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NC Rural Center welcomes 2025 Connect Church cohort

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Western Rockingham Ministry Center, which was formed with support from Madison United Methodist Church. Madison UMC was part of the NC Rural Center's former Connect Church cohort. Courtesy of NC Rural Center

The NC Rural Center recently announced its 2025 cohort of Connect Church, a one-year coaching program focused on assets-based community development.

Since its inception in 2018, more than 60 churches across North Carolina have completed the program. The program, which is housed under the center’s Faith and Rural Communities initiative, aims to “equip churches to serve their communities in new and meaningful ways,” according a press release.

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“This year’s cohort includes 20 church teams selected through a highly competitive process, with over 60 applications received,” the Rural Center said. “Participating churches gain the tools to identify and build on community assets, and upon program completion, are eligible to apply for a $10,000 implementation grant to launch or expand a community-focused ministry.”

Connect Church, which is funded by The Duke Endowment and Lilly Endowment, “increases community engagement through coaching, resources, and grant assistance,” according to its website.

The churches selected for the 2025 cohort are:

  • Andrew’s UMC, Cherokee County
  • Bright Hope Laurel UMC, Madison County
  • Chestnut Ridge & Clover Garden UMCs, Orange County
  • Chocowinity UMC, Beaufort County
  • Divine Unity House of Restoration Ministries, Anson County
  • Ebenezer & Reeds UMCs, Davidson County
  • Ebenezer UMC, Catawba County
  • Edenton UMC, Chowan County
  • First Calvary Baptist Church, Rowan County
  • Freedom Presbyterian Church, Iredell County
  • Greater Work Worship Assembly of God, Craven County
  • Hampstead UMC, Pender County
  • Harvest Ministries Outreach Center, Anson County
  • Love Conquers Outreach, Montgomery County
  • Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, McDowell County
  • Mt. Calvary AME Church, Brunswick County
  • Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, Rockingham County
  • Pleasant Hill UMC, Randolph County
  • Southern Alamance Cooperative Parish, Chatham County
  • Tehillah Church Ministries, Wayne County

According to the NC Rural Center’s website, participating churches create a team of six to 10 church members to help lead their church’s local missional engagement.

Throughout the year, those teams meet monthly with a Rural Center coach.

“The program helps the church define its resources, understand trends and opportunities in the larger community, and develop a strategic plan for increasing impact outside the walls of the church,” the Rural Center’s website says.

In Madison, Madison United Methodist Church’s previous involvement in the Connect Church cohort helped the church launch the Western Rockingham Ministry Center, a place where young people can gather without feeling obligated to join a certain church community.

“It was an incredible experience,” Pastor Tracy Schumpert said about being a part of Connect Church. “The whole process helped us think more thoroughly. We had the big dream and the big vision, and we were going towards that. The Rural Center was critical to us in being more thorough about our dream and our vision. It was very beneficial for us.”

You can read more about the Connect Church Program — including previous participants — here.

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