Bishop Tony Guldbrandzén, from the Diocese of Härnösands met with members of the Rural Officers Team, clergy from the deanery of Chipping Norton and Bishop Colin when he visited Oxfordshire recently.
Bishop Tony had come to England with his ten Area Deans and the Diocesan International Secretary for a week’s study tour had wanted to learn something about rural issues and the rural church in England and a day was arranged for them by the Diocesan Rural officer, the Revd Canon Glyn Evans.
The diocese of Härnösands in the north of Sweden is a very rural diocese currently experiencing temperatures of minus 20 degrees, churches are few and far between, and the clergy travel large distances to meet each other. They were keen to learn about the experience of rural clergy in rural Oxfordshire, share similarities and reflect on differences.
The day started with a brief tour of Christ Church Cathedral and a meeting Bishop Colin who gave the group a brief introduction to the diocese, and the work of the church in rural Oxfordshire. After the meeting with Bishop Colin, Bishop Tony and his colleagues went to Milton under Wychwood where they heard presentations about rural church life from the Revds Wendy Callan, Jane Knowles and Mark Abrey.
The Swedish group were particularly interested to hear how multi-parish benefices worked and about how rural church relies so heavily on non-stipendiary clergy as they do not have NSMs in Sweden. Having eaten a splendid pork casserole prepared by Revd Anne Hartley, OLM, farmers wife and deanery rural officer, who also talked about her multi-tasking experience of ministry, they then visited the Harrtley’s pig farm.
Farming may be different in northern Sweden but some of the economic issues are the same. The nomadic reindeer farmers are struggling to survive in the current economic changes to farming for example. A visit to Burford church for a tour of the Church, a discussion with the Verger about the community use of the church and the churches ministry to visitors – tourism is a key part of the economy of northern Sweden – completed the day.
