Influence: What myths or stereotypes influence people’s perceptions of rural communities?

Harvey Mitchell, Jr.: Some assume that rural people are not open to new ideas or that rural churches have no vision.

I have found that people who live in rural communities think outside of traditional societal conventions. They are more open to new things, as long as they are not just rebranded things from the city.

What drew you to pastoring in a rural community?
There wasn’t a specific draw to rural ministry, but it was the opportunity I saw in the rural community.

NoCal District Superintendent James Braddy encouraged me to look at a few open district churches. The first one was Orland First Assembly in Orland, Calif. In the 70s, a district pastor had a vision to move the church outside the city limits into the country because the church had some undeveloped land. I felt that regardless of whether the church grew under my leadership, I could guide its future direction by helping to develop the land and remodel the facilities.

How does being bivocational affect your ministry?
When I became the pastor, I was immediately informed that the church couldn’t pay me anything. I understood and was OK with that.

I went to work for a large agricultural insurance agency, which allowed me to attend many fundraising and relational networking dinners. I’ve had meetings with the mayor and city manager. I doubt these things would have happened if I were just one of the pastors in town.

A lot of the people who ended up becoming new members in our church were individuals I first met as their insurance agent. Recently I was appointed to the city economic development commission.

What were your biggest hurdles and how did you overcome them?
In the first 6 months of ministry, the district came at my request to restructure and to ask a few people to step down from the advisory team. As I said previously, I was told the church was poor and couldn’t afford to pay me a salary. The district later discovered the church had about $30,000 in the bank and was bringing in over $1,800 a month above expenses.

After the advisory team left, several families came back and said I was the only pastor that had ever stood up to them. The church has doubled in attendance every year since.

Organizational structure was a second big hurdle. I believe you plan for where you are going, not for where you currently are. Every four to six months we have to reorganize and reposition people as we grow. When I came in December 2012, the church was averaging 12 to 18 people. We are currently averaging 130 to 150, with 35 kids in our children’s ministry. We are now restructuring for a church of 250 to 300.

I am blessed to be in a church where people want to see God do amazing things.

Harvey Mitchell, Jr. is the lead pastor of Orland First Assembly of God in Orland, California. This post initially appeared in the April/May issue of Influence. For more print content, subscribe here.