Across the Pacific Northwest, rural churches from mainline denominations are combating declining attendance and escalating costs through a novel solution: pastor sharing.
“What we’re finding is it’s getting harder to attract clergy to move to rural communities, particularly for part-time positions,” said Geoff Helton, superintendent of the United Methodist Church Pacific Northwest Conference—Inland & Seven Rivers Missional District. “We’ve begun, where we can, sharing clergy.”
The biggest benefits of pastor sharing that many people have reported are the way it allows both congregations to save costs and attract ministers to rural areas.
