Skyline Church in San Diego, California, launched its first satellite congregation in rural America, in a town with a population of less than 5,000. Church leaders hope this will be the first of many satellite campuses in rural American towns with populations of 5,000 or less.
On October 28, Skyline Clifton-Clyde in Kansas held its first service and has held weekly church services since at the Buffalo Ranch meeting room. Buffalo Ranch is equidistant between Clyde and Clifton.
Skyline pastor, Dr. Jim Garlow, believes too many churches have closed in rural American towns. Garlow grew up on a farm located six miles from Clyde in Cloud County. He left the area a long time ago, but remains a Cloud County farm boy who loves rural Kansas. He knows the unique challenges many small-town churches face to afford pastors and keep their doors open.
In the years since he left the farm as a youth, Clyde has seen the closing of the Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist churches. Only one Protestant church remains open.
Clyde has a population of 700 people and Clifton, seven miles away, has 500 people.
The Skyline Clifton-Clyde Fellowship has a weekly video sermon preached by Garlow from Skyline in San Diego, live worship led by musicians from the two towns and a local leader of the Skyline Clifton-Clyde Fellowship, Dennis Streit (pictured).
Streit and his wife, Christina, have six children. Streit serves on the Clyde City Council, is involved in the Clyde ambulance service, has been in construction and now oversees custodial work at the Clifton-Clyde High School.
The leadership of Clifton-Clyde Fellowship simply says, “We are passionate about helping people to see how exciting it is to be a follower of Jesus.”
Skyline Church prays the fellowship of Clifton-Clyde will be the first of many satellite campuses to share the love of Christ with those in small rural American towns.
