The Arthur Rank Centre is pleased to announce the return of Rural Bitesize, a joint initiative delivered in partnership with The Methodist Church. This six-session online course offers accessible, practical support for rural lay leaders who want to explore mission, deepen confidence, and engage more widely with their communities.

Rural Bitesize begins on Monday 12 January 2026, running fortnightly from 7–9pm on Zoom. Designed around small, manageable steps, the course introduces key themes in rural mission and discipleship, grounded in real rural experience and shaped by the challenges and opportunities of the countryside.

The programme is ideal for those who are:

• seeking to connect more deeply with their local communities

• encouraging others in faith and discipleship

• wondering how to “give things a go” in rural settings

• questioning what mission and growth might look like where numbers are small and resources are stretched

Across the six sessions, participants will explore:

• connecting with the agricultural community

• rural margins and unseen hardship

• intergenerational rural mission, including schools work

• small-group discipleship in rural contexts

• rural festivals, community events and co-created traditions

Rural Bitesize is open to all denominations, reflecting the breadth of rural mission across the UK.

Thanks to specific funding, the course is free for leaders in the Methodist Church and associated Local Ecumenical Partnerships (lay or ordained, paid or unpaid). Ecumenical friends from other traditions are warmly welcome; a small charge applies to cover resources, payable via The Arthur Rank Centre.

Course Dates (7–9pm on Zoom):

• Monday 12 January

• Monday 26 January

• Monday 9 February

• Monday 23 February

• Monday 9 March

• Monday 23 March

Participants will receive joining details by email after registering. Those signing up are encouraged to commit to all sessions to gain the full benefit of the course.

Booking

Places are now open for registration. Click here to book your place

We give thanks for the life of the Rt Revd Dr Anthony Russell, former Bishop of Ely, who died on 9 July after a long illness.

Known to many simply as Tony, he combined deep Christian faith with a lifelong love of the countryside. Coming from a farming family, and trained as a sociologist of religion, he had a rare gift for helping the Church understand rural life and respond to its changing needs.

Before becoming Bishop of Ely, Anthony served parishes in Norwich and Coventry dioceses, alongside acting as Chaplain and later Director of the Arthur Rank Centre at Stoneleigh. It was here, in the 1970s and 80s, that he played a central role in shaping modern rural ministry. His ability to listen, distil complex ideas, and quietly offer words of wisdom made him a trusted and steady leader.

Anthony’s writings, including The Village in Myth and Reality (1975), The Country Parish and The Country Parson, inspired fresh thinking about rural churches at a time of social and agricultural change. He was instrumental in developing group ministries, in encouraging collaboration between clergy, and in persuading Archbishop Robert Runcie to establish the Archbishop’s Commission on Rural Areas.

As Director of the Arthur Rank Centre, he expanded the work to become the nationally recognised hub for rural ministry across the British Churches, supported the Rural Chaplains network, and helped found the Rural Theology Association. He also contributed internationally through the creation of the International Rural Churches Association.

Later consecrated as Bishop of Dorchester and then Bishop of Ely, Anthony continued to be known as a “safe pair of hands” — trusted, wise, and with a wry sense of humour. His presence alone carried reassurance, and when he spoke, it was with clarity and purpose.

In retirement, Anthony himself reflected that his time at the Arthur Rank Centre was the period of ministry he most enjoyed, and where he felt he had done the most for the Churches.

We at the Arthur Rank Centre give thanks for his vision, his leadership, and his devotion to the Church and countryside. His legacy continues to shape our work today.

Thanks be to God.

This tribute draws on obituaries written by the Rt Revd Dr John Inge (first published in the Church Times, 22 August 2025) and by Canon Andrew Bowden (16 August 2025), shared with the Arthur Rank Centre.

On Wednesday, representatives from The Arthur Rank Centre will be in Westminster joining thousands from across the country at the Climate Coalition’s Mass Lobby: Act Now, Change Forever. This nationwide event brings together people of all backgrounds to urge MPs to take bold action for a fairer, greener future.

As a charity supporting rural churches, farming families, and countryside communities, we know how deeply the climate crisis affects farmers, with unpredictable weather, floods, droughts, and shifting seasons threatening both livelihoods and food security. At the same time, farmers are working hard to reduce emissions, care for the land, and steward creation.

We believe the church has a vital role as a bridge-builder — helping foster dialogue between farmers, campaigners, and local communities so that we can find shared solutions that protect nature and support those who produce our food.

Our team will be at the rally, sharing stories from rural Britain, offering resources, and standing in solidarity with others calling for urgent climate action.

We’re delighted that Josh, our sixth-form work placement student will also be joining us, bringing a young person’s perspective on why caring for creation matters for future generations. We look forward to hearing and sharing their reflections on the day.

Stay tuned to our website and social media for updates from Westminster and to learn how you and your church can get involved in supporting both climate action and our farming communities.

See our new page – www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk/climate-dialogue for the latest, including Josh’s blog…