by Gary Farley | Aug 11, 2005 | Opinion
Fifty years ago most rural Baptist churches were very different from what they are today. Most shared a preacher with one or more other congregations. Most did not have worship services every Sunday. Most met in a one-room building. Most drew their membership from the... by Gary Farley | May 31, 2005 | Opinion
The pastor at Mount Pleasant resigned nearly four years ago, saying that he felt that God was telling him that his ministry there was over. Everyone was in shock. He had served the church for 34 years as a bi-vocational pastor. The congregation was at peace. We asked,... by Gary Farley | Apr 25, 2005 | Opinion
The Rural Church Network met last week on the campus of the University of the South. This group, comprised of persons from national denominational offices and seminaries with responsibilities for rural church work and training, meets twice each year at various... by Gary Farley | Apr 7, 2005 | Opinion
For several weeks our box at the post office has been stuffed with catalogs from garden seed and nursery companies. Beautiful pictures of vegetables, fruits, and flowers fill my mind and heart with great expectations. It would seem that after more than half a century... by Gary Farley | Nov 11, 2004 | Opinion
The greatest story of “church planting” in America may never be told. We have waited too late to gather the data. I am talking about the explosion of new African-American congregations in the rural South in the decades following emancipation. There were...