February 25, 2025 -- Cameron Cowburn
Pastoring a small, rural church can often feel like an uphill battle every step of the way. The challenges are real: limited resources, dwindling attendance, financial strain, and the emotional toll of shepherding a congregation where deep-rooted traditions sometimes resist change. Though these challenges aren’t exclusive to rural churches, they are ones we commonly face. In a small, rural church, it’s easy to feel insignificant, under-appreciated, and even isolated. But take heart! The God who called you to this ministry is the same God whose immensity fills the heavens and the earth. His work in your local church is never limited by size, location, or human expectations.
If you’ve spent any time studying the attributes of God, you’ve undoubtedly come across his attribute of immensity. In my opinion, God’s immensity is one of the most comforting attributes of the Lord whom we serve. James Henley Thornwell (1812-1862) writes, "God in the fullness of His essence is present to every point of space in every point of time." (Collected Writings, I.194) He is boundless, unrestricted by geography, time, or any other human limitation. While our human minds often associate greatness with numbers and visible impact, God’s greatness as he grows his Church is not confined to just large congregations or bustling cities. His presence fills even the smallest rural church just as fully!
David reminds us in Psalm 139:7-10: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I lift up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me." (LSB)
God’s immensity means that your small congregation is not insignificant in his eyes. He is just as glorified in the faithful preaching of his Word in a one-room church as he is in a thousand-seat sanctuary. Every sermon preached, every home or hospital visited, every prayer lifted—he sees it all.
Genesis 46 provides a beautiful picture of God’s immensity in action. As Jacob prepared to leave Canaan and journey to Egypt, he was undoubtedly filled with fear and uncertainty. He was leaving the land of promise, heading into an unknown future. But God reassured him:
“And He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I Myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I Myself will also bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes with his hand." (Genesis 46:3-4, LSB)
Despite Jacob’s fears, he was reminded by God that the LORD God is not bound to one place—his presence would go with Jacob, even into foreign territory.
Pastor, you may sometimes feel like your ministry is far removed from where 'important' things are happening. But just as God was with Jacob in Egypt, he is with you in your rural community; he has not abandoned you. Your faithfulness in this place is part of his greater plan and the glory of his growing kingdom! Your ministry may not be considered by others as being successful by the world’s standards. However, success is to be faithful to the God who placed you where you are as you preach his Word, administer his sacraments, and shepherd his people! Even if your calling is to minister to and bury old saints in a dying church, this is a beautiful and necessary ministry!
Some of the greatest movements of God began in small—seemingly insignificant—places. Wittenberg, Germany was not a seemingly significant place of church ministry. And yet, the ministry of an Augustinian monk in the early 16th century started a fire that spread the gospel across Europe and eventually the world. Of course I’m referring to Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Never underestimate what God can do through a faithful pastor in a small community. We may not see the full impact of your ministry now or even in our lifetime, but the kingdom which we serve is eternal!
So press on, preach the Word, love your people, serve faithfully, and trust that the God who fills the heavens and the earth is working in and through you, right where you are. There is nothing done in secret or in obscurity before the immense God. Before his immensity, all of our uncertainty and doubt loses its power. It may not be gone, but it’s impotent. God is always with you.
If I may quote from a catechism, where I actually think the children’s version ministers to my soul more than the adult version,
“Q: Can you see God?
A: No; I cannot see God, but He always sees me." (Westminster Children’s Catechism, Q&A #11)
There is no place too small for his presence, no ministry is insignificant, and no act of faithfulness goes unnoticed. Just as he was with Jacob on the journey to Egypt, he is with you in your rural church. His purposes are unfolding in ways you may not yet see and may never see. And if you are considering a calling to rural ministry but are intimidated by its unique challenges, remember that God is already there! No ministry is irrelevant.
When listening to a lecture in seminary, a professor of mine once said to us, “Don’t you dare be ashamed to go to a small church, because Jesus isn’t.” Therefore, let us not be ashamed, brothers! Let us put ourselves to the work of ministry for the glory of our Savior!
Cameron stepped away from a career in medicine as a Physician Assistant and became the pastor of the Gold Church in 2020, and is currently furthering his studies at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He lives in rural Pennsylvania with his wife Heidi and their three young children. When he's not working on his pastoral duties and school work, Cameron spends his spare time golfing, hunting, playing guitar, spending time with his family, and indulging in his nerdiness with The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, etc.
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