Rural Conference

This blog is a factual account of a Church of England Conference on Rural matters - Community, Partnership and Mission. Please understand that before reading it. Don't read it if you think it will have nothing for you..........

Our LLV (Lovely Lady Vicar) is also the Rural Officer for the Newcastle Diocese. Wearing this hat, she organised a Conference, on behalf of the Diocesan Synod, that was open to all.
There was a goodly gathering at St. John's, Kingston Park - a Church on the outskirts of Newcastle and there was a 'buzz' from the beginning.
The Conference opened with a short period of worship, which included a reading about the parable of the sower - very apt for a Rural Conference. Having been quietened and put into the right mind, we settled down to listen to an excellent speaker - David Stewart. No words of mind can give you a true picture of this man. He speaks from the heart as he wanders around - holding our attention for every moment. He is/has been part of every North East quango you care to mention - but he is a very long way from the type of person you expect in this position. He openly admitted that he is not an Anglican - what he does believe I do not know - but his approach to life seems to me to be Christian, whatever his faith or lack of it. His understanding of the current quangos and the possible future situation as we move to a unitary authority was deep. His desire is that we move to the bottom up rather than the top down, but he put it in a new way that I had not heard before. Long may he be involved with the people who have an influence on our future. Perhaps I should explain that we are losing our 5 District Councils and moving to a single authority with only 60+ councillors. I know there is a move to increase this to 70+ but it will still put the elected members much further away from the man/woman in the field (more appropriate than street). Parish Councils, which have become very stereotyped, with few elections, will have much more power and will have to adjust to this.
David was joined by a District and County Councillor - who is Deputy leader of Northumberland County Council - for a question and answer session.
During the following coffee break, I was cornered by a couple who have the same sort of problems that we do in Kirkheaton - small congregation, small community and all the load that goes with that on the few people who try to carry on the life of the Church. I hope I was able to help a little.
After the break we had 4 speakers from Parishes, talking for what was meant to be 2 minutes(!) about things that had happened in their area/Parish. A Christmas Tree festival - about 30 trees arrived in the Church, appropriately decorated by the organisation that brought them. As a result there was a record attendance at the Carol Service. A group of First Schools working together, both to the benefit of the teachers and children but also the local communities. A group of very rural churches coming together. Again, a coming together of very rural churches. Sorry, I have got the last two a bit confused in my mind - it was getting on towards lunch!
The last session before lunch, we were honoured by the presence of the National Rural Officer for the Church of England, Jill Hopkinson. She told us of a piece of research that had been carried out to find the relationship between the Churches (of all denominations) and the population in rural communities. The conclusions are too long for me to give here and I do not have notes, but it was very interesting in that it proved that what we do - wearing what-ever hat - is of great importance, and we should accept that our Faith is behind what we do.
Lunch was locally obtained food - salmon beef chicken etc - light but more than adequate - and another chance to network.
The 'grave-yard' shift was filled by the Durham Diocesan Missioner, Rev Dr Rod Allon-Smith. He spoke on Missio Dei - God's mission amongst us. Basically, his talk continued the theme of just being ourselves, with our faith and doings acting as mission. I am sure that is not a good summary but the best I can do just now!
Then we had another 4 people talking about local things. First an account of how a rural parish enacted the Passion all over the village, using the village green etc. In a way, low key - minimal costumes, a symbolic Jesus etc - but obviously very moving for those taking part and it must have had a big effect on the people of the village. Then I did my 2 minutes on the fund-raising event which had involved so many people from the benefice and outside - co-opperation. I have to be honest now. I cannot recall the next two speakers enough to write about it. We had had a concentrated day and my 'mental computer' had got tired!
We ended with all the speakers responding to questions/comments from the floor and finally we had a minute or two to decide, with our immediate neighbours, what we would take away with us to do.
We ended with the Grace and went home with our brains humming with all we had heard which would enable us to go forward renewed in our rural communities or with much greater understanding for the urban people who were there.