A Fresh Call to the Town and Country
Written by George Garner

The tag line for the National Bivocational Ministries is “Whatever it Takes.”
This expresses a spirit of willingness to make any necessary sacrifice in order to accomplish the task of sharing the gospel with the waiting world.
If a gospel presence is to be planted in every pocket of lostness in North America, Southern Baptists must be willing to do “whatever it takes.”
A major part of that lostness is in rural America.
Without the spirit of sacrifice that characterizes bivocationalism, these unreached areas will be neglected.

Why should we be concerned for town and country North America?

62 million people live in the rural, small town, and small cities of North America.
As much as 80 percent of North America is considered town and country or rural America.
This represents 50 percent of the population living in medium size towns, small villages, open country, and urban fringes.

According to Prizm, 40 percent of the households in the US are in the Town and Rural categories.
This is an important venue for the planting of new congregations.
Of the 62 Million people who live in the rural, small town, and small city places of North America many are lost without Christ.

For Southern Baptists rural America is a natural.

Southern Baptists have a rural legacy (The majority of our congregations are in town and country areas).

80 percent or 900 of the associations of churches in the Southern Baptist Convention are considered town and country.

Of the Directors of Missions who serve as the key mission strategists in these associations, 110 are appointed associational missionaries in regions outside of the "Bible belt."

Included in the 30,000 Southern Baptist congregations in town and country areas are 8,000 mountain congregations in Appalachia and the Ozarks.

9 million members make up these town and country congregations.

10,000 bivocational, volunteer, and lay pastors lead many these congregations.

The bivocational Christian worker is key to having a gospel presence in all pockets of rural North America.

What is our response to this formidable challenge?

It is to plant thousands of churches of every shape and size:

Traditional and contemporary expressions

Cowboy and country churches

Multi-housing

Rural Sunday schools

House-based churches

Where do we plant these churches?

In open country

Small towns

County seat towns

Urban fringe or rurban regions

On ranches

In every ethnic and racial population segment

This is an opportunity for scores of bivocational and lay leaders and hundreds of ministry team members.

George W. Garner is a National Missionary for Town and Country/Bivocational Church Planting, North American Mission Board.

Much Vital Information can be found at the following link: NEWMINISTER.COM

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