Revd Dr Mark Betson
Mark has been National Rural Officer for the Church of England since January 2019 and has a brief to work with national church institutions to support rural churches and link with partner organisations on key issues affecting rural areas.
Previously Mark was based in the Diocese of Chichester where alongside his role as Vicar of the parish of Lower Beeding he worked as the Diocese’s Rural and Environment Officer. He was actively involved with the farming community across the South East as Regional Director for the Farming Community Network (FCN) and Chair of the Education Committee for the South of England Agricultural Society. His work included supporting and being an advocate for rural churches in Sussex, and working alongside the farming community there and across the south east region, particularly with schools and land-based colleges.
Before training for ministry Mark worked for ADAS as an environmental scientist. He is married to Christina, and they have a son, Edwin.
Of his new role Mark says, ‘I’ve always loved the countryside and rural communities and I’m never happier than when I am intimately involved with them. It has been a great joy over the last eight years to develop relationships and come alongside people of all ages in the countryside. In doing so my aim has been to bring confidence to Christians there and to enable others to make a Christian presence part of the life blood of what they do.’
Email: mark.betson@churchofengland.org
Tel: 07825 854952
