Jonny Baker and David Cotterill, Fringe Dweller (Getsidetracked, 2026) 

reviewed by Natalie Burfitt

Fringe Dweller invites the reader “to encounter the person of Jesus Christ afresh” through 40 reflections on a variety of gospel stories. It’s intended as a devotional text that can aid both individual and group engagement. The way in to this dialogue between the reader and the characters and action of the gospel is the idea of ‘fringe dweller’. This descriptor is taken from John V. Taylor, bishop and missiologist, whose work Jonny Baker has previously taken inspiration from (see Imagining Mission with John V Taylor by Jonny Baker and Cathy Ross). It’s a lens that the reflections employ with consistency and to powerful effect in two ways.

Firstly, it maintains attention on the radical and disruptive nature of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus’ encounters are repeatedly with people who live on the fringes of society. Jesus disrupts and disregards the multiple ways we categorise and marginalise – something that also makes him a fringe dweller. There are also ‘fringe’ places, those no-go areas that are best avoided by respectable people.

These kinds of people and places are highly recognisable in Christian ministry, particularly for those that have a pioneering or missional orientation. This is the second way that the fringe-dweller lens is effective, as the reflections and suggested spiritual practices are deeply rooted in the realities of ministry. There’s wisdom and encouragement here on the highs and lows of mission in fringe places and on the impact Jesus can have on those that live there.

I really liked the straightforward style of the writing that makes the reflections engaging and accessible. However, as the authors state, this does not mean that they have left the academic at the door! There is sound scholarship and contemporary theology informing these reflections, making them a ready tool for use in all sorts of gathered settings. The liturgies add to the possibilities here. They are all ready to use or, as the authors invite, can be adapted or added to, or can inspire you to create your own.

There’s a humility to this book that is refreshing. While the authors are committed to the fringe-dweller notion, they also acknowledge that this needs to be read in conjunction with other perspectives on Jesus. The illustrations give the book the look of a graphic novel and this creativity in locating Jesus in our context so that we can follow his fringe-dwelling way is true to the book’s purpose.

Taking a cue from the 40 reflections, I used this as my book for Lent. So often I set out on these seasons of preparation with just such a good intention and only manage to make it to day three. I looked forward to picking up Fringe Dweller and travelled through Holy Week with the final reflections, having made it the whole way through! I highly recommend it as a resource to draw on for yourself and for use with others.

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Aspen: a new community

by Cathy Ross

The incubation

Why a new community and how do you go about setting it up? These were questions in my mind as I participated in the beginnings of this new thing. Jonny Baker was the initiator as he had been incubating the idea of a dispersed ecclesial community for several years. However, he is wise enough to know that ideas are best incubated and developed in community and through relationships. I watched and learned as Jonny took this forward. Here is my perspective on the story of Aspen.

The beginnings

Jonny had been talking about this idea for a while. We knew that many of our students were sad to leave studying with us and really wanted to remain connected in some way. Often, when they go to or remain in their various contexts, as pioneers, they feel alone or misunderstood by the church. They craved companionship, support and other people to share ideas, try out new things, be brave. Jonny was acutely aware that many pioneers around the country, and even globally, were feeling like this and he was keen to help them connect together. So, the idea of a community of dispersed pioneers was born.

Getting started

At our annual gathering, The Assembly 2024, we presented this idea to those present to ask if people wanted this and there was an overwhelming yes to designing it and bringing it back to the group the following year. We put out a call for any who were interested to be on a kind of founding group. About a dozen people committed to this and we started with online conversations to discuss together: purpose and charism (our particular gifting), what does it mean to be a sodality or dispersed community, what might its rhythm look like and finally how to function in practice. I experienced the art of asking a good question as these were vital to catalyse this process and to get us going. It is amazing what can emerge when people are together sharing in reading the Bible, praying, attentive listening, throwing out all sorts of ideas. The Miro boards were soon full of great suggestions that were distilled for further reflection and percolation time. Membership, organising, structure and governance, capacity, offering a library of gifts, hopes and fears were discussed in these early conversations. These ideas were then sent to a wider group of people for feedback and input. There was a lot to think about but amazingly it did not seem overwhelming as we were planning this together.

We got into these discussions in different ways. For example, we tried to imagine who might like to join Aspen, what would be appealing and helpful, what level of belonging they might want and what they would not want. We had great fun dreaming up all sorts of avatars but quite quickly we could see certain values emerging such as hospitality, prayer, diversity, a place to call home. We were all certain that we wanted belonging to be ‘light touch’ and for the community to be life-giving and enriching, not another burden to add to busy lives.

Already the magic was present – there was certainly something delightful about these online conversations – ideas were flowing, laughter was plentiful, hope was present – something new was emerging. Our next step was to try to pull it together in a two-day residential.

Pulling it together

Several of the founding group met at a former student’s lovely property that she kindly allowed us to use. One cooked superb meals for us and this certainly helped the creative process! I think that food and friendship were two of the magic ingredients for getting this community started, as well as down time for walks, swims and chats.

It could have felt overwhelming – there was a lot to sort out! We brought with us all our ideas from the three conversations and the resulting feedback as well, and we knew that by the end of these two days we needed a road map and a name for this new community. It happened. Looking back, it is hard to say exactly how but, without sounding super spiritual, I think God’s Spirit was in it and helped us to redeem the time. By the time we left, we had a name, a purpose, a charism, values, a rhythm and a plan for differing levels of belonging or membership. 

We then shared it with a wider group to gain people’s reactions and insights and suggestions for change. The response was overwhelmingly positive such that very little got changed from our original design. This felt very graced. 

You can read all of this in our founding Aspen document which is included in this issue of ANVIL. We left with more work to do – to start a group that can animate the community, think more about governance and safeguarding, determine our relationship with CMS, prepare for the launch, which took place in Glasgow in November 2025 at our annual Assembly gathering. I left feeling energised, excited and hopeful. Here was a community who was called to pioneering mission, determined to keep that front and centre in our lives, committed to a strong relationship with Jesus as the pioneer of our faith.

It also struck me that this community was birthed in creativity – thanks in large part to Jonny’s initiative and way of leading us into things. This resulted in our having more fun, more relational exchanges and more ideas than when we sit around a table in a more formal fashion. I guess there is a place for those kinds of meetings, but after so many years of experiencing this kind of ‘Dreaming Space’ at CMS, I seriously wonder why we do not allow more room for fun, play, creativity and imagination in these planning spaces. One of our mantras in pioneer training is “Everyone has a piece of the wisdom”¹ and this was at play here. We could all bring who we are to the conversation and it was heard and celebrated. I believe that as this was birthed in creativity, with the help of God’s creative and life-giving Spirit, so Aspen will continue to flourish and develop in creative ways and not get stuck.

What’s in a name?

Lots of people ask me, why Aspen? Good question and it did seem to come as a surprise. We played around exploring various names and Aspen emerged as the favourite among us. When we did further research into this name, we discovered how entirely suitable it is for our community. The Aspen tree is a pioneer species and its resilient, shimmering leaves could symbolise a kind of link between heaven and earth with a strong relational underground network. Loads of resonances here! This confirmed our choice of name.

Who we are: charism and values

You can read the Aspen document at your leisure but let me highlight a few important aspects here. The purpose is clearly linked to our charism and values.  

Our shared purpose is to connect and accompany changemakers, pioneers, fringe dwellers, and midwives of the new to join in God’s unfolding movement to heal and renew all things. This would be an excellent definition of mission. It also points to a few things such as newness and change so as not to become mired in what can sometimes seem to be the stuckness of the church. It is a call to healing, renewal, mending.  

Our purpose is linked to our charism of newness, context (we say context is everything at CMS – well, nearly everything), freedom and diversity. These are all equally important but I do want to highlight diversity here. Diversity and global perspectives are essential for us and close to our hearts. Our colleague Harvey Kwiyani reminds us that “diversity is the new normal”² and in our charism we picked up the phrase, “a fellowship of the unlike” from former CMS General Secretary, Simon Barrington Ward. Although slightly quaint language, I love this concept. It comes from the story he told of Ibribina and the community she had envisaged. Ibribina was a prophetic woman leader and trader, who lived at the end of the 19th century in Niger. She had been filled with the Holy Spirit in a mission church. Subsequently she learned how to read from the local CMS missionary so that she could read, translate and interpret the Gospels. Barrington Ward wrote, 

She saw in ‘Jesu’ Krisi’ a new love, a new all-pervasive Spirit power, the possibility of a new people, a fellowship of the unlike, bonding together all tribes, all ethnic groups, both black and white, into a new society.  Here the rich would care for the poor and the strong for the weak in what was to be a new heaven and a new earth.³

This would be my dream for Aspen, where there is a fellowship of the unlike and all are cared for equally. This resonates with CMS’s vision of being involved in mission at the edges, something that many pioneers are called to. Indeed, CMS’s purpose is to make disciples of Jesus at the edges. Another former General Secretary of CMS, John Taylor, was a fan of the edges. He wrote, “If you are concerned with movement and growth in a Church or in a society, look to the fringes. Watch the things that are pushing out on the edge.”⁴ We believe that Aspen will flourish best on the edges.

Our values are linked to our charism and are ubuntu, generosity, attentiveness and creativity. Again, you can read about these more fully in the Aspen document but let me just comment briefly on the African value of ubuntu, “I am because we are.” We are not who we are meant to be without one another. Belonging is made real and relational through mutual participation and we are diminished if others are excluded. Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote evocatively on ubuntu as follows, “We belong in a bundle of life. We say ‘a person is a person through other people.’ It is not ‘I think therefore I am.’ It says rather; ‘I am human because I belong. I participate. I share.’”⁵ This is a powerful vision for the Aspen community.

It is worth noting how the Aspen document explores how we will know if we are exhibiting these values. For each value, there is a series of suggestions that will provide evidence of whether we are practising our values. For example, we will know if we are practising ubuntu if we welcome both friend and stranger and help everyone to feel at home. We will know if we are not practising ubuntu if people feel ignored, rejected or invisible. I find this approach very helpful and practical.

Rhythm

Our rhythm is intended to be light touch and manageable. There is a helpful review document if you wish to use that to discern, with a companion or group, how you might want to learn and grow. We offer a monthly prayer, micro-liturgy and reflection on the first Monday of every month, online for 45 minutes, led by Aspen members. There is a monthly newsletter welcoming new members, giving info on various events and other opportunities to connect. Members are encouraged to be part of a murmuration – a small group you connect with. We have a directory where you can see where other members are in the world so you can connect with them if you would like to. There will be an annual, in-person gathering for those who wish to attend. Nothing is required, all is possible. We encourage you to self-organise.

What next?

I am excited to see how Aspen will develop. There are still things to put in place and we are learning as we go along. Much will be determined by you, the members, and we are excited to see what happens as we grow. Let me conclude with how one person described what they were longing for in the design phase of Aspen, “A sodal community that awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you.”

Growing slowly

We have been advised by others who are wiser and more experienced than us in these kinds of communities that we need to take our time, to grow slowly. There is not yet a website or any public space for Aspen but I am sure that will come in due course. We’re just taking one step at a time. If you’d like to know more, do get in touch via aspen@churchmissionsociety.org or download the Aspen Community Document.

About the author

Dr Cathy Ross is a lecturer on the MA Programme at CMS. Her research interests are in the areas of hospitality, feminist theologies and missional practice.

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Notes

1. Mary Benet McKinney, Sharing Wisdom: A process for Group Decision Making, (Allen, TX: Tabor Publishing, 1987), 13. ︎
2. Harvey Kwiyani, Multicultural Kingdom, Ethnic Diversity, Mission and the church, (London: SCM, 2020), 11. ︎
3. Simon Barrington-Ward, “My Pilgrimage in Mission”, International Bulletin of Missionary Research, April 1999, 61. ︎
4. John V Taylor, CMS Newsletter, No. 285, September 1965. ︎
5. Desmond Tutu, No Future without Forgiveness, (London: Ebury Press, 1999), 34. ︎

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Editorial: Movements, communities and sodalities | ANVIL volume 41 issue 1

by Jonny Baker and Cathy Ross

Welcome to a bumper issue of ANVIL. The idea for this issue was prompted by the launch of Aspen in November 2025. Aspen is a spread-out community, set up to look after the charism of pioneering mission (or whatever name you prefer to use) and to generate more of that practice. It is a response to the movement in mission we have seen grow in Britain and other post-Christian contexts over the last 30 years.

We have included in this issue the founding Aspen document that describes the purpose and charism of Aspen, and I (Cathy) have written a reflection or commentary on the process of setting it up. It’s a particular kind of community, a sodality to use the mission jargon. That community is a contribution to the ongoing movement in mission in post-Christian Britain and beyond. We thought it would be interesting to explore further the combination of movement and community in mission. It is of particular interest to us in CMS as we have been through a refounding process over the last six years or so. Our participation in mission globally has pivoted towards catalysing, co-creating and contributing to mission movements as we seek to notice and join in with what God is doing at the edges. This issue is focused towards post-Christian contexts (one of CMS’s areas of participation in mission). We hope a future issue might be able to build on this by exploring the theme further for other movements in mission.

There is a lot in the issue so do take your time with it but we are really thrilled with what has come together. ‘Movements’ is a slippery concept and I (Jonny) have written an article on some of their contours. I fear this may not be tight enough for some people who want to pin down what movements are but the very nature of movements is such that they keep moving and evade definition! And as I say in the article, attempts to pin them down often end up feeling more like descriptions of pyramid selling. Mission community and movement are nothing new so it’s great to have Ade Green’s article on being a Franciscan, one incredible movement that has been running for over 800 years. It makes quite a good ‘compare and contrast’ with Matt Richards’ article on new monasticism and mission.

We all need friends for the journey and at CMS, as we have been networking with others involved in mission in similar spaces to us in post-Christian contexts, we have really enjoyed the friendships that have emerged. Street Psalms and the Parish Collective, both of which are based in the US, are sister communities. Tim Soerens and Kris Rocke both share lots of wisdom in conversation with Tina Hodgett and Johnny Sertin respectively. Katharina Haubold reflects on the Fresh X-Network through conversation with others who have been part of the movement in Germany around mission and fresh expressions. We have had good friendship with Katharina and others in Germany over many years now. That in itself is illustrative of how movements work, though making connections, sharing ideas and friendship, and mutual encouragement and learning. Common Grace is a movement in Aotearoa/New Zealand that is focused on activism and justice, seeking to transform unjust structures in society. Alex Johnston tells their story in a way that we found very compelling. We hope that international flavour is helpful. We’d like to deepen that further.

There are further articles reflecting on practice. Idina Dunmore reflects on her experience of being part of a mission community, Servants Southall, London. Kairos is a new movement and community in Yorkshire catalysed through the Methodist church’s New Places for New People work. Liane Kensett tells their story and how they have developed a rhythm to the community’s life as they seek to reimagine what that might look like if we become future-facing. Harvey Kwiyani and Nuam Hatzaw have a conversation around Harvey’s book Decolonizing Mission. This conversation took place at the Assembly which is our annual get-together with people in the network. This is also movement, through a slightly different filter – exploring mission practice and the contours of a missiology after empire, after colonisation. The reflection on Aspen and its founding document, as mentioned above, also feed into this focus.

At CMS we have been pondering what sort of spirituality enables a life lived in mission. Ian Adams has been conducting lots of conversations with people about their own practice under the header “Presence”. Together with a couple of others, this has been distilled to a pattern of five principles to aid a life of prayerful presence, a mission spirituality if you will. This is being offered as an invitation across CMS to live a life of prayerful presence in mission. It seemed a perfect fit with this issue of ANVIL and we are grateful to Ian for letting us include it, to invite you into that too.

To top it off, there is a series of book reviews. Several of those are books that accompany this issue particularly well so do enjoy those too. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this issue. Everyone does so voluntarily as a gift of their time and energies, which we really appreciate.

About the authors

Jonny Baker is the director of mission in post-Christian Britain at Church Mission Society (CMS).

Cathy Ross is a lecturer on the MA Programme at CMS. Her research interests are in the areas of hospitality, feminist theologies and missional practice.

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Dr Gavin Mart recently completed his DTh exploring ultrarunning as a site of spiritual encounter. He is now working with the Methodist Church and the Church in Wales, helping to practically develop these ideas across outdoor, community enterprise and pioneering contexts.

Dr Cathy Ross, lecturer and tutor with CMS Pioneer Mission Training talks to Gavin about his doctoral research experience.

Cathy: First of all, congratulations. How does it feel to have completed the DTh?

Gavin: It still feels slightly unreal. It’s been one of the hardest things I’ve done, so thanks for being a great supervisor! But it’s also one of the most stretching in terms of how I think and see the world.

The doctorate didn’t just give me answers. It changed the questions I’m asking.

What led you to study this area?

I’d completed both the FdA (Foundation degree in Arts) and MA in Pioneer Mission through CMS and was keen to attempt to answer some of my own research questions. The starting point was very simple. I was already involved in outdoor community and endurance sport, and I kept noticing that people were having profound experiences, myself included. Awe, connection, even moments of what they described as something “bigger than themselves”.

But there was almost no theological language to engage with that.

At the same time, a sports ministry report highlighted a lack of in-depth theological thinking in sport and wellbeing contexts, particularly at ground level. Practice had moved ahead, but theology had not kept up.

That gap became the focus. What is actually happening in these environments, and how might theology respond to it?

So what did you discover?

The core discovery is this:

Ultrarunning can function as a site of spiritual encounter.

Not in a forced or imposed way, but through embodied experience. Through endurance, suffering, landscape and community.

People consistently described moments of awe, surrender and connection, even if they didn’t use religious language. Statements like, “I’m not religious, but I pray when I run,” came up repeatedly.

So, the thesis doesn’t claim that every experience is spiritual. It asks how we might interpret these experiences theologically, and what it means to take them seriously.

That sounds quite different from traditional approaches to mission.

Yes, it shifts the starting point.

Instead of asking, “How do we bring people into church?” it asks, “Where is meaning already happening?”

I draw on John V Taylor here, a former Anglican bishop and missiologist whose work focused on recognising the activity of the Spirit beyond the boundaries of the institutional church. In 1959 he became Africa Secretary of the Church Missionary Society, and in 1963 he succeeded Max Warren as its General Secretary, remaining in post until 1974. His thinking was significant because it gave theological permission to take seriously what is happening in the wider world, not just within church structures.

He describes the Spirit in very physical terms, in the strain of muscles, in the contact between people, in what happens between us.

That opens up a different posture. Not imposing meaning, but noticing where something is already unfolding.

Can you give an example from your research?

One runner described what he called “the crack” around 60 miles into a 100-mile race. A point where something in him gave way.

After that, he spoke about feeling like he was between two worlds, even sensing the presence of dead relatives. He didn’t frame it as belief. He described it as experience.

Others spoke about moving through the night and emerging changed, not necessarily stronger, but clearer.

Rather than deciding whether that is “spiritual” or not, I explore how traditions like the mystics might interpret it. There are clear resonances with ideas like the dark night of the soul and transformation through endurance.

The key is not to reduce the experience, but to take it seriously.

What implications does this have for pioneer ministry?

It suggests a different way of engaging.

I describe something I call the “adventurous pause”. A moment of attentiveness before we rush to explain or act.

In that pause, we begin to notice what is already happening. How people are searching for meaning, how community forms through care and hospitality, how environments shape encounter.

Pioneer ministry, in that sense, becomes less about creating something new, and more about recognising what is already there and joining in with it.

You also explore community and digital culture. What did you find there?

There’s an interesting tension.

In ultrarunning, you see very raw forms of community. People helping each other at their weakest, often without any shared belief system. There is a kind of radical hospitality that emerges naturally.

But then that experience is translated online.

One participant said, “If it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen.”

There’s a kind of modern confession and affirmation loop. We offer the experience up and wait to be recognised.

You might describe this as being alone together. Connected, but not fully known.

So, you get this split between embodied, real experience and its digital reflection, I find this area of research fascinating.

What happens next for you?

The work doesn’t feel finished.

If anything, it feels like it’s opening out.

I’m working on a consultancy basis now both with church organisations and those interested in community wellbeing and enterprise development, and beginning to explore how this kind of attentive, embodied approach can take shape in practice.

What’s becoming clear is that many organisations sense something is shifting culturally, but don’t yet have a framework for engaging it. They can see that people are searching for meaning, but they are not sure how to respond.

That’s where this work is starting to land.

And if people want to explore this further?

I’m already in conversations with churches and organisations who are asking similar questions, particularly in outdoor, wellbeing and community contexts, but also organisations who want to change their approach and posture in the community.

Sometimes organisations want to reimagine their building as an events or creative enterprise space, sometimes they want to get out of the building altogether and venture more meaningfully into the community.

More and more, leaders are asking not how to attract people in, but how to recognise what is already happening and respond well.

This research is really just a starting point for that kind of work.

Find out more about doctoral research with CMS and the University of Roehampton.

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Cathy Ross explores the theology and stories of those who have found lament to be the catalyst for healing and something new.

Lament is often associated with Lent but it can also be off-putting with many unsure of how to “get it right”.

Canon Dr Cathy Ross, lecturer and tutor with CMS Pioneer Mission Training, will help us understand the theology and how it informs our practice.

She will share case studies of those who have found lament to be the catalyst for healing and something new.

By the end of this webinar, you will you know how to reflect on areas of your own life or in the world which cause you pain, how to present those to God and how to allow him to renew your hope.

Canon Dr Cathy Ross

Canon Dr Cathy Ross is a lecturer and tutor with CMS Pioneer Mission Training and is a lecturer in mission at Regent’s Park College, Oxford.

She led CMS Pioneer Mission Training Oxford from 2019 to 2025, before handing over the reins to Dr James Butler.

Until 2016 she was the General Secretary of the International Association for Mission Studies.

She has previously worked in Rwanda, Congo and Uganda with NZCMS. Cathy is also canon theologian at Leicester Cathedral.

Her research interests are in the areas of contextual theologies, World Christianity, feminist theologies and hospitality.

She is married to Steve, a GP in Oxford and they have three children and five grandchildren. She enjoys tennis, swimming, coffee, travel and watching the All Blacks.

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There’s a new leader for CMS’s Oxford-based pioneer training. But he may not be new to you.

Dr James Butler has been appointed to the role of Pioneer Mission Training team leader. James has served as pioneer MA lecturer and assistant coordinator at Church Mission Society (CMS) Pioneer Mission Training for the last eight years.

Commenting on his appointment, James said: “I really think we have something special in terms of the courses and the team. I’m looking forward to this change in role and supporting the team as well as the students.”

Jonny Baker, Britain Hub mission director at CMS, said: “I am delighted that James has been appointed as the Pioneer Mission Training team leader. He has eight years’ experience of working in the team, teaching the MA, so knows CMS well. We interviewed both internal and external applicants and James was the outstanding candidate.”

Jonny added: “I also want to take this opportunity to thank Cathy for all her leadership and hard work over the years that she has led of Pioneer Mission Training.”

Canon Dr Cathy Ross has led the team for six years but has decided to hand the reins over. She will continue to teach and tutor as part of the team.

James has a wealth of experience in academic research. Alongside his work at CMS, he has also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Roehampton, researching themes of learning, discipleship and social action. His interest in social action began many years ago and has been evident in many of his previous roles including with a charity working in emergency accommodation. His PhD explored how Small Missional Communities sustain their social action.

As well as teaching and research, James has plenty of practical experience of mission. He has previously served on mission in Argentina and Uruguay. Indeed, much of his research was focused on ‘real life’ as James explains, “the privilege of being involved in research was the opportunity to hear about the rootedness of faith in people’s lives. I’ve hugely benefited from collaborating with them, seeing what they were doing and learning, and experiencing the changes actually happening in them and in their communities and churches.”

This collaborative approach is something James is keen to continue in his new role, as he says: “I am looking forward to connecting with pioneers on what they do to develop our work with them further. Our doctoral students are already conducting great research and I am looking forward to developing that along with our listening work. I want to see our students thrive in what they feel called to.”

James is married with two young daughters. Outside work he enjoys running (though not particularly quickly) and would like to watch more films, if he had the time.

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This year some of our students volunteered at the CMS stand and here are their reflections.

Greenbelt is an amazing place; I have been going since I was 18 (although not every year)! Over the last few years, I have been occasionally attending to be present on the CMS stand and talk to people about our work with Pioneer Mission Training. It’s been a privilege to do this.

This year our stand was run by me and Jonny Baker with four volunteers from the CMS study community.

I spoke to one of our volunteers, Christian Osborne, an undergraduate ordinand student, who told me:

Being in the CMS stand at Greenbelt was a great way to get to meet people from around the country who were interested in the work of CMS. Conversations ranged from the decolonisation of mission, to a Sri Lankan ordinand who wanted to share his positive experience of attending a school which had originally been set up through CMS, to people considering whether they would like to sign up for an MA, BA or individual modules to support the pioneering work that they are already doing.

Most encouraging were the stories from those who were trying to grapple with a sense of calling from God to learn more in order to be equipped on the ground in their local settings. It was a joy to share with people the range of ways in which CMS might be able to help equip them whilet bringing them the opportunity to be a part of the CMS community spread across the UK and beyond.

I spoke to another of our volunteers, MA student Lindsey Morgan Lundie, who told me:

Greenbelt this year for me was all about linking up with people new and old, spending quality time while listening to some amazing music! It was really wonderful to connect with so many being on the CMS stand and linking people together that will hopefully become part of the network.

And finally, another of our MA students, Fiona Barber, told me:

We frequently talk of pioneers as people that don’t quite fit in. But at Greenbelt we step into what feels like an alternate universe filled with poetry and music, shared meals and laughter alongside deep conversations and even deeper prayer. A place where we dream of all we could be together with God. A place where those that don’t fit in – do! Four days in a field that refreshes the soul with belonging to step out into a world where I don’t feel like I do! As Greenbelt says: “We’re somewhere to believe in. We’re somewhere to belong.”

Personally, I am always impressed by the emphasis on justice at Greenbelt. This time there were many talks about the theme of justice and we were treated to a replica of the Gaza Lighthouse. The original tower was built from the rubble left by Israel’s 2012 assault on Gaza and was designed and constructed by acclaimed Gazan artist Shareef Sarhan. Shareef Sarhan was exiled in Paris and responded by rebuilding. He created a work of grief, memory and resistance – brought to Greenbelt by their friends, Amos Trust.

With justice very much at the centre of Greenbelt, this year as always, it felt like a very safe space to be. Lots to see and do, hear and eat, and perhaps most exciting of all, lots of new people to meet.

If study with CMS is something that interests you, it is not too late to sign up for a course this coming academic year, or look into an open event with a view to studying in 2026.

And if Greenbelt interests you, maybe we will see you there in the future, dreaming together in a field in 2026 or beyond!

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Our professional doctorate programme run in collaboration with the University of Roehampton adds to the richness and depth of the conversation about mission and pioneering.

On a sunny Thursday a few weeks back, Cathy Ross and I travelled into London on the train, to the University of Roehampton to meet with a group of doctoral students (pictured above) to help them put together their research plans ahead of beginning the research phase of their programme.

This is the sixth year we have had CMS students studying their doctorate at the University of Roehampton, focusing on themes around mission and pioneering.

We see having doctoral students as a key way to encourage and support research into mission and pioneering and it has been great to see the wealth of subjects being studied by our students.

We have students studying questions of innovation, emergence, the Holy Spirit in mission, pioneering and church, spirituality, prayer and many more, all through a lens of mission and engaging with lived practice. 

One of the beauties of the DTh programme at Roehampton is the fact that for the first two years students get to journey with fellow doctoral students as they focus their research topic and develop the skills they need to do the research.  

As Jo Allen, in her first year of the DTh with us, commented, “I love the opportunity to design my research with others on my course, bouncing ideas of each other and exploring new avenues that I wouldn’t find on my own.”

They study two modules each year and meet six times throughout the year to learn together. 

While Cathy and I were meeting with the second year students who are reaching the end of the taught stage and putting together the details of the research plans, the first years were also meeting, thinking about the other voices and writings within their chosen fields of study.

Ben Morgan Lundie, who is coming to the end of the second year, reflected: “I chose to study my DTh with Roehampton and CMS because the team are experts in practical theology and bring a missional edge to how we shape our projects. The last two years of the taught programme have stretched me intellectually and I am really looking forward to the next few years of research and writing.”

On each DTh teaching day we also have the opportunity to come together for the Practical Theology Seminar, where various academics in related fields are invited to come and share their research and thinking. 

On this most recent visit it was the turn of Dr Pat Jones from the University of Durham, who shared her research into abuse in the Catholic Church and the learning which has come from listening to a wide variety of voices and experiences. It was a powerful session, not just because of the content, but also Pat’s engaging and reflective presenting.

I look forward to these teaching days and the chance to think deeply with students and learn together. It has been a real joy to see people develop their research around their passions and their pioneering and mission practice, and to see the kinds of deep insights beginning to emerge from their careful work. 

I enjoy hearing people express the same feelings of joy and privilege that I feel from doing qualitative research; having the opportunity to listen to people talk about their lives and seeing the ways in which deep and careful listening opens up new learning and practice.  

Paul Bradbury, coming towards the end of his doctoral research commented, “The DTh programme gave me such a good grounding and support for carrying out my research into pioneering – it has been a fabulous process.”

We anticipate our first students finishing their doctorates over the next year, and look forward to helping them to share their learning and findings more widely. 

If you have something you have a burning passion to explore and find out about, do get in touch to explore the possibility of doing the doctorate with us.

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The post Doctor Why? appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Lots of us want to get involved in mission in our own locality – but where to begin? We share some insights on how to get started.

Host Cathy Ross, leader of CMS Pioneer Mission Training in Oxford, garners insights on doing mission where we are:

• Ways in to mission in the neighbourhood – with James Butler
• Connecting with young people – with John Wheatley
• Connecting with new churches – with Sheila Akomiah-Conteh

Take part

For more webinars and events, please take a look at our Events page:

Events

• See all pioneer events

The post Webinar: Mission in the neighbourhood appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Jesus arrived by boat at Weston-Super-Mare. Who knew? This is a local legend or myth that Jesus came by boat to Weston as a boy on his way to Glastonbury. 

The donkeys that can be seen on the local beach are descendants of the donkeys that came with Jesus – according to a tongue-in-cheek blog post. They arrived with Jesus but got bogged down in the mudflats at the beach so could not carry Jesus to Glastonbury. Now their descendants are still on the beach at Weston! 

Fanciful perhaps but a lovely local myth and something to be appreciated as we began our MA weekend with a meal in the home of Cathy and John Wheatley, and their two young daughters, who have lived there for 15 years. 

They have made their home on the Bournville estate, an estate that is locally disparaged. Cathy works for the local council and John is a volunteer pioneer youth worker relating with children and young people in the parks, on the streets and building partnerships for change. They are self-supporting and are well embedded in their local context.

John arranged a fantastic programme for the 10 of us who were there mid-March from the CMS MA programme. We were all hosted locally with very welcoming hosts.

We began in Cathy and John’s home by hearing about this estate on the Somerset coast. The next morning we visited the Healthy Living Centre, opposite their home, a multi-agency development and considered the strengths and weaknesses of this model. 

We set up our own cathedral tent in there for morning prayers – complete with stained glass windows – see the photos! John tells us that the young people love it!

The local Anglican and Methodist churches sold their buildings and now have their church inside this centre – not very visible but located in the heart of this centre. Is this a good approach?

From there we had delicious (and plentiful) fish and chips on the seafront (looking out for the donkeys) before attending a fantastic play, “The Old Pier” at a local community theatre, The Front Room, located in a former Pizza Express.  

The one-man show was about George who wants to leave his hometown. Nothing makes him more eager to do this than the sight of the ​Old Pier – a crumbling wreck on the edge of the ocean.

But at night, lights twinkle amongst the rubble… A ghostly steamship arrives in George’s bedroom which leads to a night of adventure and to his reconsidering his decision to leave Weston.

This set the scene superbly for us to have a conversation with Barney and Sara Barron, pioneers from Looe in Cornwall and Jade Zerk, a Baptist minister in the next coastal town, about life and ministry in coastal communities in Somerset and Cornwall. 

The following morning we met at the allotments which are free to anyone in the community to use – complete with fire pit (read toasted marshmallows) and pizza oven (read pizza and bread rolls)!

Here local youth worker Dylan Barker chatted with us about creative youth ministry, and Zoe Missen, a local youth worker from the YMCA about her experiences working there. Then after pizza it was all over, very sadly.

It was a fantastic weekend. As one student said,

“There is obvious value in reading research, books, and written accounts of pioneer missiology. But none can compare to seeing and feeling these contexts in action. A reflection of 15 years of decisions, effort, collaboration, relationship building, struggles, mistakes, repeated rhythms, all while following the disruptive Spirit of God.

“The depth of the experience offered to us by John, Cathy, their family, and collaborative partners has breathed new life into any vision I have for my role in pioneering mission.”

Others commented on seeing “being with” lived out rather than “doing to or for.” Another was inspired by their faith and creativity. And another was unexpectedly surprised by the resonance with her own context of rural ministry and she came away with new ideas. 

We all left inspired, challenged, humbled to see faithful, unassuming and creative ministry truly on the edges, done with few financial resources but with a lot of time, nurturing of good relationships and partnerships, a practical hospitality, a commitment to the local and a willingness to be in the neighbourhood for the long term. 

Thank you, Cathy and John.

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A recent research conversation day at CMS looked at fresh ways to express and think about pioneering and church planting.

One of our priorities at CMS is enabling thinking and theological engagement around mission and pioneer practice.

One of the ways we have sought to do this is through the doctoral programme that we offer in partnership with the University of Roehampton.

Another way has been through our conversation days where we invite different contributors who have been thinking and researching around mission, church, and pioneering. 

In March these two things came together when Paul Bradbury, one of our first doctoral students, gave us a snapshot on his doctoral research and the implications for pioneering and church.

Fresh expressions of pioneering?

Paul has been looking at the experience of pioneers within two Church of England dioceses. 

Through listening to what the pioneers do in their work, and how they talk about their pioneering, he is expressing pioneering and church in ways which take seriously the more emergent nature of their work.

He has noticed a tendency when thinking about church planting and new worshipping communities, to turn to models, but what he heard from the pioneers was a much more responsive approach to the formation of ecclesial communities. 

He described how:

• pioneers create space through their work for mutual dialogue, where the primary aim is be with each other, and learn from one another;
• this is part of what it means to participate in God’s mission, being together and learning together;
• in this space the pioneers journey with others, noticing how church is coming into being through the work of the Spirit;
• this idea of becoming church allows a much more dynamic understanding of church as a community on the move, rather than a fixed sense of what church is.

His account stimulated a great conversation with people in the room and those online, whose questions and comments encouraged discussion around discernment, the work of the Spirit, what a ‘models’ approach to church planting might offer, and how what Paul was discovering resonated with the practice of many pioneers in the room.

New churches: working with the Spirit

Later in the morning we reflected on the recent book New Churches: A Theology which a number of people from across the CMS network had contributed to, including Cathy Ross, Tina Hodgett, Paul Ayokunle, Paul Bradbury and me. 

Through a panel discussion format, the contributors discussed what we had valued in one another’s chapters. 

Paul Ayokunle’s chapter explored an omolúàbí understanding of church planting, drawing from a tradition within his own Yoruba Nigerian background. 

Through this tradition he expressed an emphasis on both the character of those planting churches, and on the way in which human agency and the Spirit’s agency work together.

In fact, Cathy pointed to an emphasis on the work of the Spirit being a theme across the different chapters we were discussing. We were pleased to have Rachel Edge from SCM Press with us, offering a discounted copy of the book. Do get hold of it and have a read.

We have two Conversation Days a year, which cover themes relevant to mission and pioneering and draw from the wealth of wisdom across our work and networks, particularly connecting it to the pioneer, African and Asian conversations we are developing in our MA programme.

Look out for future Conversations through our Pioneer Newsletter and Events page.

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The post How church is always emerging appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).