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Rural Ministry Fellowship Program
Rural Ministry Fellowship Covenant
Full merit-based scholarships, sponsored by The Duke Endowment, are awarded each year to Duke Divinity School students who exhibit the gifts, passion, and signs of a calling to ordained leadership in rural United Methodist Churches in North Carolina. Recipients of the award also receive a stipend to serve their ten-week summer field education placements in a partner Thriving Rural Congregation, and participate in an enrichment program that includes retreats, colloquia, a travel experience to encounter the Methodist church in Latin America, as well as an alumni network and various continuing education events upon graduation. Rural Ministry Fellows covenant to begin their ministry in the rural United Methodist Church in North Carolina.
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Rural Ministry Colloquia
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.
Recent Rural Ministry Colloquia
- October 22, 2009: “The Power of Partnership”
Like many small towns, Chatham, Va., has been devastated by the loss of its tobacco, textile, and furniture industries. Recently, however, thanks in part to the leadership of Chatham Baptist Church and its pastor, Rev. Chuck Warnock, the community has experienced signs of revitalization. Hear Rev. Warnock share this inspiring story of God’s grace conveyed through partnership. Slides from the presentation are available on SlideShare. - September 24, 2009: “The Gift of the Small Church.”
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. 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.