The decline in the Church of England is being felt most acutely in rural areas. Falling numbers of clergy have led to decades of parish amalgamations and these seem to have accelerated in recent years. Other resources are also being stretched more and more thinly. This creates great problems for good clergy who are seeking to build up believers and to evangelise.

However, for laity the problems are perhaps more acute. The merger of parishes tends to lead to homogeneity of churches over a wider area and thus in many places lay people cannot find a clear Bible teaching church anywhere nearby. The growing liberalism of many clergy and the fact that in most places there is no longer the compensating factor of sound liturgy exacerbates the decline and makes it hard for Bible believing Christians to tolerate their local church.

How can we maintain integrity in rural churches and so serve Christ?

• Building a rural (missionary) congregation. Cross†Way article by David Bourne

• Surviving as an evangelical in a non-evangelical rural church. Cross†Way article by Edward Armitstead

The Farming Crisis - Cross†Way article from 2000 by Terry Musson.

Relevant News Items

10 May 2004

Decline in Rural Churches