Rural Officers Planning Seminar

Representatives of Borderlands Rural Chaplaincy met with colleagues from Lichfield and Worcester Dioceses to discuss rural ministry and explore collaborative approaches. Many Church of England Dioceses have staff who specialise in rural issues, variously called Rural Officers, Rural Mission Enablers or Rural Chaplains. However, it's sometimes less clear what these posts are intended to achieve and how they relate internally, to other church structures, or externally to other rural organisations and networks. Participants at the three-way discussion began by exploring their aspirations and undertook some strategic mapping to better understand the connections that exist with other rural bodies. There was considerable appetite to build on these foundations and develop stronger collaborative approaches.