GROVE CITY, Pa. – Grove City College has received a $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support the Center for Rural Ministry as it helps rural pastors, congregations and communities thrive.
The funding through Lilly Endowment’s Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns Initiative is a game changer for the center and its mission to bolster the partnership between the college, the church and the community, according to Charles Cotherman, executive director of the center.
“This funding will enable the CRM to expand our core programs to rural and small town churches in the region and beyond and extend the impact of our work by creating a hub for other colleges and universities to share and scale up programs and initiatives we develop with pastors, CRM staff, faculty, students and communities,” Cotherman said.
The center was established in 2023 after the success of the college’s Project for Rural Ministry, a five-year initiative that marked the beginning of its regional outreach to help pastors serving rural, Rust Belt and Appalachian communities thrive.
“In rural communities and small towns, the local church often serves alongside schools as one of the few remaining anchor institutions. Our desire is to harness the unique resources of a Christian college to support and strengthen rural churches as they carry on this vital mission in their communities,” Cotherman said. “Our work also helps to connect students to local churches in a way that can help members of the rising generation develop a deep and lifelong appreciation for the local church.”
Since 2019, CRM staff, college faculty and more than 100 students, pastors and congregations from a variety of denominations have worked together to complete service-learning projects, foster affinity group relationships and host students for internships, ICO trips and other partnerships. Each year the center hosts an annual conference to share and develop ideas to improve rural ministries and support clergy.
The grant will support specific initiatives to help local congregations and their leaders, connect students and faculty to rural and small town churches, and work with other Christian colleges and universities in rural areas on similar outreach and research on how thriving churches impact small towns.
“Our hope is that these grants will provide much needed resources and support to rural and small town churches to help them address their challenges and enhance and extend the many ways that they serve their communities,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion.