One of the locations in my novel is a very small town in the southeastern United States (Maybe ~30 people, most of whom live on farms outside the town center). They have one church, a Baptist one, with one pastor. Would the church be in use throughout the week, other than prayer meetings and the Sunday sermon (or special occasions)? Would the pastor have a second job? I've been having difficulty finding non-contemporary sources that are specific enough for my purposes, so I'm hoping someone here can help me.
You might find the attached document enlightening. The reality is that a pastor has to eat as much as anybody else. If the congregation can't pay him enough, he needs to earn it some other way. That's what my priest does. A town of 30 couldn't really support one. And evangelical religion has never put great emphasis on education, so it's probable that the preacher would be a regular member of the community who happens to preach in church. Baptists aren't shy about letting just whoever preach these days. It was probably the same then. Probably the church building would be in use as a "community center" to some extent.
Being that it's 1868, long before Walmart killed all the small businesses, the pastor in question may be some kind of local business figure as well. Perhaps he's also the town dentist, or blacksmith. If you want a little humor and irony thrown in, heck, make him run the saloon.
In the tiny place where my family lived in the 19th century (and some still live today), the church building was also used for town council meetings and similar community activities, including some school programs. The Baptist and Methodist preachers made rounds through the sourrounding counties, only preaching at each place maybe once a month. The rest of the time, someone from the community led informal services. (No, I am NOT old enough to recall this first hand, but I do recall reading about it in a historical society publication.)
Thank you for the responses, everyone! I particularly appreciate the provided list of Baptist ministers, the occupation suggestions, and the knowledge shared from personal/secondhand experience. What delightful and helpful responses
