Retired Bishop takes in-depth look at Cornwall's small churches - send him your views

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 It's hard to locate on the Diocesan website - but a bit of detective work unearths a link to an important piece of work by the Rt Rev Graham James, a Cornishman and former Bishop of Norwich.  Bishop Graham is looking into the importance of small churches and - as almost all of Cornwall's rural churches are by definition small - this is an important piece of work. Click here for more details - and Bishop Graham's questions for you....  To contact Bishop Graham, click here.

“I am pleased to lead this project on behalf of the diocese, and thank Bishop Hugh and his colleagues for asking me to do so," says Bishop Graham. " Since my return to Cornwall five years ago I’ve loved going to some of our smaller congregations, and have marvelled at the faithfulness of many of our lay people. They are salt and yeast in their communities, even if they do not always recognize it.

"I’ve also noticed many of them are tired, sometimes through doing too many jobs, and feeling that keeping their church going is a burden. Some have wondered whether the Church of England even wants them to do so anymore. The short answer is that this diocese will always have small churches, since our smaller villages and scattered parishes are unlikely ever to have large congregations. That does not mean they do not matter."

Key questions if you consider yours to be a small church
  • What are the blessings which come from a small church community?
  • What are the challenges you experience?
  • Is it the church building which presents the main worry, or the lack of people to do all the necessary jobs?
  • Do you think your smallness has a negative impact on people being able to join you?
  • What would make you more joinable?
  • Is the form of worship in your small church suitable for your size?
  • If you’ve become smaller in recent years, how has that altered the worship?
  • What does the diocese and the wider Church of England expect from small churches which you think should only apply to larger ones?
  • Do you feel your congregation is valued by the diocese?
  • In what ways could the diocese help small churches to thrive?
  • What additional resources/support do you need?

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