A creative new ministry has commenced in the Presbytery of the Central West (NSW). Three former parishes, comprising eight congregations or faith communities, will share a staff team of three specialist ministers. Each minister will focus on a specific field of ministry rather than on a geographic area. The aim is to reverse the self fulfilling perception that the rural church faces inevitable decline.

The emphasis will be on growth and energy and vitality.

Called the Mid Lachlan Mission Area, this innovative ministry will cover the area of the former Condobolin-Trundle, Forbes and Parkes Parishes.

The idea of a Mission Area is to bring the right kinds of gifts together so staff can play to their strengths. In the Mid Lachlan Mission Area the twin goals are to gather new people and to refocus the traditional congregations.
 

To do this a New Congregations Worker, an experienced Minister and a person with a passion and vision to develop rural Christian communities are needed. The vision for this project was born in the fertile mind of past Central West Presbytery Minister, Terence Corkin (now General Secretary of Assembly), who says:

“There are many congregations who say they want to attract young people and families. The quickest way to do this is to start a new worship service in a style that is attractive to them.
 

“When new people are gathered they are often different to the current attenders- having different priorities and different ways of making decisions.

“For this reason a new congregation is often better than just a new worship group. However, it is difficult to start a new worship service where most people in the congregation like what is already on offer. Sometimes this issue creates tensions as some people feel they are missing out. It is also true that not every Minister can cover both a contemporary style of worship and a traditional style.

“When traditional congregations are well led they can achieve a great deal. However time is short, and while we must work for the resurgence and renewal of established congregations, we have to work fast in gathering new people. Contemporary forms of congregational life, worship and mission are the key. If we can do both simultaneously then we have the best of both worlds.

The Mission Area approach gives the best chance of creating a "critical mass" of work that will enable the specialisation to take hold and achieve their best results. All the while the parts can rejoice in the success of the whole. Rev Tom Stuart has been appointed as the “New Congregations Worker”. He will have three principal tasks:

1. work with the established contemporary worship group in Parkes;
2. develop a “new faith community” alongside the existing congregation in Forbes;
3. identify and minister with unchurched people in Condobolin whilst supporting the existing small congregation.

Tom’s time will be divided approximately 20% in Condobolin, 40% Forbes and 40% Parkes.

Rev Alan Palmer will minister with the traditional worship group in Parkes and fulfil the traditional ministry roles in the Parkes community. Alan’s role will NOT be maintenance ministry. The emphasis will be traditional ministry exercised with excellence so that the congregation will be energised to grow itself.
 

A third minister, Rev Alice de Roover, will be a “Rural Congregations Specialist”. The Rural Congregations Specialist will be based in Forbes, and minister with the existing Forbes congregation for 60% of his or her time. Again, the emphasis will be on growth, not maintenance.
 

The aim is to develop a vital, lively “big rural town” congregation that engages the community. That congregation will encourage the development of a parallel new faith community and be energised by the experience.

The other 40% of the Rural Congregations Specialist’s time is allocated to the six small village churches scattered across the region – Trundle, Eugowra, Bogan Gate, Gunningbland, Bedgerebong and Cookamidgera. This time will not so much be 10% in each of those congregations, but rather 40% time to really focus on how to revitalise small village congregations.

Although the initial vision for this project came from Terence Corkin, the detail was developed through a process of dialogue between the Strategy Committee of the presbytery and representatives of the congregations. Funding for the ministry team is supported by reserves of the congregations and a substantial grant from the Synod Mission Resource Fund. It is anticipated that offerings will grow as the vitality of the congregations grows.

The Presbytery of the Central West is determined to address the (erroneous) perception that “the church is withdrawing services just like the banks and the government”.
 

What the church is trying to do in this presbytery is to give the congregations the tools and the resources to achieve resurrection. That does not mean that rural congregations will magically return to the glory days of the past. We cannot turn back the clock in the face of massive changes in every other aspect of rural life. What it does mean is that this presbytery has confidence that there is potential for new life and vitality for rural congregations. That there is hope for village congregations, and for congregations in medium sized and large rural communities.