Diocese of Exeter: Growing the Rural Church Project

Who we are

The Diocese of Exeter’s vision for growth includes a major new project, Growing the Rural Church, which was launched in February 2017.

Growing the Rural Church works with rural Mission Communities to develop their resources and, in particular their church buildings, to enable them to grow in prayer, make new disciples and serve the people of Devon with joy.

We do this by supporting rural Mission Communities to partner with their local communities and external agencies to find sustainable missional, community, commercial or cultural uses for their church buildings, which benefit the whole community.

When we do this, we ensure that the public spaces offered by our rural church buildings, both for worship and extended missional, community, commercial or cultural use, are sustainably managed and remain open and available. Relationships between our rural churches and their local communities are strengthened, and more people are drawn into the life of our rural Mission Communities.