Dear Rural Church and Community Advocate,

Welcome to the United Church of Christ’s Rebuilding Rural America web page! We hope that you will find it useful as a resource for you as you seek to work for healthier and stronger rural communities.

The United Church of Christ recognizes and celebrates rural church as the backbone of our denomination. Found in all 39 conferences of our denomination, the majority of our churches self-identify themselves as either rural or small town congregations. We hope that this web site will serve as a way to help these congregations to be vital and vibrant.

On this web site you will find many ways to accomplish God’s mission in your rural contexts. We recognize that rural communities and situations are as varied and complex as urban or suburban ones. A mining community in Appalachia, for example, contrasts dramatically from a border community in Arizona. Our hope is to offer resources that are broad enough to touch all, but specific enough to be helpful.

We covet your suggestions as to how we can be more helpful and creative. Be in touch with me at the e mail address below and let us be in ministry together.

May God richly bless you in your faithfulness to the calling to serve rural America! Let’s work together to rebuild rural America!

In gratitude for your service,

Wally Ryan Kuroiwa (Rev. Dr.)
Minister and Co Team Leader
Justice and Witness Ministries
United Church of Christ