As long as location is good, leadership is strong and the gospel is preached, First Church might be rebuilt in short order. Not so in a small town. Continuity is priceless. Being healthy season after season means more than having flashes of brilliance. Bad raps are harder to shake.
People stay put.
Towards that end, continuity is our friend. Forward reaching, long-term pastorates can achieve monumental good. Churches do well to select pastors who enjoy the small town and feel called to a rooted life. Churches do well to guard their pastors from small town pressures and to pay well for pastors' services. Stability in the pastorate usually portends stability in the church, as long as stability does not deteriorate into stagnation.