Rural pastors helping rural churches think biblically about the local church.
Subscribe:.rss.atom.json.md.m3u.pls
Live Last read · last published · next check
Saves to your Listen queue, to pick up on another day or another device.
In this episode of Rural Pastors Talk, Joe Wagner, Josh MacClaren, and CJ Dematatis open with a humorous “Pastoralax” skit before diving into what makes pastors grumpy and why a “holy heart check” matters in rural ministry. They share personal stories including travel fatigue and traffic, tightly planned schedules getting disrupted, last-minute Sunday volunteer changes, losing a preaching slot,…
In this episode of Rural Pastors Talk, TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren swap favorite vacation spots before pivoting to a needed conversation about rest for pastors. They discuss the common extremes: discouraged pastors who drift into laziness versus pastors who can’t shut ministry off. Then Josh lays out a biblical theology of rest from creation, the Sabbath, and the gospel, including…
In this episode of Rural Pastors Talk, Joe Wagner and CJ Dematatis discuss why pulpit supply and guest preaching matter for both congregations and preachers, pushing back on the idea that rural ministry is a “training wheels” assignment. CJ reflects on early preaching lessons and shares key takeaways from the Charles Simeon Trust Chicago Course on Preaching: get the text right for the original…
In this episode of Rural Pastors Talk, TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren discuss how a church can become a “reverse witness” in its community when it’s known for something other than Christ. They argue that in small towns, reputation spreads fast and lasts for generations, so building genuine relationships with community leaders and neighbors matters for both practical needs (like zoning…
In this episode of Rural Pastors Talk, TJ Freeman, Josh MacClaren, and Joe Wagner swap memorable “worst hotel” stories to highlight how first impressions linger and why hospitality matters when guests visit a church. They discuss common rural-church hospitality pitfalls, like locked or unused front doors, unclear entrances, and assuming everyone already knows where to go. They also offer practical…
In this episode of Rural Pastors Talk, TJ Freeman interviews Bryce Asberg, director of a pregnancy resource center in Hillsdale, Michigan, about why the pro-life issue matters deeply for rural churches. Bryce shares his background, his “boring” Christian testimony, and how his long-standing pro-life convictions led him into pregnancy center work. Together they discuss how abortion is now present…
In this episode of Rural Pastors Talk, Josh MacClaren, Joe Wagner, and first-time podcast guest Eric Grant swap small-town stories before diving into why churches in tiny towns matter and why church planters shouldn’t overlook them. Eric shares about planting Trinity Church in Antrim, Pennsylvania, a former coal town with about 30 weekly attendees, more hunting cabins than permanent homes, and the…
In this episode of Rural Pastors Talk, TJ Freeman and pastors Joshua MacClaren and Joe Wagner discuss church music and whether “better music” can save a struggling rural ministry. After swapping childhood music memories, they talk about why music matters and how churches often treat it as the quick fix for low attendance or discontent members. They contrast different approaches, from full bands to…
TJ got a chance to interview our friend, Sam Hahn, on why relationships between men in many churches, especially rural settings, can feel shallow. They get to chat about how pastors can help cultivate deeper, gospel-centered brotherhood. Drawing from Sam's doctoral ministry project, they discuss the need for safe, non-sexualized male intimacy, the biblical priority of men not being alone, and a…
Rural Pastors Talk is back! In this Season 6 premiere of the Rural Pastors Talk podcast, we’re asking: What ever happened to Rural Pastor’s Talk? This episode is gives us the opportunity to “un-rebrand.” And with it comes a renewed commitment to the health of the rural church. We talk honestly about why RPT rebranded, what we hoped to accomplish, why we’re changing back, and what we believe is at…