Research Report: The Marks of the Fragile Rural Church

Abstract

Building on previous research [Lawson, S. A. (2018). Identifying stressors among rural Church of England clergy with responsibility for three or more churchesIdentifying stressors amongst Church of England clergy with responsibility for three or more churches. Rural Theology, 16, 101–111], this paper sets out to explain how the marks of the fragile rural church were identified. First, a new research question is posed, which allows the nature of the ‘fragile rural church’ to be explored and more deeply understood. Secondly, the experience of the marks of the fragile church in rural parishes is heard, using new data gathered from interviews held with clergy with responsibility for four or more rural churches. Finally, the marks of a fragile church are condensed into seven marks. Five of these marks: ‘financial pressure on the church and congregational anxiety about dwindling resources’; ‘an actual or feared inability to replace churchwardens and other officers or volunteers’; ‘lack of time and energy amongst clergy to start new things’; ‘a lack of critical mass of children and volunteers to work with them’; ‘tiny congregations consisting of single figures with a rising age profile of seventy-five plus’, are significant. Two further marks, those of ‘the relentless nature of keeping going’ and ‘the potential to alienate extended families’ are less significant, but would undoubtedly contribute to the fragility of rural churches where they are present.

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