Autumn Meeting 2008
11.30am–3.00pm, Tuesday 11th November
at Greatham Church Centre, GU33 6HB
Sustaining the Rural Spirit
What does the English rural spiritual tradition have to say to the contemporary rural church? What is the connection between rural life and spirituality? What can sustain the rural spirit through these times of change? Are modern explorations of the Celtic tradition and rural year services adequate for the 21st century rural spirit?
We discussed two celebrated priests in the English rural church tradition and try to discern if they have anything worthwhile to say for our situation. And is there any country church which does not use the Book of Common Prayer? Is it a sign of rural conservatism or something deeper?
Papers offered at the Meeting are available here.
The Programme we followed:--
Coffee on arrival, from 11.00am
11.30am Introduction & Welcome
11.40 George Herbert – introduction by the Revd John Owen, once Curate of Bemerton, Salisbury, where Herbert ministered until his death in 1633
12.20 Gilbert White (1720-93) – introduced by the Revd Nicky Judd
1.00pm bring your own lunch, drinks will be available
1.45 The Book of Common Prayer in Rural Churches – Canon Martin Coppen
2.30 Any news or concerns to share from Hampshire rural church life?
2.45 A Short Service in the adjoining St John the Baptist Parish Church led by our host, Revd David Heatley, Rural Officer of Portsmouth Diocese
3.00pm Depart
Greatham Church Centre is at St John the Baptist Church, just off the B3006 Alton–Liss road. GU33 6HB
David Heatley may be contacted on 01730 – 827459 email dhheatley@aol.com : Group convenor is Martin Coppen 01264 738308 revd.coppen@dsl.pipex.com
Monday 1 September 2008
Sunday 20 July 2008
this is the book cover for future reference! Wednesday 28 May 2008
Summer 2008 Farm Visit
Summer Visit - Wednesday 25th June 2008
Vitacress Salads Ltd, Lower Link Farm, St Mary Bourne, Andover, Hampshire. SP11 6DB
01264 738766
“Europe’s leading Growers and Packers of Watercress, Rocket, Baby Leaf Salads and Speciality Vegetables”
11.00am Arrival and introductions: there is very adequate car parking on the site: enter the estate by Gate 1, which is nearer to the railway viaduct and has a (usually unmanned) security box. Go to reception. The visit is being arranged by Eunice Hiscocks, PA to the Operations Director, Mike Rushworth.
11.30 Tour of Watercress Beds
12.15 Factory Tour
13.00 Lunch, supplied by Vitacress (it’s a nut-free site and we may not bring any glass with us, etc) followed by presentations from Mike Rushworth and perhaps a question and answer session.
14.30 Leave Vitacress for a short Service at St Andrew, Hurstbourne Priors: turn right out of the gate, under the viaduct and travel along the B3048 into the village of Hurstbourne Priors, where the church is at the end of an avenue on the left.
15.00 Service finishes, depart in peace.
Please let the Convenor, Canon Martin Coppen, know if you are coming, to help Vitacress plan the refreshments. You are very welcome to invite others interested in rural ministry to come as well – please get the word round! Spouses are particularly welcome – no need to ask.
Full directions to Vitacress are available here.
Vitacress Salads Ltd, Lower Link Farm, St Mary Bourne, Andover, Hampshire. SP11 6DB
01264 738766
“Europe’s leading Growers and Packers of Watercress, Rocket, Baby Leaf Salads and Speciality Vegetables”
11.00am Arrival and introductions: there is very adequate car parking on the site: enter the estate by Gate 1, which is nearer to the railway viaduct and has a (usually unmanned) security box. Go to reception. The visit is being arranged by Eunice Hiscocks, PA to the Operations Director, Mike Rushworth.11.30 Tour of Watercress Beds
12.15 Factory Tour
13.00 Lunch, supplied by Vitacress (it’s a nut-free site and we may not bring any glass with us, etc) followed by presentations from Mike Rushworth and perhaps a question and answer session.
14.30 Leave Vitacress for a short Service at St Andrew, Hurstbourne Priors: turn right out of the gate, under the viaduct and travel along the B3048 into the village of Hurstbourne Priors, where the church is at the end of an avenue on the left.
15.00 Service finishes, depart in peace.
Please let the Convenor, Canon Martin Coppen, know if you are coming, to help Vitacress plan the refreshments. You are very welcome to invite others interested in rural ministry to come as well – please get the word round! Spouses are particularly welcome – no need to ask.
Full directions to Vitacress are available here.
Saturday 2 February 2008
Planning and the Countryside
Planning and the Countryside
Report of a Meeting with Mrs Maddy Winter, Head of Planning at Test Valley Borough Council
Thursday 31st March 2008
In a wide ranging and very thoughtful presentation, Maddy considered the physical environment, the uses of land, and then people: how did she view each as a planner?
Physical Environment
The countryside is a place of natural beauty: an avenue of mature trees on a hillside, an owl caught in headlights, kites circling. It also has a built environment, some of it mellowed into the landscape. The landscape has changed over the last 40 years: more traffic, building on what had been fields, fewer butterflies, more mechanisation in farming, hedge removal (and replanting). There is a wide raft of EU and national regulation to protect the natural world of the countryside. Legislation has replaced trust.
Land Use
Maddy generated discussion about different types of land use under a number of headings. The list under the heading Leisure was the biggest. How has the balance of uses changed over forty years? Villages were very much more self-contained. Broughton had 15 shops in 1950s: now there is one. The 20th century was about globalization: the 21st, localisation. In 1960s food took up 1/3rd of average income, now it takes just 1/10th. The national store of food is just 10 days. There is a loss of the sense of farming: hobby farmers are buying farms, but not for food production. There is great financial advantage in securing residential development if possible.
The People
1) Partners in Control: consulting with other agencies.
2) Applicants: every applicant is a developer. Homes are increasingly seen as a pension fund and investment. Applicants argue on the basis of ‘need’, about which planners have a high degree of cynicism. 70% of applications are non-controversial. An applicant has a right to planning permission unless it can be demonstrated that permission would cause ‘harm’ and does not fit in with policies. TV worked for 10 years on the local policy document, facing 7000 objections and a 6 month enquiry, yet some claim not to know about it. Pressure from applicants has undoubtedly become greater: there are more challenges on technical grounds, some vexatious.
3) Objectors: need to rebuild bridges between neighbours after a planning decision. Where a high-profile campaign fails sometimes villages can be split.
4) Stakeholders: 52 parish councils, most councillors offering for the sake of the community, but farmers are under-represented and often cynical about the processes. In-comers buy a house in a village and then think they have bought the village.
5) Conservation Groups
6) Housing Associations.
Two Hard Cases
In the afternoon, Maddy introduced us to two hard cases, bringing the full files for scrutiny, one an affordable housing development which had strong opposition, the other an application for a site for travelling show people. Discussion suggested that often opposition revealed hidden tensions within villages: they went deep because of people’s fears and insecurity. Feelings were quite fragile, and hurts hard to heal after the decision. There might be ways in which churches could bring opposing sides together. This is, however, a very delicate balance for clergy living in the villages and having to face (literally) people nursing irreconcilable differences. It makes sense to begin neutrally, but keep in touch with those involved on a balanced basis. It is interesting that affordable housing can be welcomed in one village, and aggressively fought against in another. There was also an educational role (love your neighbour), and sometimes a need to challenge greed and selfishness and stand with (relatively) persecuted minorities, as a minority ourselves. Maddy said that she would be prepared to attend constructive meetings organised by churches.
(Papers circulated on the day can be read here.)
Planning is a tool for resolving conflict between uses, but leaves issues between people unresolved. Perhaps that is where the church might be able to offer something of real value to the community.
Reflection
The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it. [Ps 24.1] The psalmist moves in very few verses from the Lord’s sovereignty over the land to the righteousness of man : in his theology, the two are connected. There is serious competition in the countryside for using the land. Planning offers a way of adjudicating between different uses, protecting vulnerable natural environments, building harmoniously with the landscape. Yet it is under stress from those who seek to (mis)use the process to achieve the outcome they wish for, even if this is at the expense of community or neighbourly harmony. As Maddy identified, Planning can deal with the controversial questions of land use, but fails to address the human aspects of the question – neither the greed (sinfulness) nor the fear and insecurity (lack of peace), nor the need for personal reconciliation after serious breakdown. If Christ truly is our peace, if one of the local tasks of the church is to pray for the peace and healing of the parish, then it is right that we address the issues. It is much less aggravation to ignore the problem and hope the cloud will blow over. We need theological imagination and pastoral support in order to do so. As one of the members suggested, the approach of Jesus to difficult problems might help us in our very different circumstances: he told a story. All of this is a little addressed training issue. It relates to the mission of the church, to its ecclesiology, to the exercise of the ministry of healing and reconciliation. But while the church is not showing itself capable of resolving its own ecumenical or internal difficulties, how can we take a lead? Local strength can still flourish when there is national/regional weakness: the rural church has extraordinary local opportunities. In connection with Christian reconciliation, the Mennonite practice is often commended: could it be adapted for these sorts of situation?
There is scope for further work together on the issues raised from this meeting.
Report of a Meeting with Mrs Maddy Winter, Head of Planning at Test Valley Borough Council
Thursday 31st March 2008
In a wide ranging and very thoughtful presentation, Maddy considered the physical environment, the uses of land, and then people: how did she view each as a planner?
Physical Environment
The countryside is a place of natural beauty: an avenue of mature trees on a hillside, an owl caught in headlights, kites circling. It also has a built environment, some of it mellowed into the landscape. The landscape has changed over the last 40 years: more traffic, building on what had been fields, fewer butterflies, more mechanisation in farming, hedge removal (and replanting). There is a wide raft of EU and national regulation to protect the natural world of the countryside. Legislation has replaced trust.
Land Use
Maddy generated discussion about different types of land use under a number of headings. The list under the heading Leisure was the biggest. How has the balance of uses changed over forty years? Villages were very much more self-contained. Broughton had 15 shops in 1950s: now there is one. The 20th century was about globalization: the 21st, localisation. In 1960s food took up 1/3rd of average income, now it takes just 1/10th. The national store of food is just 10 days. There is a loss of the sense of farming: hobby farmers are buying farms, but not for food production. There is great financial advantage in securing residential development if possible.
The People
1) Partners in Control: consulting with other agencies.
2) Applicants: every applicant is a developer. Homes are increasingly seen as a pension fund and investment. Applicants argue on the basis of ‘need’, about which planners have a high degree of cynicism. 70% of applications are non-controversial. An applicant has a right to planning permission unless it can be demonstrated that permission would cause ‘harm’ and does not fit in with policies. TV worked for 10 years on the local policy document, facing 7000 objections and a 6 month enquiry, yet some claim not to know about it. Pressure from applicants has undoubtedly become greater: there are more challenges on technical grounds, some vexatious.
3) Objectors: need to rebuild bridges between neighbours after a planning decision. Where a high-profile campaign fails sometimes villages can be split.
4) Stakeholders: 52 parish councils, most councillors offering for the sake of the community, but farmers are under-represented and often cynical about the processes. In-comers buy a house in a village and then think they have bought the village.
5) Conservation Groups
6) Housing Associations.
Two Hard Cases
In the afternoon, Maddy introduced us to two hard cases, bringing the full files for scrutiny, one an affordable housing development which had strong opposition, the other an application for a site for travelling show people. Discussion suggested that often opposition revealed hidden tensions within villages: they went deep because of people’s fears and insecurity. Feelings were quite fragile, and hurts hard to heal after the decision. There might be ways in which churches could bring opposing sides together. This is, however, a very delicate balance for clergy living in the villages and having to face (literally) people nursing irreconcilable differences. It makes sense to begin neutrally, but keep in touch with those involved on a balanced basis. It is interesting that affordable housing can be welcomed in one village, and aggressively fought against in another. There was also an educational role (love your neighbour), and sometimes a need to challenge greed and selfishness and stand with (relatively) persecuted minorities, as a minority ourselves. Maddy said that she would be prepared to attend constructive meetings organised by churches.
(Papers circulated on the day can be read here.)
Planning is a tool for resolving conflict between uses, but leaves issues between people unresolved. Perhaps that is where the church might be able to offer something of real value to the community.
Reflection
The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it. [Ps 24.1] The psalmist moves in very few verses from the Lord’s sovereignty over the land to the righteousness of man : in his theology, the two are connected. There is serious competition in the countryside for using the land. Planning offers a way of adjudicating between different uses, protecting vulnerable natural environments, building harmoniously with the landscape. Yet it is under stress from those who seek to (mis)use the process to achieve the outcome they wish for, even if this is at the expense of community or neighbourly harmony. As Maddy identified, Planning can deal with the controversial questions of land use, but fails to address the human aspects of the question – neither the greed (sinfulness) nor the fear and insecurity (lack of peace), nor the need for personal reconciliation after serious breakdown. If Christ truly is our peace, if one of the local tasks of the church is to pray for the peace and healing of the parish, then it is right that we address the issues. It is much less aggravation to ignore the problem and hope the cloud will blow over. We need theological imagination and pastoral support in order to do so. As one of the members suggested, the approach of Jesus to difficult problems might help us in our very different circumstances: he told a story. All of this is a little addressed training issue. It relates to the mission of the church, to its ecclesiology, to the exercise of the ministry of healing and reconciliation. But while the church is not showing itself capable of resolving its own ecumenical or internal difficulties, how can we take a lead? Local strength can still flourish when there is national/regional weakness: the rural church has extraordinary local opportunities. In connection with Christian reconciliation, the Mennonite practice is often commended: could it be adapted for these sorts of situation?
There is scope for further work together on the issues raised from this meeting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)