Appalachia. Most of us see the word and wonder how to read it aloud (we hear it’s pronounced “Apple-latch-ah”). Some of us may have hiked the Appalachian Trail. But we’d be hard pressed to point out this region on a map. And perhaps if we were honest, we don’t know why Appalachia is considered a mission field.
First, where is Appalachia? According to the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC),
The Appalachian Region… is a 205,000-square-mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi. It includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia… 420 counties in 13 states. It extends more than 1,000 miles, from southern New York to northeastern Mississippi, and is home to 24.8 million people.
Second, why Appalachia for missions? Also according to the ARC (emphases added):
Forty-two percent of the Region’s population is rural, compared with 20 percent of the national population… In 1965, one in three Appalachians lived in poverty. In 2008, the Region’s poverty rate was 18 percent…
These gains have transformed the Region from one of widespread poverty to one of economic contrasts: some communities have successfully diversified their economies, while others still require basic infrastructure such as roads and water and sewer systems.
But despite progress, Appalachia still does not enjoy the same economic vitality as the rest of the nation. Central Appalachia in particular still battles economic distress, with concentrated areas of high poverty, unemployment, poor health, and severe educational disparities. And recent economic data show that the Region has fared far worse in the current recession than the rest of the nation.
The ARC was formed by the government (a joint effort from the federal, state and local governments) to meet the economic development needs of this region. We at Adventures in Missions (AIM) believe that the church is called to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the world.
As we set our sights beyond our borders, there’s much to be done to fulfill the great commission right here at home in places like Appalachia, whose people and culture are often the object of ridicule. God has a heart for poor and the looked down – including those right here in the U.S. And Appalachia seems somewhat similar to Galilee, where Jesus himself did ministry, doesn’t it?
The Galilee, which becomes the true locus for a good deal of Jesus’ ministry…, is one of the most beautiful landscapes of the entire Middle East region… The upper Galilee has no cities in it. It’s rural, it’s remote. It’s located in the highest hills of the land of Israel…, a very remote area along the borders and frontiers of modern Lebanon, and high mountains and very, very treacherous terrain, very isolated by reason of topography and the nature of the land itself. – Eric Meyers, Professor of Religion and Archaeology, Duke University
Take the opportunity to minister in Appalachia as Jesus would’ve, as past participant Jenna Malin shared:
We stopped and talked to a woman named Jenny. When we asked her if she needed prayer for anything, she said she had just gotten back from the hospital this morning. The doctors said she had a tumor but it was too soon to tell if it was cancerous or not. We all individually laid our hands on her and prayed.
She started to cry. She was so blessed and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Just think that if we had not turned around, Jenny probably never would have known that there is hope in God.
You could serve in Appalachia as a family, with your youth group, or with adults. Call us at 800-881-2461 or fill out this form with any questions!
