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Pastor Tells Students Joys of Rural Ministry
CHICAGO, IL (April 4, 2005) - Dan Olson, pastor of Faith Evangelical Covenant
Church in Breton, Alberta, returned Friday to North Park Theological
Seminary (NPTS) to inspire students to seriously consider ministering in
rural communities.
Olson, who had previously known only city life, had ruled out ever
wanting to pastor in a town and country setting, but he captivated the
students and faculty with his joyous description of ministry in the
community of less than 600. In such places, the pastor becomes the
chaplain for the community, doing funerals, weddings and counseling
among other activities. Ministry is done in a relational rather than
programmatic fashion. For example, he told of meeting with farmers early
in the morning at the diner, where everyone gathers at the same time and
sits in the same chairs and the opportunity to be more deeply involved
in the lives of others than he might have in another setting.
The ministry has been reciprocal and involves all the issues that
confront city and suburban ministry, he added. Olson also noted that
town and country ministry can mean serving in larger churches as well as
small churches.
Olson is the 2003 recipient of the Quentin "Dusty" Larson Memorial Fund
scholarship, which helps reduce debt for pastors who graduate from NPTS
and enter town and country ministry. The scholarship is named for a
pastor who devoted his life to ministry in small towns and who
influenced many over the years, made possible by a fund established in
1997. People desiring to contribute to the scholarship fund can send a
check made payable to the Evangelical Covenant Church to Rob Hall at
Evangelical Covenant Church, 5101 N. Francisco Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625,
noting on the check that the gift is for the "Quentin Dusty Larson Fund."
The Town and Country Commission is part of the Department of Church
Growth and Evangelism. It serves as a liaison between rural pastors, the
seminary and other denominational officials and offers educational and
support opportunities.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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