Comments on: The Gospel for Appalachia I

By: Appalachia Reflections in Preparation: The Shepherd of These Hills « The Fuge

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internetmonk.com » Blog Archive » The Shepherd of These Hills — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:13:10 +0000

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

By: robertltjr

robertltjr — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 15:21:10 +0000

I hope that you’re familiar with the PBS “Frontline” series titled “Country Boys” that follows two Appalachian teens as they struggle to graduate (among a host of other challenges) from “the David School.” Fascinating, as are your articles here.

By: badger

badger — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 22:37:37 +0000

Thank you for this column! I am an Army Brat, growing up in Germany and then Georgia, going to college in Atlanta. I began my preaching ministry in Harlan County, KY…also on the list of poorest counties and right down the road from you. Like you, I fell in love with Appalachia, though it wasn’t too hard since my dad grew up a hillbilly in East TN. Not only did I fall in love with the area, I fell in love with a local girl from Harlan County who is now my wife. I’m still preaching in Appalachia in West Virginia, though in a more urban area.
Like you, I was glad that the good things of Appalachia were shown during the Sago disaster: the faith, family, and hard-working nature of Appalachia was shown in all its truest colors. I was waiting for the media to find some toothless Snuffy Smith lookalike to subtly make fun of, and I’m sure there was some of that based on some of the quotes I heard. I think they were waiting for a fight to break out that would reinforce the ‘wrasslin’ reputation of WV, and read over and over about a man ‘lunging’ at a mine official (as if that was an Appalachian hillbilly reaction instead of an understandable reaction from anyone going through that roller coaster). But, overall, I was proud of the way my Appalachian neighbors carried themselves, despite the horrific occasion for all the attention (but, to be honest, I wonder if the incident would have gotten so much attention if it hadn’t been a slow news cycle).

Appalachia certainly has its problems, but they deal with it the best they can, and things are not as bad as the stereotypes suggest. As one woman born and raised in Harlan County said to me, she didn’t know she was poor until the government came in and told them. In many spiritual and non-material ways, Appalachians are much richer than some of the more affluent areas of our country: I would rather live in Appalachia than Los Angeles any day! But, you don’t see hordes of barefoot kids with no teeth wearing potato sacks, most homes have plumbing and indoor toilets and for the most part are regular homes, not tarpaper shacks, cable TV and satellite are in nearly every home (and was actually innovated in Appalachia due to the difficulty in receiving broadcasting), and there are some wonderful cultural things that you would not expect based on the stereotypes, like independent radio (WMMT), great colleges (Alice Lloyd, SECC, Pikeville College, Berea College) and so on. Even though there is a lot of poverty, there is a lot of wealth, too. Believe it or not, coal miners make a comfortable living…even a good living if in a union mine (the trouble is not low wages, but a lack of jobs, especially with the cyclical nature of mine employment and the one-industry hold of coal mining, sort of like what happens when an automotive plant closes in Flint, Michigan…when it’s the only industry, it hurts the whole town, from auto worker to florist). And, even though there is some far out Pentecostalism and snake-handling, religion is a very vital part of the community. In other words, don’t buy all the sterotypes: Appalachia is a wonderful place to live with its share of problems but also with its share of unique wonders.

Thanks for these articles.

Oh, and by the way to those who only hear about Appalachia on the news and weather channel, it’s pronounced Ap-a-latch-ia, with a short A in “lach” not a long A. That is the only way to pronounce it, don’t argue with me, no matter what the broadcasters say.

By: John Mc

John Mc — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 01:00:57 +0000

I live near Appalachia and its culture infuses the community I live in. My company has many employees from an Appalachian background. My wife is a home-health care nurse. She’s known for her compassion for her patients and her advocacy on their behalf, but frankly dealing with them is sometimes an extreme drain. The difficulty or unwillingness to follow simple medical instructions, the distrust of doctors, the fatalistic attitude toward health, make her job very grinding sometimes. I salute anyone who can do long-term ministry in this area, you must truly have a humble heart. I love the region but frankly I can only see developing deep friendships with the small percentage of people who share my educational background, and have some extra-regional experience.

To segue into my point, this makes me wonder – as Christians, are we obligated to seek out friendships with those we might not otherwise associate with? If there are lost people who we know, but with whom we share no interests or common experiences, are we called to develop friendships with them solely for the purpose of evangelization? If we do this, are we being phonies? Does that matter? I often feel guilty for not chatting more with some of my co-workers, but my lack of knowledge of hunting, NASCAR, tobacco farming, and related topics makes it difficult. Does my lack of interest in these things make me a snob? What’s the answer?