Breaking All the Rurals: A Look at One Pastor's Calling into Rural America
Like most pastors, Shannon O'Dell was no exception to the "rural" – or rule. He believed like all the rest that successful pastors and churches were bred within thriving urban communities, not within the boonies.
In his opening chapter of Transforming Church in Rural America: Breaking All the Rurals, the former youth pastor makes but one desperate plea, "Jesus please don't send me to rural America."
Then there was a dream … on a white couch. And God whispered, "Shannon, what if I want to use you to blaze a trail to pioneer a work in rural America? What if I want to use you to do that?"
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Leaving behind offers from several well-staffed, populated churches, the Oklahoma City pastor took his family of five from a bustling, metropolitan area serving the youth to South Lead Hill, Ark., which had a population of 88.
God was leading O'Dell into the middle of nowhere to set ablaze a revival, to show America that bigger does not always mean better.
"My hope is in God and my belief is in the Holy Spirit's movement in rural America and small communities of the world," he said. O'Dell now believes that the smaller they are, the healthier they are, because that's where God likes to work. God works in obscurity.
A vast majority of American Christians find no desire and value serving rural America, he recognized. They find strength and success in the cities, not within barnyards and farms. O'Dell personally believes that rural America has one of the most over-churched, unreached people groups in the world.
In fact, if "you take the Bible to some churches in rural America, so few read it, so few believe it, and so few follow it." Though they "come from rich church heritages, so few have experienced the living Cornerstone of the Church," he lamented.
O'Dell sought to change all that first by breaking some of the stereotypes of rural churches.
He stressed, "God loves rural and he loves breaking all the rules."
"Small doesn't have to mean boring [and] rural doesn't have to mean a lack of innovation."
When O'Dell first came to Southside Baptist Church they had limited resources and only 31 attendees. Problem after problem plagued the initial growth of the church.
Until God spoke to him and said, "When you desire to grow a congregation, you will never get it. But if you grow congregants, then you are going to see transformation in their lives and within the church."
O'Dell realized he needed to start from scratch and began sharing the Gospel with the members. By leading others to Christ, life transformations began to happen, and the church began to experience change.
"Genuine transformation communicates big time in a small community and it started to get everyone's attention," O'Dell shared. "The church started growing."
Powerpoint presentations were introduced, servant teams were created, new bylaws were set into stone, and ancient pews were removed. Every new change was met with struggle and opposition, and at one point, a mass exodus of attendees that left O'Dell battered and confused.
The growth of his church, obviously, didn't come easy. O'Dell emphasized, "It's change, conflict, growth; change, conflict, growth; and you have to walk through that process. We must go through change and then conflict in order to see growth."
"I'm convinced that God doesn't want average. He doesn't settle for so-so. He isn't looking to build on just getting by. He wants and expects our very best as leaders, pastors, and congregations."
With a God-driven vision, O'Dell has broken all the traditional norms of a rural church with Brand New Church. Using innovative technology, engaging sermons, and creative prop work, the church has grown from 31 to at least 2,000 attendees on six different campuses. The church also draws a large following with its online campus.
His vision isn't limited to rural churches. He wants to see every church transformed from the inside out.
And five goals that are indispensable, he emphasized, are Vision, Attitude, Leadership, Understanding, Enduring Excellence – or VALUE.
"God is transforming church in rural America and we hope that somehow, some way, you will join in this journey," he encouraged.
"Because once there were rules," but "God has broken them."
On the Web: www.breakingalltherurals.com
