Covenant News

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.

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