The Diocese of Leeds' Rural Ministry Forum met at Ripon Cathedral for its biannual meeting recently, looking at how churches can engage with those in rural areas on a variety of topics.
The Forum, held on Wednesday, June 3, heard from Dr Vincent Walsh, a leading UK regenerative design expert, farmer, and entrepreneur, as their keynote speaker.
Vincent is recognised for his pioneering work in agroforestry, the circular economy, and sustainable food systems.
His work looks beyond sustainability alone to the health and complexity of whole ecosystems.
Over the past four years, he has been developing a whole-farm system across 92 acres at Ings Farm, integrating sheep, forestry, and wildflower meadows.
Vincent traced the development of his interest in design, explored the complexity of natural systems, and reflected on his work encouraging organisations to invest in biological intelligence.
At Ings Farm, this approach is creating a biodiverse system that produces food while integrating sheep, trees, wildflowers, and water management.
The farm also generates income through biodiversity credits and by selling wool to a local merchant, who has observed that the wool is cleaner and shows signs of lower stress.
The Forum then divided into three case study groups.
Jo Chamberlain, National Environment Officer for the Church of England, led a workshop on the Church’s role in advocacy, about how we engage with people who dismiss climate change as well as with those who feel fatigued by the subject.
The discussion emphasised that the Church’s response is missional as well as practical.
Members of St Mary’s Embsay shared their experience of becoming an Eco Church, offering practical insights and encouragement for other churches considering similar action.
Members of Holy Trinity Skipton also shared about their recent project to become greener, as part of the National Church Demonstrator Project.
The church has replaced a failed gas boiler and corroded heating pipework with air source heat pumps, an electric boiler, high-efficiency radiators, and insulation.
With funding from Benefact and the national Church of England, the church has moved from being one of the five highest carbon-emitting churches in the diocese to achieving carbon zero.
The Rt Revd Anna Eltrigham, Bishop of Ripon, led the closing reflections, highlighting the environmental impact of food production, transport, and waste.
She reflected that God must weep over what we are doing to our world, and that He calls us to restore, renew, and revive it, caring for all creation and drawing people into his new life with hope.
The next Ripon Cathedral Rural Ministry Forum will take place on Wednesday, November 4.
The Forum is open to anyone interested in the Church’s mission and ministry in rural areas, and in learning from those who live and work there in new and inspirational ways.
To find out more, please get in touch with the Revd Caroline Pinchbeck, Diocesan Rural Change Enabler, at caroline.pinchbeck@leeds.anglican.org.