23.06.2014
Rural Rectors In Search of Missional Opportunities for the Countryside
Two west Glendalough Rectors are set to explore new ways of being church in a rural setting. The Revd Leonard Ruddock and the Revd Isaac Delamere are heading to rural Lincolnshire in England this summer on a fact finding mission.
They told of their plans as clergy from Dublin and Glendalough gathered in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute to hear of a new initiative in Dublin city centre. The ICON missional community is to be developed in Dublin by the Revd Eoghan Heaslip (see here for details).
After hearing of the new urban approach, Isaac, Rector of Narraghmore and Timolin with Castledermot and Kinneagh, told his colleagues that he was very much at home in traditional church but he noted that there had been changes in recent years and had started to wonder how new obstacles could be overcome.
“I love pastoral care. I visit many people but it doesn’t seem to be bearing fruit as it once did… I have been ordained 12 years and I’m not prepared to keep ministering to a community whereby I wait until the last person is carried out the door in a box and I close that door,” he commented. “The question is, how can we do small church well? How can we reach out to people?”
He said he looked at his own context and said he had been hearing ideas for parish renewal but realised that many would not work in a rural setting. A search on the internet led him to the Arthur Rank Centre which provides resources for rural places of worship. He spoke about new developments which were tailored to his rural setting and he hoped there could be further initiatives with the context of the West Glendalough Rural Deanery.
Rural Dean and Rector of Blessington, the Revd Leonard Ruddock outlined their plans to visit a hub in Lincolnshire where a missional community is operating in a rural area. They will visit different parishes to view a number of initiatives to see what might work in their own area.
Photo captions:
Top – The Revd Isaac Delamere
Bottom: The Revd Leonard Ruddock