In my original post I asked for your ideas on what made a ministry "rural."  Thanks to those who responded (both of you--even a rural blog has low population density).  Rural is certainly about "country;" open spaces, less structural density, "green space," etc.  And yes, Jon, it is certainly true that rural people often share the same barber, plumber, etc.  Not only is it true that I may use the same barber and plumber as everyone else I know, the barber and the plumber may be the same guy, and he may also be my representative on the town board, my daughter's softball coach, and my wife's cousin!  Having multiple roles in the same relationships is common in rural life, and it results in rural people being connected in multiple ways with most everyone they know.

Isolation is another characteristic of rural life.  For the person from a city that has an opera, a symphony, and an NFL team, moving to a smaller city that has none of those amenities may seem a move toward isolation.  When a resident of village with no pizza place visits a slightly larger town where the one pizza place delivers within one mile, she may feel the isolation from pizza in her village.  It is not so much a isolation from people, as rural residents may have more close relationships with neighbors than urban dwellers.  It is more an isolation from goods and services.  The important thing to note is that rural folks prefer this isolation to the congestion of the city.  They know they have to drive an hour or more one way to access medical specialists, high quality clothing, and many other high-end goods and services, but they think that a small price to pay for the perceived benefits of rural life.

For the small-town preacher, that means a 15-minute hospital call will require a hour's commute on either side, and that if the copier breaks down on Thursday or Friday, there just won't be a bulletin for Sunday.

People knowingly continue to live in that isolation, even choose to move into it, because somehow they find its inconveniences less annoying than the crowding and congestion that come with cities where more goods and serivces are available.

Ultimately, rural is in the mind and heart of the individual.  It is a way of thinking and feeling that leads one to choose isolation over congestion.

Are you rural?  Why or why not?