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Marks of Mission and ways of belonging: shaping the Anglican agenda for occasional churchgoers in the countryside

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2010

David Walker
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Abstract

This paper uses quantitative methods in conjunction with the five Marks of Mission of the Anglican Communion to identify opportunities and give direction to mission. It applies the model of belonging through activity, events, people and place developed in an earlier paper2 to data provided by 326 occasional and 775 frequent churchgoers in a survey conducted in 27 rural parish churches. For occasional churchgoers a distinctive pattern of belonging, as predicted by the model, is observed and a simple characterisation made. The application of the Five Marks of Mission to this group is discussed and practical suggestions made to help churches engage effectively with them as both agents and recipients of mission activity. The paper concludes that perceived limitations in the faith of occasional church attendees may derive from a failure by the church to value their mode of belonging and to engage with them on their own territory.

Keywords

Anglicanbelongingmarks of missionoccasional churchgoersempiricalrural
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Anglican Studies , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , 11 April 2011 , pp. 100 - 116
Copyright
Copyright © The Journal of Anglican Studies Trust 2010

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Footnotes

1.

Visiting Senior Fellow, Glyndwr University, Wrexham, United Kingdom.

References

2. Walker, D.S., Belonging to rural church and society: theological and religious perspectives, Rural Theology, 4.2 (2006), pp. 85–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

3. Anglican Communion Office, Five Marks of Mission, http://www.anglicancommunion.org/ministry/mission/fivemarks.cfm (accessed 310709).

4. Walls, F.Rose, C. (eds), Mission In The Twenty-First Century: Exploring The Five Marks Of Global Mission (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 2008).Google Scholar

5. Francis, L.J.Robbins, M., Belonging without believing: a study in the social significance of Anglican identity and implicit religion among 13–15 year old males, Implicit Religion, 7 (2004), pp. 37–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

6. Walker, D.S., Belonging to rural church and society: theological and religious perspectives.Google Scholar

7. Archbishops’, Council, Mission Shaped Church (London: Church House Publishing, 2004).Google Scholar

8. Walker, D.S., The social significance of Harvest Festivals in the countryside: an empirical enquiry among those who attend, Rural Theology (in press).Google Scholar

9. Walker, D.S., Belonging to rural church and society: theological and religious perspectives.Google Scholar

10. Inge, John, A Christian theology of place (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003).Google Scholar

11. Walker, D.S., The social significance of Harvest Festivals in the countryside: an empirical enquiry among those who attend.Google Scholar

12. Walker, D.S., Belonging to rural church and society: theological and religious perspectives.Google Scholar

13. Walker, D.S., The social significance of Harvest Festivals in the countryside: an empirical enquiry among those who attend.Google Scholar

14. Walker, D.S., Belonging to rural church and society: theological and religious perspectives.Google Scholar