I must say, when I first saw Shannon O’Dell’s book Transforming Church In Rural America, I was a bit apprehensive. Aside from the fact that the font used on the word “rural” is in is a little too close to Bleeding Cowboys (which has surpassed Papyrus as the most overused font ever), the subtitle just seemed too…… kitschy. But, as the saying goes, “Never judge a book by it’s cover.”
That all being said, Transforming Church In Rural America is a much needed book. There’s plenty of books, DVD’s, podcasts and resources directed at church planters and pastors of established churches, advising them on everything from church growth to doctrine to regeneration to inspiration and even transformation, with one catch – they’re either created by pastors in large metro areas or they’re directed at pastors in large metro areas. And while those books and resources are needed, not everyone is called to a metro area. The problem is, there’s nothing sexy about rural America. Even in the secular workplace, no one dreams of one day transferring to a rural town. They want to get as far away from the country as they can, not move to it. And so, because of that mindset (which O’Dell addresses), there are very few resources for rural pastors and churches. Onto the review.
I don’t want to give away too much, because the book really is worth reading if you pastor or serve in a church that has turned tradition into doctrine, regardless of it’s location. So just a few quick pros and cons, as well as a few notes. First off, the fact this book was written is a good thing, regardless of my feelings about the title and cover design. Also, it’s a well written, easy to read book. It flows well. Much of that has to do with the fact that O’Dell is writing out of his own personal experiences as a pastor of a rural church in Arkansas. He isn’t writing about observations he made as a church consultant, or as a friend of a pastor or anything else. He experienced the events he writes of first hand. So, as the reader, you share in the church’s struggles as well as celebrate in their wins. Second, he gives a lot of good, practical, Biblical advice on leading a church when it comes to things such as mission, vision, doctrine, church government and church discipline, which sadly, too many pastors and churches don’t have a clue about. Thirdly, he is up front with readers concerning the realities of pastoring a church built on rules and traditions – it can be downright painful. Very little support from friends in large ministries (why would you want to go there?), the backlash to expect when you attempt to change ANYTHING and the fact that people will leave. Most rural churches, and generally speaking, most small churches, are run by a handful of families who have been tied to that church for decades. They’ve seen pastors come and go, they’re viewed as the leaders in the church, they’re respected in the community and they aren’t about to relinquish one iota of control. There are stories relating to these realities sprinkled throughout, but chapter 5 (Attitude: Sacred Cows and Slaughtering the Status Quo) is priceless. Again, O’Dell shows us that he isn’t just sharing observations – he is that pastor that has to stand in the same Walmart checkout line as the former church member who left his church because the elders decided to remove the pews in favor of stackable seating. He can relate because he’s been there.
There were only two downsides, in my opinion. For one, the book does get a little repetitive at times. There were things I would read in one chapter that, just a chapter or two later it seemed like I was rereading what I’d read earlier. The other downside is that O’Dell does push attendance growth a little harder than I would like at times. Not that growing your church’s attendance is bad – quite the opposite. Every person represents a soul. And O’Dell does write a bit about how growth simply for numbers sake is bad, and that what we should be focusing on is growing the congregants in their knowledge of the Gospel. But there were times where it felt like he was pushing the idea of growing your existing members in the knowledge and understanding of the gospel not so they would become more like Jesus, but so they would grow your numbers via word of mouth. Again, that’s the kind of growth a pastor should want, but there were times where it came across like “right practice, wrong motive”.
Finally, there is one feeling I get from Transforming Church In Rural America that for me isn’t a con, but it could be for some. I’ve read it before. Not literally, but there are countless books on planting missional churches, transforming dying churches, etc., and they all share similar ideas and stories. That doesn’t make them any less authentic, just similar. I know some will see this as a downer (hence my thoughts on the title), but what it tells me is that for every church that “gets it”, theres another dozen that don’t. I believe we’re going to see more and more books that deal with transforming the local church until the majority “get it”. So I recommend reading Transforming Church In Rural America. Even if you’re in a great church – you could still learn something.
To sum it all up, here is what may be my favorite line from the book:
A leader cannot authentically lead someone if he is not legitimately headed in that direction himself.
