In the beginning… when my understanding of rural ministry was formless and void… God said, “let there be light”, and I thought to myself: we might need a website for Rural Mission in the Diocese of Durham. Let the light of communication in this new role begin.
February 2026: Archdeacon Rick licensed me in to the dual role of 0.5 Interim Priest-in-Charge of Upper Weardale, and 0.5 Rural Mission Lead for the Diocese of Durham. The post had been advertised as a three year contract and the Diocese had been looking for someone who was an expert in rural mission – or alternatively someone who knew nothing but was willing to learn. As the expert in “knowing nothing”, I felt over qualified.
Knowing nothing is fine at first, but there has to be a process of learning and then an application or sharing of that learning. I have a sense that I’m surrounded by a host of experience and best practice – I have a sense that my Diocesan colleagues and the people of rural Durham have so much experience in rural mission that the best place to start is by hearing their stories. My aspiration in this Rural Mission Lead role is to hear, and to share, how Christ’s saving grace might be well communicated – and that I may play a useful part in that mission.
There is (of course) a role description:
- The Rural Mission Lead will work with others to develop principles, practices and resources for effective mission in rural parishes, and share this with the other rural parishes of the diocese.
- Where some good practice is relevant and helpful for other multi-parish Benefices / incumbents with multiple charges, distil and share these aspects of the work in a suitable forum.
- The Rural Mission Lead will draw together a Rural Mission Task Group (RMTG), under the oversight of either the Archdeacon of Auckland or the Growing Mission Lead, of lay and ordained Christians committed to developing rural mission (initial meeting to take place within 3 months of licensing).
- The RMTG will work together with the RML to identify opportunities for and good practice in rural mission, with the explicit aim of growth in the number of disciples and growth in discipleship in rural churches.
- The RML and RMTG will, within two years of the appointment of the RML, share the RML/RMTG’s learning with other rural clergy and parishes. This could be through day conferences, a roadshow to be taken to other deaneries with rural parishes (working with the BLT and Area Deans and Lay Chairs to plan for maximal participation), and/or other suitable strategies (to be decided).
- The RMTG will then make recommendations for further work to promote excellence in rural missional praxis and end (though a new group with a new remit may itself be part of the recommended next phase of work).
Look! I have a deadline already… by May 2026 I am supposed to ave developed a Rural Mission Task Group. Better get going then.