Rural Ministries

Appalachian Ministries Educational Resource Center
The Appalachian Ministries Educational Resource Center in Berea, Ky., promotes experiential learning for theological students, faculty and church leaders.

Center for Rural Affairs
The Center for Rural Affairs, a private nonprofit organization in Walthill, Neb., works to strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches and rural communities.

Center for Theology and Land
The Center, located in Iowa, strengthens rural churches and communities by providing resources, training and continuing education courses for ministers.

Eyes on the Rural Church
This Web site acts as a place to exchange resources and pose questions related to rural church issues.

Federation of Southern Cooperatives
The federation, located in East Point, Ga., works toward the development of self-supporting communities with programs that increase income and enhance other opportunities in poor areas across the South.

Hinton Rural Life Center
This United Methodist site works to advocate for small membership churches within the community and provides opportunities for missional involvement.

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
The Institute promotes resilient family farms, rural communities and ecosystems around the world through research and education, science and technology and advocacy.

Missouri School or Religion Center for Rural Ministry
The Center provides transforming experiences of leader development, ministerial preparation and continuing education, with concern for small and rural churches and communities.

National Catholic Rural Life Conference
This organization in Des Moines, Iowa, is a membership organization grounded in a spiritual tradition that brings together the Church, care of community and care of creation.

National Family Farm Coalition
The Washington, D.C.-based coalition provides a voice for grassroots groups on farm, food, trade and rural economic issues to ensure fair prices for family farmers, safe and healthy food, and vibrant, environmentally sound rural communities here and around the world.

National Farmers Union
The National Farmers Union in Denver, Colo., works to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers and ranchers and their rural communities.

Pickens Baptist Association
This site works in cooperation with the Alabama Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention to house articles on rural and small church issues.

Rural Coalition
This Washington, D.C.-based coalition promotes comprehensive food, farm, labor, immigration and trade policies in Congress to build a more equitable and sustainable food system for small and limited resource farmers and ranchers, farmworkers, rural communities, consumers and the environment.

Rural Information Center
The Web site provides services for rural communities, local officials, organizations, businesses and rural citizens working to maintain the vitality of America's rural areas.

Rural Ministry Resources and Networking, ELCA
This rural ministry site is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and includes information on ministry, advocacy issues and ELCA policy documents.

Rural Social Science Education
A nonprofit program in Fargo, N.D., helping rural community leaders become more effective.

Texas Rural Church Network
A Texas ecumenical group committed to strengthening and supporting town and country churches on the local, regional and state levels.

United Methodist Rural Fellowship
The fellowship works to advocate, educate, inspire and influence the United Methodist Church around rural issues.

U.S. Department of Agriculture
The site provides information about rural and community development, as well as agriculture and other farm-related subjects.

Western Organization of Resource Councils
This regional network, based in Billings, Mont., helps its members with training and coordinating issue work in Dakota, Idaho, the northern plains area, Oregon, western Colorado and Powder River Basin area.