S2 E9 Rural Congregations: A Story of Pain and Promise

Allen T. Stanton is the executive director of the Turner Center at Martin Methodist College, which leads rural congregations in cultivating community and economic development in southern Middle Tennessee. A United Methodist pastor, Stanton previously served a small-membership church in North Carolina.

Ben Tapper is an associate for resource consulting with the Center for Congregations. Ben has a passion for communal healing and restoration. He is also a consultant on CRG Chat and helps with social media.  

Matt Burke is the director of the Northeast Center for Congregations in Fort Wayne and serves as the Center’s Education Director statewide. Matt has a background in classroom, digital and experiential education and most recently served as the associate director of Learning Science at Kaplan Test Prep. He is passionate about using education to develop deeper faith in congregational participants.

Matt earned a B.A. in Religion from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and a Masters of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Kelly, and his two sons, Silas and Levi. Matt also loves storytelling in films, books and music and finding the intersections of faith and popular culture.