We are delighted you have found us. If you live in a small town or rural area you have come to the right place. The Town Square Collaborative seeks to serve rural congregations, communities and their leaders. We do this by supporting congregations and pastors who wish to engage and invest in their communities. Our work is built upon churches embodying their calling to be the Body of Christ, and literally being Jesus’ hands, feet and heart in their communities. We invite you to investigate out site and all our offerings.
- clergy and lay leaders
- congregations who wish to renew their identity
- churches and non-profits in supporting the work of one another in particular places
- people whose work is empowering rural churches and communities
We bring people together from rural areas all over the region to celebrate the things that make small communities wonderful. We hope you will find the support you need and share your gifts here at the University of the Ozarks and the Town Square Collaborative!
The Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns Initiative is generously supported by the Lilly Endowment.
Phillip Blackburn
The Rev. Phillip Blackburn is the director of the Town Square Collaborative. Prior to joining the University of the Ozark's staff full time in 2024, he served as co-pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith, AR with his wife, Tasha. Previously, he was the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, IL from 2004-2012 and a Lake Fellow in Parish Ministry at Second Presbyterian in Indianapolis, IN from 2002-2004. He graduated with BAs in Religious Studies and History from the University of Kansas in 1997, a Mdiv from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 2001 and a MTh from the University of Edinburgh in 2002.
Sara Anne Berger
The Rev. Sara Anne Berger is the assistant director of the Town Square Collaborative. Prior to joining the University of the Ozark's staff in 2024, she served as pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church, Little Rock, AR. Previously, she was the pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Natchitoches, Louisiana from 2016-2020 and Whitmire Presbyterian Church in Whitmire, South Carolina from 2011-2016. She graduated with a BA in History from Presbyterian College in 2007, and with Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Christian Education degrees from Union Presbyterian Seminary in 2011.
Allen Stanton
Allen T. Stanton is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church. He currently serves as Senior Fellow for Leadership, Faith, and Community with the University of the Ozarks. Additionally, he works at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives, managing a $53 million initiative to expand access to oral healthcare in rural Tennessee. Stanton is the author of Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021), which was named a “Top Ten Book of the Year” by the Academy for Parish Clergy, and The Gift of Small: Embracing Your Church's Vocation (Fortress Press, 2024). He holds degrees from Wake Forest University, Duke University, and Southern Methodist University.
Amanda Demoret
Amanda Demoret is the administrative assistant for the Town Square Collaborative. Prior to joining the University of the Ozarks' staff in 2023, she was an elementary teacher for seven years in Arkansas. She had worked with the University's Student Support team before joining Town Square Collaborative. She graduated from Arkansas Tech University with a bachelor's in early childhood education. She has a husband, Toby, and one son, Drew, as well as a dog, Trapper. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, her nieces, and friends as well as fly fishing with her husband from time to time.
Our Purpose
We believe the Church functions best when it focuses on its mission and purpose as ordained in Scripture by Jesus Christ. No matter where your church is located, your job description, the task of being the Body of Christ, remains universal. All of our programs are rooted in this core identity. Presbyterians have articulated our purpose since the early twentieth century in six core purposes, or “ends.” These Great Ends of the Church are antiquated in their phrasing but timeless in capturing the essence of what it means for a group of people to follow Jesus in any time and in any place. Take a look and reflect on how they might be embodied by your church…
- The proclamation of the Gospel for the salvation of humankind.
- The shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God.
- The maintenance of divine worship.
- The preservation of the truth.
- The promotion of social righteousness.
- The exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.