A Bounty of Books

The Forgotten Church: Why Rural Ministry Matters for Every Church in America by Glenn Daman discusses the importance of rural ministry to the American church as a whole. Daman states that rural churches are the forgotten churches of America and provides evidence as to why this needs to change, as well as ways this change can be made.

Daman has spent his entire life in a rural ministry setting, both growing up and as a minister himself. Rural ministry is obviously very close to his heart and important to him. He provides many examples and statistics about how rural churches in America are "forgotten" and not given the emphasis urban churches are. He provides a brief history of this rural church in America, myths about the rural church (as well as their corresponding truths), and how both rural areas in general and rural churches in particular can contribute to the American church and the overall social fabric of America.

There is some insightful information in The Forgotten Church, especially for those who many not be familiar with rural areas at all. Daman also makes some good points about how the rural church has been neglected and how that can change in the future. Overall however, this book is kind of hard to get through. It lacks flow to a certain degree, and about midway through the book, the information begins to feel redundant. By the end I felt as though I'd been hammered by the fact that rural ministry matters. Though there is some good information, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who isn't serious about rural ministry.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Moody Publishers Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, See Part 255