Our first Rural Ministry Colloquium of the year is now available for download on iTunes U.

Jason Byassee, director of the Duke Divinity School’s Center for Theology, Writing and Media, and an executive director at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity, shares from his book manuscript, “The Gift of the Small Church.” During this talk, Byassee, an author, blogger and “Christian Century” contributing editor, leads a discussion of why small-sized churches have been God’s primary way of saving people from biblical times to the present.

The Rural Ministry Colloquia are monthly lunch-time gatherings at Duke Divinity School where a pastor, scholar, layperson, or practitioner is invited to address an issue related to rural life or ministry and then lead a discussion on the topic. These events are open to the public.

Our next colloquium will take place on October 22, featuring Rev. Chuck Warnock, Pastor at Chatham Baptist Church in Chatham, Va., near Danville. Rev. Warnock will share how he and his congregation led the way in the creation of a new community center and the revitalization of a small town devastated by social and economic change. Mark your calendars now -- it should be an engaging session.