When my grandmother was born in Garniell, Montana during the Depression, she lived on a farm; the nearest actual town was Judith Gap, in the middle of the Montana breadbasket, and the nearest church was therefore about ten miles away. Her family had a choice of driving to Moore and be a Catholic or Methodist or go to the Gap... and be Catholic or Methodist. The nearest town with any other denominations were all the way in Lewistown. My grandfather grew up on the other side of the Gap in a staunch Lutheran family. I think they went to the Methodist church.
These tiny parish churches and prairie chapels were sometimes a county apart and had only a handful of families in attendance. Now, their numbers are shrinking as those families commute for services or stop going altogether.
Time ran this interesting short piece about the traveling pastors who serve these tiny farming communities in Minnesota. Apparently Blogger isn't fond of flash videos, but this displays remarkably well in full-screen if you choose. In any case, the plight of these pastors is very similar to what we see in Montana and Wyoming as well...
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