Rural Churches

The Baptist Union has the third largest church representation in rural communities, with around 400 churches in rural locations. This network is for ministers and those in leadership roles of Baptist Churches that are in rural churches. By rural the normal definition is of communities of less than 10,000 residents with remoteness from major conurbations and services.  They can be villages, hamlets of small towns.  They normally have an agricultural emphasis, and lack of key infrastructure like shops, and post offices.

If you are interested in becoming part of the network, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Our next Rural Network Day will be held on Tuesday 11 September 2012, at Aylestone Baptist Church, Leicester.

Guest Speaker: the Revd Simon Mattholie, Chief Executive, Rural Ministries. 

Theme: Becoming your community’s heartbeat

This will be an interactive day for ministers and those in leadership roles in rural churches (eg deacons, moderators, etc) to explore how churches in a rural context can engage with their communities.

Cost: £20 per person including lunch

Click here for a flyer giving more information: Rural Churches Day

Closing date for bookings: Tuesday 21 August.  Please book as early as possible since places may fill up before the closing date.

For more details and booking click here.

Other helpful information for Rural Churches

• Journey To Faith is a new low key, simple training programme available from the Arthur Rank Centre that can be run by any local rural church – or group of churches - over 2 half-days.  It requires no outside or expert help; all the material and resources that are required are freely available to download from their website – with the exception of some very basic practical items that virtually any local church can rustle up with ease.  Besides the material required to run the two course sessions, they provide other resources, optional supplementary material, links to good material and ideas elsewhere, and a Resource Manual that every participant can take away with them to use in their own church to improve their ministry of witness and evangelism.

• Rural Ministries assists in the planting, supporting and growing of churches in the countryside.  They are offering some interactive evening events to explore how churches in a rural context can engage with their communities: Ashford, Kent - 28 June; Beverley, East Yorkshire - 3 July; South Molton, Devon - 5 July.  Click here for more information.