Transform Minnesota Events

Rural Impact Leadership Conference 2026

Nurturing Thriving Congregations in Rural Communities

 

March 14, 2026 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Alexandria Covenant Church

Individual, Group & Online Pricing beginning at $39!

All registrations will include post-conference access to recordings of the plenary sessions and all workshops.

 

Join peers from across Minnesota for workshops, stories and encouragement shaped by life in the rural church. This one-day conference includes two main sessions, practical ministry workshops, exhibitors and more. In-person and online participation options are available. In rural Minnesota, church is more than a gathering—it’s part of a community shaped by school activities, fields, small businesses and neighbor-relations. Each main session or workshop is led by practitioners who are ministering in rural or small-town churches.

Leaders will be encouraged by engaging in worship, fellowship and connection with other ministry leaders.

Leaders will be equipped through practical, engaging workshops led by experienced ministry practitioners.

Leaders will be inspired by being reminded of the ways God is at work and of the role we each play in His Kingdom plan.

 

 

Presented by:

Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church

Oak Hills Christian College

Transform Minnesota

FAQ

When and where is it?

RILC is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. (CST)

Location:
Alexandria Covenant Church
4005 Dakota St.
Alexandria, MN 56308

Visit RILC’s FAQ page for all other information regarding this conference!

 

Brad Roth

Opening Main Session

Dirty Hands / Praying Hands: Work and Faith in the Rural Church

Brad Roth is a pastor in rural central Kansas. He grew up baling hay, tending sheep, and shearing Christmas trees on a farm in Illinois. He is a graduate of Augustana College, Harvard Divinity School, and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. Brad has a heart for serving God and God’s people.

Brad’s first book, “God’s Country: Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church” won an Award of Merit from Christianity Today.

He’s also the author of “The Hunger Inside: How the Meal Jesus Gave Transforms Lives” (Paraclete 2022), and “Flyover Church: How Jesus’ Ministry in Rural Places Is Good News Everywhere” (Herald 2024).

Brad is passionate about sharing faith in word and deed and living out God’s love in the community. He and his wife enjoy getting outside, gardening, and hanging out with their sons.

You can find Brad at DoxologyProject.com.

 

Ron Klassen

Closing Main Session

Ron is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and Director Emeritus of the Rural Home Missionary Association (RHMA). He served as the Executive Director of RHMA from 1990-2023.

Prior to that, he served as the pastor of rural churches in Nebraska and Oklahoma. He received a BA from John Brown University, a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a DMin from Bethel Seminary. He has served as a guest professor or lecturer at a number of Bible colleges, universities, and seminaries. He has preached in churches all across the country, spoken at numerous pastors’ conferences, and is a frequent seminar leader.

He has written dozens of articles, including several for Leadership Journal. Ron is the author of “Maximize! Leveraging the Strengths of Your Small Church.” He has coauthored two books: “No Little Places: The Untapped Potential of the Small-Town Church” and “Leading Through Change: Shepherding the Town and Country Church in a New Era.” Ron has been married to Roxy since 1977. They have been blessed with three children, a daughter-in-law and son-in-law, and two granddaughters.

RILC Speaker Introductory Videos

WORKSHOPS

More information coming soon!

REGISTER
FAQ

FAQ

When and where is it?

RILC is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. (CST)

Location:
Alexandria Covenant Church
4005 Dakota St.
Alexandria, MN 56308

Visit RILC’s FAQ page for all other information regarding this conference!

 

SPEAKERS

Brad Roth

Opening Main Session

Dirty Hands / Praying Hands: Work and Faith in the Rural Church

Brad Roth is a pastor in rural central Kansas. He grew up baling hay, tending sheep, and shearing Christmas trees on a farm in Illinois. He is a graduate of Augustana College, Harvard Divinity School, and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. Brad has a heart for serving God and God’s people.

Brad’s first book, “God’s Country: Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church” won an Award of Merit from Christianity Today.

He’s also the author of “The Hunger Inside: How the Meal Jesus Gave Transforms Lives” (Paraclete 2022), and “Flyover Church: How Jesus’ Ministry in Rural Places Is Good News Everywhere” (Herald 2024).

Brad is passionate about sharing faith in word and deed and living out God’s love in the community. He and his wife enjoy getting outside, gardening, and hanging out with their sons.

You can find Brad at DoxologyProject.com.

 

Ron Klassen

Closing Main Session

Ron is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and Director Emeritus of the Rural Home Missionary Association (RHMA). He served as the Executive Director of RHMA from 1990-2023.

Prior to that, he served as the pastor of rural churches in Nebraska and Oklahoma. He received a BA from John Brown University, a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a DMin from Bethel Seminary. He has served as a guest professor or lecturer at a number of Bible colleges, universities, and seminaries. He has preached in churches all across the country, spoken at numerous pastors’ conferences, and is a frequent seminar leader.

He has written dozens of articles, including several for Leadership Journal. Ron is the author of “Maximize! Leveraging the Strengths of Your Small Church.” He has coauthored two books: “No Little Places: The Untapped Potential of the Small-Town Church” and “Leading Through Change: Shepherding the Town and Country Church in a New Era.” Ron has been married to Roxy since 1977. They have been blessed with three children, a daughter-in-law and son-in-law, and two granddaughters.

RILC Speaker Introductory Videos

WORKSHOPS

WORKSHOPS

More information coming soon!

REGISTER
REGISTER

Details

Date:
March 14, 2026
Time:
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Event Category:
Website:
https://ruralimpact.church/

Organizer

Northwest Conference
View Organizer Website

Venue

Alexandria Covenant Church
4005 Dakota St
Alexandria, MN 56308 United States + Google Map