Comments on: The Gospel for Appalachia III: Four Christian Responses

By: internetmonk.com » Blog Archive » The Shepherd of These Hills

internetmonk.com » Blog Archive » The Shepherd of These Hills — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:13:47 +0000

[...] The Gospel and Appalachia The Gospel and Appalachia: Can The Culture Change? The Gospel and Appalachia: Four Christian Responses [...]

By: Joe Willoughby

Joe Willoughby — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:08:51 +0000

This blog entry you wrote over three years ago is proving to be amazingly timely for me now. I found it by googling the phrase, “church planting appalachia kentucky.” Having lived and pastored in London, KY 2000 – 2002, I am very familiar with the area and have stayed in touch with several people in Laurel/surrounding counties. When I began reading the four Christian responses, I was blown away by the very first one: “Christians must choose to come to Appalachia and live the rest of their lives.” A friend of mine, Steve Yeary, executive director of the Appalachian Children’s Home in Barbourville has invited me to spend this coming Easter weekend there. One of the things we will discuss is the possibility of my moving to SE Kentucky again. If I do, I will come to stay. I look forward to meeting you some day. THANK YOU for your many years of faithful service. It is very clear that you love the culture and are making a difference.

By: jim

jim — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 14:25:07 +0000

Long time, Michael, since I last talked with you. Lost you for awhile, then the link resurfaced and I’ve been reader who just hasn’t commented, for whatever reason. We may not always agree, but I certainly enjoy the site. These posts on Appalachia, if you remember, speak to me. I grew up and yet reside just south of Cincinnati, as far north as one can go in Kentucky. My wife is from Williamsburg. Over 30 years in independant Pentecost took us a few times down in the mountain area of Harlan and Cumberland. It’s a long story to speak of my own first encounter with that area. I’ll just reduce it to say, as most women do, Beth wanted to shop while down there and had noticed a small Sears in downtown Harlan. We went in, she went her way, and I wandered toward the men’s department. Drifting through that area, at one point I raised my eyes to note the entire wall of that particular large room to be covered with knives, guns, and weaponry of every description. What it immediately spoke to me was what had already been suggested by other clues: you don’t want to get into any religious/political/or any other opinionated discussion with anybody while you’re here. It was an interesting visit. The entire town “closes down” at 9:30 in the evening, but I’m sure there’s always a bar or a church somewhere having service as “usual”. The people were, indeed, friendly, but you had this feeling of being in another country………..

By: JR Olekszyk

JR Olekszyk — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 04:26:44 +0000

Michael,

Long time reader, first time writing in with a comment.

I was prompted to write because this series of posts caught my attention after having watched parts of a documentary aired last night on PBS called “Country Boys”. It followed the lives of two high school senior boys at an alternative high school in KY.

As I watched, I was struck with how much I live in a bubble. Not a Christian bubble, but rather an economic bubble. I live in Michigan in one of the richest counties (per capita) in America. While watching the series, I could not even comprehend how someone could be struggling with the thought of whether or not he was going to finish high school. When I graduated from my high school, in a class of 128, all attended college. College was over and done with in 4 years without even thinking twice.

Most certianly I do live a sheltered life, nevertheless I do agree with you wholeheartedly that nothing short of the pure, mind-renewing, life-altering Gospel will bring about change to that area, or any other for that matter. Both the rich and the poor have their idols that only Christ can crush.

If you have not read it yet, I would highly recommend “Productive Christians in an Age of Guilt Manipulators” by David Chilton. It is a book that sets forth the Gospel as the only means and hope of social-economic reform.

Yes the Gospel will be victorious.

By: Diane R

Diane R — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 03:20:32 +0000

Michael,
Thank you very much for this series. I too am watching the PBS Frontline series, “Country Boys.” Actually, I wasn’t going to watch it particularly, but because of your articles, I decided to and I’m glad I did. It seems Appalachia is on God’s mind this month….:)

By: u2wesley

u2wesley — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:49:07 +0000

This may be a dumb question, but I’ll ask it anyway.

Is this series of essays timed to run simultaneous to the current PBS miniseries “Country Boys?”

For the past two nights I’ve watched with fascination and a heavy heart as this excellent documentary has raised many of the same issues as your last three essays.

I’m a seminary educated former pastor/associate pastor/youth director who spent over 20 years in vocational ministry. Currently I’m a caseworker for one of the larget housing authorities in the US. The myriad of social problems you’ve identified in Appalachia are just as rampant, if not worse, in the innercity. The city I minister in as a caseworker is 65% hispanic and the population I serve (public housing residents) is 90% hispanic. Just as OT heavy Appalachian civil religion imprisons the spirits of the people you serve, medieval style RC with a heavy emphasis on the Virgin of Guadalupe is a contributing factor to keeping the people I serve trapped in a cycle of dependency. Every culture has a culture bound idea of the gospel. The question I ask myself everyday is, from the perspective of the gospel of Jesus, are the people I serve any more culture bound than I am as a middle class white guy? Is this a question of degrees? Are we measuring the people of Appalachia or the innercity of San Antonio by the gospel of Jesus of our whitebread ideal of what it is?

Peace,
Tim Adams

By: bookdragon

bookdragon — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:55:40 +0000

My mother’s father was born in WVa in Appalachia, I lived near it (SW Va) for nearly 7 years, and my uncle served as a Christian educator in Ky for a number of years before burning out.

On education, my observation is that those who make it out and/or can confortably return with an education are the ones who join the military. That is respected there and “larnin’” that comes from a military academy or through active service is respected as no other form of education is. That’s a bit sad, but there it is. If you want kids graduating to go on for college, point them toward ROTC. (Military service is how my grandfather got out ‘honorably’ from the standpoint of his kin).

On missions, I think it may take a critical mass of Christians from the outside settling and living there to start to make a change. St. Patrick along changed a similar culture a long time ago, but he knew the people from being a slave there for half his life. Not many of us could replicate that.

By: tomsmedley

tomsmedley — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:42:57 +0000

The question on my mind is how to bring the Gospel to muslim nations. Your description of the power of deeply engrained cultural shackles resonates. The solutions you mention also seem to make sense in the context of my concerns.

By: badger

badger — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 04:26:25 +0000

I really wonder what can be done in the way of bringing the Gospel to Appalachia, as opposed to the ardent religion that is there now. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I began my preaching ministry in Harlan County, KY…deep in the heart of Appalachia, to say the least. I am a part of the Independent Christian Church, a very biblical, Gospel-preaching movement, but, also not very charismatic in the spiritual sense. However, I found very fast that the only type of religion that seemed to do well in eastern KY was the very fervent brand of Pentecostalism: tongue-speaking, shouting, flopping to the floor, throw the baby in the air, run around the church screaming kind of religion. Remember, folks, snake-handling is still practiced here: that is not an anecdote or stereotype, it’s a reality. The preaching, as the Monk as pointed out, is shallow but very loud and accusatory: a lot of screaming about how bad you were and how salvation is a matter of not drinking, smoking, swearing, wearing pants (for women) or wearing short sleeves (for men). I once heard a long sermon on the radio in Harlan County which quoted “Repent or perish” purt near 1,000 times with graphic descriptions of how God was going to kill you (the perish part)if you don’t start living right (the repent part). In every town there seemed to be a medium-sized Baptist church where the college professors and lawyers went, a huge (relative to the size of the town) Pentecostal church and a bunch of little Pentecostal churches where everyone else went.

How do you bring the Gospel to a place where the folks feel like they are following Jesus and that you are not really preaching if you are not condemning everyone to hell? My aunt, a product of Applachia, looked at me scornfully when she saw me studying Hebrew and informed me smugly that her preacher didn’t have a bunch of ‘book larnin’ but was very loud. That was a slur to me and a compliment on him. I honestly started feeling that God was a wrathful, vengeful God, something I didn’t really notice until I visited South Carolina and got the view of God as a rich uncle instead. I really think the religion is harsh and the view of God is hard in Appalachia because of the severity of life: how else do you explain God when life is hard and short, poverty is all around, the very landscape is unforgiving, and despair is the only thing the future holds.

I’m loving these articles, but I wonder how you would take the real Gospel to Appalachia when the ‘repent or perish’ (out of context) religion is so pervasive.

By: radioalarm

radioalarm — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 03:32:02 +0000

I may be one of the ones who goes. These last three entries have tugged on my heart. As one studying to be a minster of the Gospel, I’ve been praying to be shown a place to serve. For now I’m just studying Greek and taking Bible classes, but this area will be one in my prayers now, and I will see where God leads me. Thank you Michael, for sharing what means so much to you.