Leadership and Ministry, Lay and Ordained: Insights From Rural Multi-church Groups

This report examines and explores leadership challenges and opportunities in the setting of Christian ministry and witness within the rural multi-church context. The challenges arise from a combination of demographic and socio-economic challenges coupled with inherited building, operational structures and patterns of ordained ministry. It utilises in-depth literature review, semi-structured interviews and a mapping of training provision to establish the challenges and opportunities for rural multi-church contexts. A lack of confidence was identified as the biggest barrier in encouraging clergy and lay people to look at ministry and witness new ways to engage in learning and development opportunities. It is recognised that a one-size-fits all approach is not appropriate but consideration needs to be given to the extension of formal training courses at local level, short modular approaches and the informal approaches such as mentoring.