Retooling the Rural Church for the Twenty-First Century: A Rural Church Institute Resource - Paperback

by Glenn Daman (Author), Jeffrey Clark (Author), Ed Stetzer (Foreword by)

Rural churches are standing at a crossroads. Long seen as stable anchors of their communities, they now face accelerating cultural change, declining influence, and a rapidly emerging post-Christian worldview--even in places once thought immune to such shifts. Retooling the Rural Church for the Twenty-First Century confronts this reality head-on. Rather than lamenting what has been lost, Glenn Daman and Jeff Clark issue a hopeful and urgent call for renewal. Grounded in theology and informed by decades of rural ministry and research, this book challenges pastors and leaders to rethink models of church life and ministry. It argues that survival will not come through preserving buildings, programs, or traditions but through reclaiming the church's missional identity. Offering both clear-eyed cultural analysis and practical guidance, this book equips rural churches to adapt, innovate, and reengage their communities with confidence--faithful to the gospel while courageously retooling for a new world.

Author Biography

Glenn Daman has served for over thirty-five years as a pastor of rural churches in Montana, Oregon, and Washington. He serves on the Village Missions board of directors and Rural Church Institute advisory board. He is the author of five books related to rural and small church ministry: Leading the Small Church, Shepherding the Small Church, Developing Leaders for the Small Church, When Shepherds Weep, and The Forgotten Church.



Jeff Clark (DMin) served as a church planter and trainer and the Executive Director of the Montana Southern Baptist Convention. He served for thirteen years training rural church planters in East Asia. Clark served as the Director for Wheaton College Billy Graham Center's Rural Matters Institute and is currently the Rural Mobilizer for the International Mission Board. Clark and Daman are also the co-editors of the book Equipping the Rural Church for the Twenty-First Century.