1
Session 1 – Understanding the
Appalachian Church
An overview of Appalachian
culture and values
2
Why Study Appalachia
Culture and Values
I planted, Apollos
watered, but God
gave the growth.
(1 Corinthians 3:6 HCSB)
3
Jesus and Culture
A little later some of the
other bystanders came
over to Peter and said,
“You must be one of
them; we can tell by your
Galilean accent.”
(Matthew 26:73 NLT)
“Men of Galilee,” the
angels said … (Acts 1:11)
4
Appalachia
“Dorothy,
you’re not in
Kansas (or
Louisville)
anymore.”
5
Our Culture Identifies Us
And they were
astounded and
amazed, saying,
“Look, aren’t all
these who are
speaking Galileans?
(Acts 2:7 HCSB)
6
Appalachian Imagine
Image Was Developed By
1. Media – to sell books, magazines,
and newspapers
2. Government – to sell programs
3. Missionaries – to raise support
and funds
7
Appalachian Imagine
Various Views
1. Popular National Image
2. Official Government Image
3. Industry’s Longstanding Image
4. Church’s Image
5. Self Image of Appalachian’s
8
Appalachian Culture and
Values
Those who are sensitive to
and utilized Appalachian
Values are more successful
than those who are less
sensitive or fail to recognize
the values.
(Conclusion of a study conducted by WVU)
9
The Appalachian Region
Appalachia lies along
the Appalachian
mountains, which
extend from
Mississippi to New
York, and includes
three sub-regions.
10
The Appalachian Region
 The region was originally inhabited by
Native Americans
 The name Appalachia comes from the
Appalachee tribe of Northern Florida
 The geographical region known as
Appalachia is named after the mountain
chain which serves as a barrier from the
outside world
 The isolation that the mountains
bring has preserved many traditions
11
Pronouncing the Word
Late 17th century. Formed from Apalachee, the
name of a Native American people of what
is now the southeastern United States.
Ap·pa·la·chi·an [àpp láychee n, àpp lách n]
adjective
Ap·pal·a·chi·ans [àpp láychee nz, àpp lách nz]
Ap·pa·la·chi·a [àpp láychee , àpp lách] noun
12
Appalachian Mountain
Range
Appalachians in
North Carolina
14
Appalachian Mountain
Range
 The Appalachians, about 1,500 miles in length,
extend from central Alabama in the U.S. up
through the New England states and the Canadian
provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and
Quebec.
 Significant ranges include the Cumberland Mts. in
Tennessee, the Blue Ridge Mts. in Virginia, the
Alleghenies in Pennsylvania, the Catskills Mts. in
New York, the Green Mts. in Vermont and the
White Mts. of New Hampshire.
 The highest point is Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina
at 6,684 ft (2,037 meters).
15
Appalachian Regional Ministry
A partnership ministry of
the
PA
OH
MD
WV
VA
KY
TN
NC
SC
GA
• North American
Mission Board
• Woman’s
Missionary Union
• 11 State
Conventions in the
10 State Region of
Appalachia.
For mission opportunities go to www.arministry.org
16
Appalachian Regional Ministry
 19 million people
PA
OH
MD
WV
VA
KY
TN
NC
SC
GA
 13 million
unchurched
 Poverty
 Spiritual darkness
– some areas over
90% unchurched
 Mission
Opportunities
17
Early History
 During the colonial
era, Appalachia was
claimed by Europeans
in search of
independence
 Much of the Civil War
was fought in
Appalachia
 Land was settled by
veterans, immigrants,
and adventurers
18
Geography and Economy
 Geography
makes farming
and industry
difficult
 Local economy
cannot support
the population
for most of
Appalachia
19
Geography and Economy
 Despite the natural beauty
of the region, tourism fails
to generate enough profit
to offset negative economic
trends
 The region’s traditional
economy is based on
agriculture, extractive
industries (coal mining),
and blue-collar
manufacturing jobs
20
21
Northern Section
 Extends from New
York into West
Virginia and Ohio
 Economic base in
steel, coal, and
railroad
transportation
 Reduction in
employment has
occurred in this
region
22
Central Region
 Includes sixty contiguous
counties in Virginia, West
Virginia, Kentucky, and
Tennessee
 History of the most
grinding poverty in
America
 Where War on Poverty
started and failed
 3rd. World conditions
 Entitlement mentality
23
Southern Region
 Extends from
Virginia through
the Carolinas and
into Alabama
 Includes many
unique regional
folklore
traditions
(Foxfire Series
24
Significant influences to the
Appalachian Culture
 Northern



Labor Unions
Decline of the major industries (steel, chemical)
Education




Migration
Labor Unions
Unemployment/Poverty
Decline of the coal and
timber industry
 Central
 Southern




Tennessee Valley Authority
Anti labor union
Education
Textile industry
25
Appalachian out-migration
 7 -8 million people migrated from
Appalachia between 1940-1990
 Most have moved toward industrial
centers, auto assembly factories in
Michigan and Ohio, textile mills,
banking or high tech jobs in the South
 “Brain drain”
 Since 1980 Appalachian migration has
decreased but not stopped
26
Traditional Appalachian
Identity
 Regional folklore shared with younger
generations
 Arts and crafts highlight the region’s
beauty
 No other large geographic region in the
United States has so many family
members who live their lives in
proximity to their birthplaces
27
Traditional Appalachian
Identity
 Extended kinship networks
 Children learn from parents and clan
 Family surname can identify persons
and link them to a kinship network
28
Types of Appalachians
Native – holding on to the past
Modern – changing with the times
Electronic – in touch with the world (www.)
Displaced – lives outside of Appalachia, heart
still back home
 Returned – one who moves back home at
retirement or job lost
 Adopted – moved to the region and now calls
it home
 Hidden – from Appalachia, relocated out of the
region and keeps their roots a secret




29
1960’s: War on Poverty
 Attitude toward
poverty was
simplistic: if a region
is destitute, give it
goods, services and
infrastructure
 JFK initiated War on
Poverty in 1963
 LBJ implemented the
program
30
War on Poverty
 The Community Action
Program sent volunteers
into the region
 The Federal Government
poured money into the
region
 Social programs such as
welfare relief, public
works projects and
subsidies to industries
were implemented
31
Poverty Wins the War
 Rather than investing in education,
businesses, and other incomegenerating concerns, federal aid was
used to finance more consumption and
more children
 Welfare and state aid become
dominant source of income
 Despite efforts the region lacked
entrepreneurship and education
32
Poverty Wins the War
Today 37 of the 100
poorest counties in the
USA are in Central
Appalachia. 27 of the
counties are in Eastern
Kentucky which has the
poorest of the poor.
33
The “10 Minute Window”
When you travel the
Interstate system
through Appalachia you
see one world,
progressive Appalachia
– travel 10 minutes on
either side of the
Interstate and you
often see the other side
of Appalachia.
34
Effective ministry means:
 Know the area you
will be serving:





The history
Demographics
Economy
Poverty/Literacy
Religious history
and background
 Make a long-term
commitment
35
Questions and Answers
Discussion
36
Session 2 – Ministering within the
Context of Appalachian Culture
How Understanding the culture will
enable one to more effectively
minister in Appalachia
37
Education
 Many schools often lack
basic supplies
 Because much of the
population is poor,
Appalachian states have
lower tax revenues
 This results in less
funding for schools and
substandard education
38
39
Literacy
 Level I & II estimates of literacy: Kentucky 54%;
Georgia 54%; Ohio 45%; North Carolina 52%;
South Carolina 56%; Tennessee 53%; Virginia
47%; and West Virginia 56%. The national
average is 47%.
 In the heart of Central Appalachia, some areas are
over 80% of Level I & II.
 Level I estimate of literacy: Kentucky 19%;
Georgia 23%; Ohio 18%; North Carolina 22%;
South Carolina 25%; Tennessee 21%; Virginia
19%; and West Virginia 20%.
40
Religion
 Key feature: autonomous,
regionalized sub-denominations
of Christian religions
 Regional churches tend not to
be involved with centralized
religions
 They often follow a literal
interpretation of the Bible
 The King James Version is still
the translation of choice for the
majority
41
Religion
 Most churches place a great
importance on religious
experience, especially in
relation to conversion
 Life extremely hard - the
sense of independence
carries over into their
religious experience




Works
Emotional
“Spirit lead”
Lay lead
42
Religion




Wesleyan-Armenian/Pentecostal influence
Roman Catholic influence
Church of Christ influence
“Baptist” in Appalachia may not mean the same
thing that it means in the “Bible Belt” states.
In parts of Appalachia, many SBC churches are
Southern Baptist for convenience or tradition not out
of conviction.
Be careful about talking negative about other faith
groups
In many rural areas Baptecostal would be a good
descriptive term
43
Religion
In Central Appalachia:
 Denominations are irrelevant
 Religious tradition often takes place
over Scripture and dogma
 One out of three unchurched have
been previously churched
 Salvation is equated to simply
believing in Jesus
44
Music
 Strong folk tradition
 Churches are very
influential: no explicit
lyrics
 Country/Bluegrass
influence
 Prevalence of white
country gospel music
 Square dancing is a
common form of
entertainment
45
Music
 Music within the
church community is
changing
 The change has
brought challenges,
pain, life, division, …
 Today you will find a
wide variety of
styles of music
 Music style will
govern worship style
46
Factors to Remember When
Ministering in Appalachia
 Culture (particularly the area
where you will be serving)
 Poverty
 Education (yours may not be
important to them)
 Literacy levels
 Religious background
 Music
47
Twelve Values Common to
Appalachians
Values you need to know to do
effective ministry in Appalachia.
Twelve Values Common to
Appalachians
1. Traditionalism or Heritage – a Strong
Love of Tradition.

love of things as they are. Change comes
slowly. There is a need for process time.
2. Strong sense of family or Familism

family centered; loyalty runs deep;
responsibility may extend beyond immediate
family; "blood is thicker than water."
Relationships are very important. High value
placed on good neighbors.
49
Twelve Values Common to
Appalachians
3. Neighborliness and Hospitality - help
each other out, but suspicious of
strangers; spontaneous to invite people
for a meal, to spend the night, etc.
 People are friendly, but not open to
strangers.
 Trust is important. Tend not to ask your
advice until they trust you.
 Relationships are important and deep
relationships are developed slowly and last
a lifetime.
50
Four Cups Of Coffee Rule
I will share a cup of coffee with
you out of obligation.
I will share a cup of coffee with
you my guest.
I will share a cup of coffee with
you my special guest.
I will share a cup of coffee with
you as a friend.
51
Twelve Values Common to
Appalachians
4. Love of Place - never forget "back home"
and go there as often as possible; it is
revitalizing; sometimes stay in places
where there is no hope of maintaining
decent lives because it is “home.”
52
Twelve Values Common to
Appalachians
5. Individualism, Self-Reliance, Pride - most
obvious characteristics; look after
oneself; solitude; freedom; do things for
oneself; not wanting to be beholding to
others; make do
 Strong Work Ethic
 Courage
 We consider our way to be the best
 If we have to do it your way, then after you
leave we will undo it
53
Twelve Values Common to
Appalachians
6. Personalism - relates well to others; go
to great lengths to keep from offending
others; getting along is more important
than letting one's feelings be known;
think in terms of persons rather than
degrees or professional reputations
54
Twelve Values Common to
Appalachians
7. Modesty and Being Oneself - believe one
should not put on airs; be oneself, not a
phony; don't pretend to be something
you're not or be boastful; don't get above
your raising
8. Sense of Beauty - displayed through
music, folksongs, poems, arts, crafts,
etc., colorful language metaphors (“I’m
as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a
roomful of rocking chairs.”)
55
Twelve Values Common to
Appalachians
9. Sense of Humor - seem dour, but laugh at
ourselves; do not appreciate being
laughed at; humor sustains people in
hard times. Humor is often used to cover
up personal pain, disappoint, or distrust.
Humor can be filled with sarcasm
10. Strong sense of solidarity - Stick,
together, even if you disagree, express
yourself but stand together
56
Twelve Values Common to
Appalachians
11. Strong sense of Patriotism - goes back to
Civil War times; flag, land, relationships
are important; shows up in community
celebration and festivals
57
Twelve Values Common to
Appalachians
12. Strong Religious Beliefs - values and
meaning to life spring from religious
sources; fatalistic (outside factors control
one's life, fate, believe things happen for
a reason and will work out for the best);
sustains people in hard times
58
Factors that Impact Ministry
in Appalachia
1. Geographical/Terrain of the state – travel
is measured in time not miles. Creates a
type of isolation in the remote, rural
areas
2. Literacy – depending on the area
between 50 to 80% of the adult
population cannot read on an 8th grade
level (functionally illiterate). +/- 20%
below a 3rd grade level.
59
Factors that Impact Ministry
in Appalachia
3. Economic issues –
 Poverty – 37 of the 100 poorest counties in
the USA are in Central Appalachia
 1 out of 5 children go to bed hungry every
night
 Low income – way below the national
average
60
Factors that Impact Ministry
in Appalachia
4. Love of the family atmosphere – churches
tend to be smaller than in other areas
5. Strong love for autonomy, for
independence
6. Distrust of denominations – control
matters, denominations tends to believe
that one size fits all. Exercise outside
influence which is resisted and resented
61
Factors that Impact Ministry
in Appalachia
7. Strong Wesleyan – Arminian – Holiness –
Pentecostal influence on one hand and
the strong Arminian Baptist (do not
believe in eternal security) influence on
the other hand
8. Strong belief in the KJV Bible
9. Love of free worship - music
10. Lack of indigenous pastors
62
Factors that Impact Ministry
in Appalachia
11. Population shifts and declining towns

Migration over the past 50 years has led to
a serious decline in many areas.

US Census projects flatten growth through
2025 in many part of central and northern
Appalachia
12. Priority – your priority may not be my
priority. I will say yes to you and either
not show up or fail to participate.
63
Factors that Impact Ministry
in Appalachia
13. Titles/Professionalism in the church are
frowned upon
14. Aging Population/High level of disability

52% to 58% of the senior adults are
primary caregivers for their grandchildren.

High level of disability
64
Factors that Impact Ministry
in Appalachia
15. Population is a stew or mosaic not a
melting pot – with some exceptions in
the remote areas. Be careful what you
say about other ethic groups.









German
Italian
Coalfields – Scot-Irish, Welsh
Polish
European
African American
Native American
Asian
Hispanic
65
Factors that Impact Ministry
in Appalachia
16. Event driven/project
17. Stewardship is project/need driven
18. Matriarchal society – above average
female pastors across the state in most
denominations. Long history of female
pastors and leadership in churches.
66
Factors that Impact Ministry
in Appalachia
19. Religious associations historically were
formed for the purpose of fellowship.
Hierarchy and control – real or perceived
is resisted.
20. Entitlement mentality – you owe me.
67
Questions and Answers
Discussion
68
Session 3 – Preaching
and Pastoring in
Appalachia
How to be more effective
as you pastor in Appalachia
69
Preaching in Appalachia
Bill Barker, Director
Appalachian Regional
Ministry
Pastoring in the Mountains
Too many non-indigenous
pastors leave the
mountains wounded,
misunderstood, sometimes
feeling abused, having
never felt accepted by
those he was called to
pastor.
71
Get to Know Your Church
Field




The culture
The Demographics
The past religious history
What is the predominate religious
influence
 Faith group/denomination
 What is the Biblical understanding
or literacy level of your church field
72
8 Marks for any Discussion of
Appalachian Religion
1. Puritanical behavior patterns or
legalism/holiness (external
rules)
2. Fundamentalists views of the
Bible and doctrine
3. King James Bible
4. Little distinction between clergy
and laity
73
8 Marks for any Discussion of
Appalachian Religion
5. Sectarian concepts of the church
and its mission (Isolation)
6. Revivalism - emotion
7. Informality in worship – testify
(bear witness) when you want
8. Local church autonomy/opposition
to centralized authority of the
church.
74
10 Factors That Affect
Pastoring in the Mountains
1. Appalachian
Culture – a
distinctive
subculture in
American.

Divided into
sub-cultures,
often along ethic
lines
75
10 Factors That Affect
Pastoring in the Mountains
2. Educational Level – varies across
the state
 “Good teacher, ain’t much of a
preacher!”
 Factors that impact literacy
 Economics
 Family Unit
 Geographical/Isolation
76
10 Factors That Affect
Pastoring in the Mountains
3. Distrust of outsiders – “furriners”



Historically Central Appalachia has been
treated as a Third World County
(controlled by outside interest)
Absentee corporate ownership
Outside attitude
 Reflected in media
 Reflected by government
 Reflected by religion
77
10 Factors That Affect
Pastoring in the Mountains
4. Out-migration
 1950 – 2000
steady decline in
population
 Resulted in a
“brain drain”
 Impact on
churches (aging
congregation)
78
10 Factors That Affect
Pastoring in the Mountains
5. Automation
 Industry – higher production, few
employees
 Shift out of the state
6. Union and Politics
“Leave your union views and political
views out of the pulpit.”
79
10 Factors That Affect
Pastoring in the Mountains
7. Economics



It is hard to get
poor people in
church.
The higher the
poverty, the
higher the
unchurched.
Great divide –
between the haves
and the have-nots.
80
10 Factors That Affect
Pastoring in the Mountains
8. Change
Television
Internet
Social change
Economic change
Communities disintegrating
Churches – aging, closing,
dysfunctional
 Music and Bible Translations






81
10 Factors That Affect
Pastoring in the Mountains
9. Religious culture
“Good people, but lost without Jesus.”
10.Family




Respect and utilize holidays
Respect the elderly
Reach the children
Be prepared to deal with “shack’n
up issues”
82
10 Things To Remember When
Pastoring in the Mountains
1. Get to know your people
•
•
•
Visit in their homes, eat their food,
drink their coffee
Visit, visit, visit and visit some more
Build relationships
83
10 Things To Remember When
Pastoring in the Mountains
2. Identify with your people
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
In dress
Hunting
Fishing
NASCAR
Housing
School
Community events
If you are planning to Home School …
84
Remember!
People don’t care
how much you
know until they
know how much
you care!
85
10 Things To Remember When
Pastoring in the Mountains
3. Respect your peers – preachers
and faith groups
 Historically many rural preacher’s
have lacked formal training, but
they are not ignorant of the Bible.
 To be college and seminary trained
is not seen as being Holy Spirit
taught.
86
From Eastern Kentucky
“My preaching career in area
churches during my 16 years at the
ministry where I serve has taught
me that as a seminary graduate, it’s
almost impossible for me to get
down as far as I need to go to really
communicate with mountain people.
It’s a daunting calling.” (Michael
Spencer – March 2008)
87
10 Things To Remember When
Pastoring in the Mountains
4. As a norm most Appalachians
enjoy free worship with strong
lay participation.
 Strong independent mindset
5. Most Appalachians enjoy
preaching with some animation
(life) in it.
88
10 Things To Remember When
Pastoring in the Mountains
6. Preaching often centers around
storytelling, therefore
illustrations are important.




Illustrations are windows
Use current illustrations
Use personal illustrations
Use I, we, us … but never you.
89
10 Things To Remember When
Pastoring in the Mountains
7. Leave the Greek and Hebrew in
the study and out of the pulpit
 The omission of phrases like “the
Greek says,” are best left unsaid.
 Such phrases say to the hearer, “I’m
smarter than you.”
90
10 Things To Remember When
Pastoring in the Mountains
8. Topical vs. Expository Preaching
 Topical preaching has been the
mainstay in many rural mountain
churches
 Few congregations move beyond the
pastor’s ability to communicate
effectively doctrine, Bible
knowledge, etc.
 Storyline preaching is powerful
91
10 Things To Remember When
Pastoring in the Mountains
 However, do not be afraid of
Expository Preaching
 There are different models
 John MacArthur – verse by verse
 Charles Spurgeon – passage
 Charles Swindoll – mixture of the
above build around a topic
 Use in a series of 4 to 8 week cycles
92
10 Things To Remember When
Pastoring in the Mountains
9. Give them Hope Build Upon Christ
Jesus did not preach a
gospel with minimum
requirements. Jesus
came preaching the
Kingdom of God and
inviting ordinary people
to be apart of it.
93
10 Things To Remember When
Pastoring in the Mountains
10.Do not underestimate the impact
of TV Preachers and the Internet
 Can be the source of false doctrine
 Can raise the bar of expectations
for your preaching
 Be careful about using the other
man’s material
94
Overwhelmed?
“Be a man. Get your hands dirty; go
hunting; do something with men, build
your church on men …. When you use
personal illustrations consider using
those that cast yourself as the goat not
the hero … Love your people and know
they aren’t dumb … When you preach,
do it with enthusiasm and emotion.”
(Glen Mathews – Evangelist)
95
10 Guiding Principles for
Pastoring in the Mountains
1. Remember
KISS
Keep It Short and Simple
2. Always take your people to Jesus
“Sir, we would see Jesus” (John 12:21)
3. Be yourself using the gifts and
skills God has given you
96
10 Guiding Principles for
Pastoring in the Mountains
4. Keep your spiritual
life fresh





Prayer
Bible Reading
Bible Study
Other reading
Jealously guard your
personal time with
God
97
10 Guiding Principles for
Pastoring in the Mountains
5. Never stop learning
 Continuing education is important
 Use the internet, correspondence,
seminars
6. Keep your preaching Fresh and
Relevant
 However, leave the study in the
study
98
10 Guiding Principles for
Pastoring in the Mountains
7. Plan your Preaching

Christian calendar



Church calendar


Christmas
Easter
Homecoming
Denomination calendar
 Missions
 Evangelism

Secular calendar


Mother’s Day
Father’s Day
Mark sure you allow
for the local church
and community
events that often go
unmentioned. Be
flexible.
99
10 Guiding Principles for
Pastoring in the Mountains
8. Let the Holidays and Special Events
work for you. Involve your people
 Christmas
 4th of July
 New Year’s
 VBS Sunday
 Easter
 Homecoming
 Mother’s Day
 Labor Day
 Memorial Day
 Harvest Day
 Father’s Day
 Labor Day
100
10 Guiding Principles for
Pastoring in the Mountains
9. Be Evangelistic in your Preaching
 Do not be afraid to share the gospel
 Learn to incorporate the gospel into
every message
10.Preach to a Point and Make your
Invitation Clear
 A good invitation starts during the
introduction of the message
101
Preach the Word
Preach the word of
God. Be persistent,
whether the time is
favorable or not.
Patiently correct,
rebuke, and
encourage your
people with good
teaching.
(2 Timothy 4:2 NLT)
102
Questions and Answers
Discussion
103
Session 4 – The Dynamics of
Appalachian Churches
Pastoring the smaller church or the
mountain family church
104
Southern Baptists in
Appalachia
 Some places trusted and
respected
 Others see us “as one step above
the Jehovah Witnesses and one
step below the Mormons.”
 Still other areas do not have a
clue who we are
105
Working with the Appalachian
Church
 Use Common Sense
 Trust and Respect –must be earned.
 Don’t be fooled by the surface
friendliness
 Keeping Appointments
 Your priority may not be my priority
 Conflict
 Often will talk to a mutual friend
 Offending one member can impact the
whole church (family)
106
Working with the Appalachian
Church
 Humor
 Humor is often used to cover up
pain, disappointment, fear …
 Inter-family Relationships
 Literacy – education (view of)
 Role of women in the church
 More of a central Appalachia issue
 Female pastors
 Deaconess
107
Working with the Appalachian
Church
 Be patient
 Emphasize the Family
 “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”
 Work with the existing leadership
 Remember – “Your perception of a lack
of leadership may not be theirs.”
 Do not impose your ideas of church
on them until you have earned the
right.
108
Working with the Appalachian
Church
 Help them discover “core values”
 Biblical
 Baptist
 Make change slowly
 Work through the existing
leadership
 Trust their judgment
 Allow for process time
109
Working with the Appalachian
Church
 Teach them how to deal with
conflict
 Allow for “toot” time
 Learn their language/culture
 Accept the fact that you may
never know “why”
 “Pay your rent”
110
Working with the Appalachian
Church
The Small-Medium Church
 Single Cell – acts like one big family
 Sense of Family – feel they are part
of a family.
 Greatest fear is the lost of their sense of
family if the church were to grow.
 Allows for Quicker Involvement
 The feeling of being needed motivates
members to become involved.
111
Working with the Appalachian
Church






The Small-Medium Church
Informal Environment
Much loving and caring
Absentees are missed by everyone
Heavy Reliance upon volunteers
Giving is project driven not budget
driven
Participation means more than
performance
112
Working with the Appalachian
Church
The Small-Medium Church
 Limited Entrance Points
 Usually limited to pastor and members
(relationships)
 Focuses on One Event at a Time





In the small church, one per quarter
Revival
Vacation Bible School
Homecoming
Thanksgiving/Christmas
113
Working with the Appalachian
Church
The Small-Medium Church
 Pastor May or May Not have a Great
Impact
 Usually have a strong lay leadership
 Pastor is usually best described as the Chaplain
or Preacher.
 Lay Leadership
 Usually one or two strong lay leaders.
 Business is usually decided in informal settings
outside the business meetings
114
Working with the Appalachian
Church
The Small-Medium Church Limitations
 Limited Programs
 Inadequate Evangelism – evangelism and
discipleship may not be a priority
 Event Driven
 Survival Finances
 Tough Crusted Lay Leadership
 Rapid Pastoral Turnover
 High Demand of Pastor’s Time
115
Working with the Appalachian
Church
The Small-Medium Church Limitations
 Inadequate Facilities – space is limited
 Smallness Breeds Smallness – in a comfort
zone. Small Groups Become too Intimate
 Reputation – strife among the membership
will impact their witness
 Older Membership
 Many Communities in the Appalachia are not
growing
116
Working Within The
Boundaries or Limitations
The Single Cell
Church
5 – 150 in average
attendance
Difficult
To
Engage
In
Evangelism,
Outreach, and
Discipleship
OR …
Maybe
Not
117
Working Within The
Boundaries or Limitations
The Single Cell
Church in
Appalachia
It averages 30 to
45 in attendance.
Difficult
To
Engage
In
Evangelism,
Outreach, and
Discipleship
OR …
Maybe
Not
New
Members
Back Door
118
Church Planters
 Make sure you are
called
 Indigenous sons
work best
 Study the area
where you are
called
 Learn the culture
 In many areas be
prepared to serve
bi-vocational
119
Church Planters
 Seek the person of
peace
 Become acquainted
with the local
spiritual leader
 Build relationships
 Get out among the
community
 Be a soul-winner
 Use volunteers
120
Questions and Answers
Discussion
121