The Hopkins township is only 600 people—no stoplight needed—but the challenges Rev. French has helped her congregation address are every bit as serious as those faced in more populous regions. “One thing I’m really proud of is how the congregation responded after we found out the apartment building in town received a notice that their water wasn’t drinkable, that they’d have to live under a boil water advisory until the pipes were fixed,” she shares. “As the only apartments in town, it’s where most of the poorest people live. There were other churches closer by, but ours was the one that provided bottled water throughout the crisis, building a relationship as we dropped off jugs week after week.” 

The church also serves as a gathering spot for families who live in the surrounding countryside. “We do a big Easter Egg hunt and Halloween trick-or-treat every year, and often get as many as 400 kids,” she says. “They swarm in from the fields, we serve them hot dogs, give them a bathroom to use. We’re meeting simple needs, but it makes such a difference.”  

But ministry isn’t only about rising to the occasion in big moments, it sings vibrantly in the day-to-day. “I love encouraging continued growth for people who have been Christians their whole lives,” she adds. “Recently, one member shared how grateful she was to receive Bible study and small groups that ‘bring the spiritual meat.’ People have preconceptions about small towns, but even in rural areas where some people haven’t often left the county, we can still have conversations about racism or Christian nationalism. We can still wrestle with the Bible together, ask how we can live more faithfully.”  

Throughout moments large and small, Garrett’s approach to pastoral formation has served Rev. French well. “I came to Garrett with both a bit of religious trauma, and a sense of shame and guilt about believing certain things,” she shares. “It was so helpful to be around people who were asking similar questions about the Bible, finding ways to root life in Scripture and sound theological resources. I learned to find the imago dei in other people, and my preaching is often a reminder to remember that—to see how the rules and rituals help us connect to God and other people.” 

Garrett’s considerable financial aid also offered a sense of liberation. “So much of the financial strain from grad school was taken off my shoulders,” she confesses with relief. “Being able to start ministry without a huge amount of debt weighing on me has allowed us to settle into our town. It helps me be more generous with our own giving and tithing—I can pay for someone’s bus ticket without worrying about being paid back.”