253-4276).


 

 

Land of Opportunity: Newcomers Are Moving In (introductory article)

Dave Nelson was tight-lipped when he stood and spoke at the congregational meeting at Oak Grove Church. He, his wife, and their two small children had moved into the community just a few months before and had recently joined the church. “I think we need to pave the parking lot,” Dave said. “Last Sunday I was carrying my children into church in the rain, and the mud went over my shoes. Not only is a muddy parking lot an inconvenience, it also makes a poor first impression for visitors.” Many heads were nodding as Dave spoke.

From the corner near the door, sitting in his regular spot, Ruddy Morris responded. “How can we even think about paving our parking lot when so many other needs are more important? Our church has gotten along just fine without a paved parking lot since its beginning more than 80 years ago. Instead of being concerned about our own shoes, we should be discussing how we might give more money to others.”

Ruddy sat down and reflected on his growing frustration. Discussions like this were becoming more frequent. And, they were clearly being initiated by the newcomers. First it had been a family or two. He had been excited to see some new blood in the church. But then a few more families had moved into the area and started attending. They were buying up perfectly good farmland and building expensive houses. Where in the world do they get all that money? Ruddy wondered. Things are clearly getting out of hand. Before long these newcomers will outnumber us old-timers and we”ll be paving the parking lot instead of giving money to people who are starving in Africa.

Enter: Newcomers

Many living in rural communities today didn”t grow up there. Newcomers are rapidly moving in. Numerous town and country areas are growing at a pace that exceeds many suburbs. This has turned rural areas into a Land of Opportunity. This opportunity extends to the church. For many years a disproportionately large number of missionaries have been sent out by rural churches. Now the mission field is coming to them!

Why so many newcomers? There are many reasons. Some are moving to the country because of a host of alluring movies and books depicting idealized rural settings: breathtaking scenery, a “Norman Rockwellesque” kind of atmosphere, a preconceived image of “wholesome country living.” Some are seeking a lower cost of living. Some are in computer related occupations that, because of technological advances in recent years, allow them to live anywhere in the world they desire””quite a contrast to years gone by when people had to move to the cities where the jobs were. Others are looking for a peaceful setting in which to retire. Yet others are following the job trail of new industries that are springing up in the country: tourism, light manufacturing, landfills, prisons, and others, There is much diversity today in rural communities, so much so that “rural” can no longer be equated with “farming.”

Some of the newcomers are urbanites fleeing the city, getting away from the hectic pace of urban living with its traffic jams, air pollution, and high crime rates. Some are from a different economic class, either richer or poorer. Some are from a different ethnic group. Newcomers of all stripes are finding their way to town and country areas.

Whoever the newcomers, they are different from the traditional rural residents. Their arrival changes things. They may be welcome to some, but not to others. Their ways may or may not be accepted. For many, their arrival is viewed as a mixed blessing. Longtime residents realize newcomers offer hope for the future. They know their community has been suffering decline for many years and will eventually die unless outsiders move in. But they wish these outsiders were more like them. Not being like them often leads to conflict, such as depicted in the story that opened this article.

Church leaders in smaller communities might do well to look through their local phone book and analyze who is in their community. In larger communities you might get this information from a variety of other sources. It is quite possible that newcomers may have snuck into the community unnoticed! Have these newcomers made their way into the church? If not, why not? Very possibly the answer can be summed up in two words: cultural collision.

Cultural Collision

Newcomers to town and country areas are a culturally mixed bag. They are culturally diverse. They are culturally conflicted, not only in relation to the traditional rural residents but also within themselves.

Many newcomers want rural folksiness but also desire professionalism. They like spontaneity but look for organization. They like the relaxed nature of town and country people but seek perfectionism. They are drawn to the quaintness of the past but want certain things to be up-to-date. They are conflicted within themselves.

The newcomers” arrival also causes considerable conflict with others, particularly the long-term residents. These conflicts stem from a different way of thinking, a different cultural orientation, even a different vocabulary.

Long-term residents and newcomers have different perspectives! They are on different wavelengths. It can be hard for them to understand each other. Lack of understanding often leads to conflict.

But understanding some of the differences between these two groups should provide considerable help.1

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1The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of Dr. Gary Goreham of the Department of Sociology/Anthropology at North Dakota State University in the early development of our thinking concerning agrarian and cosmopolitan contrasts, and the impact of these contrasts in the arena of change.


 

 

Barney Wells is minister of the Walnut Grove Christian Church in Arcola, Illinois, and adjunct professor at Lincoln (Illinois) Christian College and Seminary. He serves on the steering committee for Standard Publishing”s Energizing Smaller Churches Network.

Ron Klassen is executive director of the Rural Home Missionary Association in Morton, Illinois.

Martin Giese is senior pastor with the Faith Baptist Church in Park Rapids, Minnesota.

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