Mary Berry grew up attending a small Baptist church in rural Kentucky, where her family had farmed for generations. She taught Sunday school, participated in potlucks, and served as a deacon alongside local community members from diverse backgrounds. The close-knit congregation valued a sense of equality and community that Ms. Berry recalls as “pretty darn good,” despite its imperfections. However, as economic decline affected the region in the early 2000s, the church experienced divisions over issues like same-sex marriage, leading to the ousting of a pastor and Ms. Berry’s departure. Her reflections came shortly after the death of Dolly Parton, a fellow Appalachian native who was similarly shaped by a small rural church.

Ms. Parton, who died last week in Nashville at age 80, was widely commemorated not only as a music icon but as a symbol of a distinctly Southern Christian faith—rooted in Appalachian tradition, characterized by its folksy warmth, emphasis on Jesus, and small congregational community. Her grandfather pastored the House of Prayer, a Pentecostal church in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she sang in the choir from age six and was baptized at twelve in the Little Pigeon River. Though she described herself later in life as spiritual but “not that religious” and did not regularly attend services, she maintained a deep connection to the archetype of rural faith, overseeing the installation of a small chapel at her Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge.

Over recent decades, the landscape of Protestant worship in the South has shifted significantly. The rise of megachurches, which draw thousands on weekends and often include multiple campuses, has coincided with a decline in smaller, independent congregations like those that shaped Ms. Parton and Ms. Berry. According to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, approximately one in three Protestant churchgoers now attends a congregation of at least 1,000 members. This shift has challenged the sustainability of many small churches with fewer resources.

For some, the loss of small churches goes beyond mere attendance figures. Jessie Wilkerson, a historian of Appalachia, describes these congregations as “very place-based, deeply rooted institutions” integral to community life. Others note a nostalgic yearning for the social rhythms and intimate practices—such as gathering for Sunday dinner or shared hymn singing—that small churches fostered but large modern institutions often lack.

While many remember rural Southern Christianity as warm and communal, commentators caution against idealizing the past without acknowledging its complexities. Russell Moore, a columnist raised in a Baptist church in Mississippi, points out that this era also involved the perpetuation of systemic injustices, including Jim Crow-era racial oppression. Anthea Butler, a scholar of race and American religion, suggests that contemporary nostalgia for this “Dolly-style Christianity” primarily reflects a longing for belonging and deep relationships amid close-knit communities rather than an uncritical celebration of historic church culture.

The decline of small churches is felt across racial lines. In South Carolina, Alpheaus Anderson, leader of the University of South Carolina Upstate Gospel Choir, recalled the shrinking congregation of First Baptist Church of Fairforest, a Black church tied to his upbringing. He warned that as older members pass away, the legacy and cultural richness of such churches risk fading.

Ms. Parton’s influence extended beyond religious boundaries. Silas House, a novelist who grew up in eastern Kentucky near Ms. Parton’s hometown, described the church of his youth as paradoxical—teaching “radical empathy” but often resistant to acceptance of LGBTQ individuals. For Mr. House, Ms. Parton’s public embrace of both her Christian faith and the gay community provided a source of comfort during times when he felt alienated from organized religion. He credited her with helping him remain connected to faith while affirming his identity.

Despite broad declines in regular church attendance—studies show nearly half of white Protestant Southerners attend church no more than once a year, with similar drops among Black Americans—faith remains a vital and evolving force in the region. Historians note that evangelical faith, in particular, often transcends formal church participation.

Dolly Parton’s life and legacy continue to embody a complex and evolving relationship between Southern culture, faith, and community, illustrating both the enduring appeal and challenges of rural religious life in contemporary America.