This article first appeared in the pages of Outreach magazine several years ago. Since then, some of these churches have welcomed new leadership, some of the pastors have embraced new opportunities. But there is a timeless quality to their experience: what we glean from them offers insight for other leaders in other places.
Chad McCallum has learned to milk a cow, operate a combine and even tap his toes to the tunes of Randy Travis and Rascal Flats. It’s quite a different life than this self-proclaimed city boy from Indiana was accustomed to before moving to Burnips, Mich., population 200, in 2000.
When he accepted the pastorate of the Burnips Wesleyan Church, McCallum joined 77 million other Americans living in small metropolitan and rural areas. Although a seasoned pastor already, his new appointment brought a unique set of challenges and opportunities.
Burnips, located 15 miles outside of Grand Rapids, is home to a 45-member Methodist church, post office, diner and a recently opened pizza parlor. The Wesleyan church, founded in 1923, has grown in attendance from 270 to 325 under McCallum’s watch, attracting mostly blue-collar workers and farmers to the church, which now offers two styles of worship: Bill Gaither-esque and a more up-tempo style with a live band. Read more
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