About Allen
Allen T. Stanton founded Reclaiming Rural to bring his wide breadth of experiences and expertise to support rural communities. Most recently, he served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at UT Health Science Center, where he managed the $53 million initiative to expand access to oral health care in rural Tennessee. Within the College of Dentistry, Allen managed the strategic planning process, was a leader in the accreditation site visit, and built partnerships across the state.
As a pastor and theologian, Allen has published two books. His first book, Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations, was recognized as a Top 10 Book of the Year by the Academy for Parish Clergy. The Gift of Small: Embracing Your Church’s Vocation was released in 2024. He is currently finishing his third book on church-state partnerships. His writings have been featured in Faith and Leadership, Ministry Matters, The Daily Yonder, and others.
Allen has worked with denominational agencies and colleges across the United States, including Arkansas, Indiana, the Dakotas, North Carolina, and Texas. A gifted grant writer and manager, Allen has written or helped manage more than $17 million in grant programs and initiatives, including federal, state, and private philanthropy.
A committed member of his community, Allen served on the governing board of Southern Tennessee Regional Health System-Pulaski, and currently serves on the board for Hinton Rural Life Center in North Carolina.
Ordained in the Western NC Conference of the United Methodist Church, Allen is Senior Fellow for the Town Square Collaborative at the University of the Ozarks. He earned his Doctor of Ministry in Organizational and Community Leadership from Southern Methodist University, his MDiv from Duke University, and his BA from Wake Forest University.
Books
Publications
Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021)
As rural America continues to undergo massive economic and demographic shifts, rural churches are uniquely positioned to provide community leadership. Leading a rural congregation requires a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing these communities, as well as a strong theological and community-focused identity. Allen T. Stanton describes how in establishing this identity, rural leaders build a meaningful and vital ministry.
Reclaiming Rural explores the myths and realities of rural places, and how those common narratives impact the leadership of rural churches. Ultimately, rural congregations must practice a contextual understanding of vitality, which understands both the strengths and challenges of leading in a rural setting.
Arguing for a practice of evangelism imbued with this mission of vitality, Reclaiming Rural promotes the church as a leader in economic and community development, modeled upon a Wesleyan theology of grace. Acknowledging the many challenges facing rural churches, this book is an energetic and encouraging guide to overcoming social and economic obstacles to build a thriving congregation.
The Gift of Small: Embracing Your Church's Vocation (Fortress Press, 2024)
Most churches in the US are small-membership congregations. As Allen T. Stanton notes, most church leadership resources focus on membership growth as a central, guiding paradigm for the work of the church. The assumption is that membership growth is a natural outcome of a healthy congregation and successful ministry. However, Stanton argues that this assumption fails to engage theologically with the vocational gifts that small-membership churches offer. This oversight fuels the perception that small congregations are failing in their ministries or lack vitality. Instead, The Gift of Small argues that small-membership congregations are well positioned for the faithful, effective work of the church.
Stanton explores the roles that relationships play in faith formation and organizational leadership in small-membership churches. In doing so, he highlights the profiles of people who belong to these congregations and examines the assets they bring. The result is a renewed understanding of the critical role that small-membership churches often play in their members' vocational discovery and community-leadership development. Stanton grounds his observations in Jesus's teachings that use the imagery of small to represent powerful agents of transformation.
The Gift of Small can help clergy and lay leaders recover from discouragement and disillusionment regarding the often-disregarded work done in small-membership churches. This book will serve as a reinvigorating guide to help such clergy and leaders see their congregations' vital impact with clearer and fresher eyes. This book, in turn, will facilitate a renewed commitment to the work of small-membership churches.
Essays and Articles
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Essays at Faith and Leadership
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Essays at Ministry Matters
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Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Podcasts
Conversations with thought leaders about small and rural churches.
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