CSRM is a facility for those engaged in rural ministry providing a unique way of enhancing their ministry by using the “little grey cells” to good effect. CSRM bends over backwards to meet your needs, from a single period of sabbatical study to a DMin. Most of our students study for a Masters or Doctorate qualification but we are adaptable enough to meet most people’s studying capacity. Now in its eleventh year CSRM attracts students from a wide range of backgrounds and with differing experience of Christian ministry in rural Britain. It is a fully accredited course in which students have the rare privilege of choosing their own area of study, while the course staff ensure students acquire high quality research skills.
Staff have long experience of rural ministry at local, regional, national and academic level. They are committed to the future of the rural church in Britain and want to help the wider Church by developing a generation of well trained reflective practitioners, able to gather accurate information and thus shape policy based on knowledge, not just opinion.
Glyndwr University in Wrexham is home to CSRM, but attracts students from all parts of the UK. Students need either a first degree or equivalent. The teaching is through three overnight seminars at Gladstone Library (near Chester) each year focusing on the progress of students whose work at other times has been remotely supported via email and telephone. Meetings with individual students can be arranged.
“I want to give those involved in rural ministry an opportunity to shape policy and practice, as well as enhance their own ministry by fully researching those key issues in rural life and ministry that excite them”, says Centre Director Jeremy Martineau, formerly the Church of England’s National Rural Officer. “Our students always speak of the mental stimulation from attending the seminars.” Between the seminars the staff are in frequent discussion with each student about the assignments they work on, the focus of which is the student’s choice.
- “I wanted to find out how my Team Ministry came about, how it is experienced by those involved and whether it is working properly,” said one.
- Another used interview techniques to explore how clergy in her area were coping with the stresses of multi-church ministry.
- One student developed a first assignment which focused on how harvest festival was celebrated in both Methodist and Anglican churches, which led to a doctoral thesis exploring if the clergy in those two denominations work to similar pastoral theory and practice.
- Another has explored the sustainability of stipendiary ministry by asking questions of clergy on their attitude to lay ministry, with special emphasis on the multi-parish benefice.
- A questionnaire was designed by one student to discover more about who visits the Church Tent at an agricultural show and how they value what is offered within it. This is now being run as a national survey across many shows.
- A well-known Yorkshire retreat centre benefited from a thesis undertaken by one student who surveyed all visitors over the previous few years to assess the value of the retreat experience in that place.
- One dissertation examined the accessibility of the language used in liturgy by measuring it against proven readability tools.
- The parish plans in one county were an area of study to assess the expectation in the rural communities of their churches.
Each student chooses their own topic to research; so come and join this growing body of researchers to help the overall mission of the church in rural Britain by developing better understanding of the context, the people and their attitudes and how the Church learns from experience.
The Centre, now accommodated within Glyndwr University, invites enquiries from those wanting to use their sabbatical or to pursue a single focused topic as our systems are very flexible. “A variety of research methods are taught and practised to equip students to be reflective practitioners”, says Leslie Francis, course supervisor, “and we look to publish students’ work, when appropriate, in the journal Rural Theology. The Centre is adding to the resource of data and information relevant to rural ministry.” “We believe that a period of sabbatical study can be of great benefit if conducted under the direction and with the support of high quality staff. Some students start with us to complete a sabbatical and quickly see the benefit of carrying on applying the skills acquired by becoming a continuing student in CSRM.”
CSRM is pleased to offer a continuing seminar opportunity to those with existing higher degrees who wish to continue researching important local issues within an academic discipline.
The student body includes lay and ordained from a variety of denominations.
What does it cost? Just over £1000 p.a. in addition to your travel and accommodation at Gladstone Library, St Deiniol’s in Hawarden, west of Chester.
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