Practicing Care in Rural Congregations and Communities

Pastoral care in rural communities is different from care in other locales. Despite these differences, rural churches and communities also hold a particular wisdom from which the rest of the church might benefit. Small towns and rural areas have particular challenges, and in seeking to live out the Christian life in the midst of those challenges, local churches have unique and useful insights into what it means to care for one another.

Jeanne Hoeft is associate professor of pastoral care at Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, Missouri.

Shannon Jung is Franklin and Louise Cole Professor of Town and Country Ministries at Saint Paul School of Theology. He has published broadly in religious ethics, focusing especially in the area of food ethics.

Joretta L. Marshall is professor emerita of pastoral theology, care, and counseling at Brite Divinity School. At Brite, she also served as executive vice president and academic dean, interim director of the pastoral care center, and director of the Carpenter Initiative in Gender, Sexuality, and Justice. She also served on the faculties of Vanderbilt Divinity School, Iliff School of Theology, and Eden Theological Seminary. Marshall is ordained in the United Methodist Church and previously served as a pastor and a chaplain. She is the author, coauthor, or coeditor of books and articles about forgiveness, gender and sexuality, and rural ministry.