The Presbytery of Skye and Wester Ross has appointed Rev. Ivor MacDonald as the Director for Rural Ministry.
The vision for this exciting new development has been set out in 3 Rs.
Reflecting. Ivor will harvest ideas and practice from other rural contexts as well as reflect on biblical and theological principles of rurality. Look out for popular style blogs, social media content as well as more reflective material for those in rural ministry.
Resourcing. Help will be given to resource-poor rural congregations to produce realistic development plans. Our In a Big Country conference will be expanded. Did you know that there is already a training week called ‘The Gathering’ where young people spend a week on an island croft at lambing time? This is combined with reflection on rural ministry. We will expand this.
Recruiting. Rural churches are always short of leaders and lay workers. Inspired by the positive work of urban church planting within the church, we will set up internships for ministers in training in rural congregations. The Rural Director will be an advocate in the wider church for rural ministry. The vision of the presbytery is that this position will be a benefit to the wider denomination and beyond.
Ivor MacDonald is ideally gifted and experienced in this area. He is a graduate in agriculture and theology, a former agricultural advisor, minister in two successful rural congregations. In addition to this he is an active crofter and is the author the book, Land of the Living : Christian Reflections on the Countryside.
Commenting on his appointment Ivor said, “I am excited to think of what God may do through the Centre for Rural Ministry and its Development Group. We are hoping to mobilise an army of people for the Christian good of rural Scotland.”
The new position will begin in November of this year.
For more information on the Centre or Rural Ministry and how you can get involved click here.