Allen T. Stanton is the Chief of Mission Integration and Outreach at the University of Tennessee Southern, where he also serves as the Executive Director of the Turner Center for Rural Vitality. As an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church, at the Turner Center Allen focuses on how rural churches can become leaders in economic and community development and building strong community partnerships. Previously, Allen has served as a rural pastor in North Carolina, and as the inaugural Rural Faith Communities Fellow at NC State University’s Institute for Emerging Issues.