I am delighted that Bishop Tim has asked me to be Diocesan Rural Link Officer, writes Revd Canon Andrew Wade.

Before I was ordained, I went to the Royal Agricultural College, and then became a dairy farmer. Since being ordained in 1986, I have always ministered in rural parishes in Cornwall, and have enjoyed the opportunities to keep up to date by speaking to farmers and visiting them on their farms.

Indeed, it has always been a special treat to open a copy of the Farmers Weekly to keep abreast of what is happening in agriculture. So becoming Rural Link Officer seems more like being able to indulge an interest, rather than anything else!

As Team Rector of Probus, Ladock, Grampound with Creed and St Erme – with all that involves – the time I give to the new post will have to be measured. However, I look forward to being part of the ‘Rural Issues Group’, which consists of the rural officers from Exeter Diocese and our own – both Anglican and Methodist – and then passing on what I learn there to the Bishop and colleagues across the diocese.

I shall be a member of the Royal Cornwall Show Church Tent Committee too and it will be good to be involved with the pre-show service and the show itself. I also hope to visit some of the other shows as well.

And, of course, I shall be making visits to farms with Bishop Tim joining me when he can.

Revd Simon Bone has agreed to join me as Assistant Rural Link Officer; and as we work together, I hope we can develop the roles and, in so doing, pull together a team of clergy and lay people with rural experience such that their collective expertise may be used too.

I certainly intend to use the diocesan website and The Coracle to share what we learn from our visits and meetings, and will welcome other opportunities to discuss rural matters with you. Please contact me at Andrewsanctuary@aol.com with your ideas.

Click here for link to Rural Affairs page