D.G Hart writes an article entitled: If Cooking Slowly and Growing Organically are In, Why Is Rural Ministry Out? on the website Front Porch Republic.
Apparently the phenomenom where pastors find that God’s call is to the capital cities and away from the country is not unique to our nation. Nor is it confined to Presbyterian and Reformed denominations. The pastors of the other churches in my town confirm that it is observable everywhere.
This is a situation distinct from the plight of churches that are not able to sustain support for a resident full time, set apart pastor. Rather, this is the situation where financially self-supporting parishes cannot even interest credentialled ministers to come and talk to them about the possibility of a call. In our movement we have generally articulated our placement of ministers as a call of God. If this is the case, then the Holy Spirit doesn’t seem to want pastors in the country. Inexorably He seems to be leading ordained servants to the city.
Now, I’ve only been serving a provincial parish for six years. The town has twenty-five thousand people in it. It’s not that small. Some day I may end up back in a city again and these words may come to haunt me.
I don’t think I encounter a disdain for rural ministry or a bias against the people as such, but rather the idea that a city ministry is more personally fulfilling is usually present in some way or another. There are church code phrases that spiritualise the preference. I know. I used to use them. I once felt my gifts could be of the most value to the wider church if I was in the city. Is it any wonder that God in His infinite wisdom got me far away from there!
This sort of thing can also be expressed by the idea that pastors from city backgrounds will not be able to relate to people in the country, and vice versa. Oddly, the idea that the truth of God’s Word, thoughtfully taught, should transcend these cultural differences is absent. The relationship grows because we’re part of God’s family.
Absent from the areas of concern which Hart addresses is mention of the idol of the modern age, the family. Often the needs of children are given as a basic reason why a call away from the cities cannot be entertained.
I’m here because when I thought that I should move the only criteria I applied was that the leadership be born again and that the focus of the place be forward looking. So here I am. What’s the point of speaking about a call of God if you’ve got your fingers in your ears and your eyes closed unless the approach comes from the right postcode?
mgpcpastor's blog 
Just getting started in the blogging world but wanted to try to chime in because I strongly agree with you. Having served in a small town church for 15 years, the encouragement I often hear is to hurry up and move on. However, the development and potential here is on the rise. Increases in membership and a building campaign are the obvious signs of that. However all the Presbyterian Churches surrounding us are vacant and have great facilities and people ready to collaborate with a leader doing the ministry of the church. Are you aware of any Presbytery’s that actively try to fill their rural pulpits by approaching seminary graduates or pastors in order to “warm them up” to the rural or small town situation?
Welcome.
Here in the Presbyterian Church of Australia a lot of the supervision of pastoral candidates is carried out under State Assembly jurisdiction. (Through their relevant committees.) The candidate is accountable to their Presbytery of origin, as well. Upon graduation ‘exiting’ students are usually appointed to a vacant parish which has made application for such a position. The denomination subsidises most, if not all of the training expenses, so this somewhat socialist practice is a means of recognising the investment which has been made in the individual. Most candidates know that three to four years of rural ministry is a possible outcome upon their graduation.
Some parishes have had a disproportionately high number of ‘first’ ministries, while other, more settled ones may have never had a minister without prior pastoral experience. Generally rural and provincial parishes would be more highly represented in the first group and urban and suburban parishes would feature in the second.