CONFERENCE 2023
- Conference group in Dubuque, Iowa, USA
IRCA 2018
- Conference group in Lincoln, Aotearoa New Zealand
IRCA 2014
- Conference group in Lilongwe, Malawi
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Latest News
Rest in Peace, Janice
With great sadness we have heard that our dear IRCA friend Janice Purdie died last month. The newspaper notice read: PURDIE, Janice Margaret. Passed away peacefully at Hamilton on Saturday 1 July 2023 Aged 81 years Treasured eldest daughter of the late Ian and Peg Purdie. Dearly loved sister of Royce, Meryll, Heather, Euan and…
Read MoreIRCA Oceania
Thursday 31 August at 1300 NZST Among those at the IRCA 2023 Sequel gathering in May this year there was a keenness to keep ourselves connected. Aware of a changing world, with travel more difficult economically and from environmental considerations, it seemed a no brainer to make good use of the experience and expertise we…
Read MoreOur History
In 1993, a small group of international rural church leaders gathered in England to celebrate 21 years of the Arthur Rank Centre. This ecumenical centre is the focus for the rural work of all the churches of Great Britain and helps the churches understand their rural context much more clearly. Plans were made for a…
Read MoreMind Your Own (Small) Business – International Edition
Jerry Marshall, former chair of IRCA and chair of TEN – Transformational Enterprise Network – has just released an International Edition of this training kit for setting up a business. Click on the image to access the workbook. The catchphrase for TEN is “create and develop impact businesses to fight poverty”. This is a valuable…
Read MoreQuadrennial conference updates
A reminder that the registration/payment deadline is March 27. The transportation gas surcharge of $75 is also due at this time. Your registration will be cancelled if full payment or other arrangements have not been made by that date. All persons will need to show proof of a covid-10 vaccination to enter the U.S. More…
Read MoreSAVE THE DATE!
The next IRCA quadrennial meeting will be from April 13- 19 in Dubuque, Iowa, United States of America. Located in America’s heartland on the banks of the Mississippi River, Dubuque has been voted one of America’s best small cities and has won several environmental awards. The theme this year is Flourishing: Land, People and Community.…
Read MoreOpen Access Laudato Si’ Integral Theology Collection
Check out the new website of the Laudato Si’ Research Institute. To quote the website: In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis emphasised the importance of a united, global response to the current ecological crisis. Yet dialogue and learning on integral ecology is often hindered by limited access to the academic publications on the subject, which are not…
Read MoreWorld Environment Day
The Christian Conference of Asia’s General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara has issued a statement on behalf of CCA for World Environment Day 5 June 2022. It can be accessed at this link
Read MoreIRCA2022 Sharing Stories and Prayer Around the World
Video from our Chairperson Rev Dr Mark Jackel-Juleen introduces the 2022 ZOOM event and invites us all to the planned face t0 face conference in Dubuque, Iowa USA in 2023.
Read MoreIRCA 2022 Round the World
Networking for prayer and conversation with video, worship and presentations 7-8 March 2022 Because we are unable to meet face to face this year for our regular Quadrennial Conference, the IRCA Leadership decided to set up a 24 hour opportunity to connect and pray together as rural churches around the world. We will be online on…
Read MoreRuminations
The latest edition of the Australian rural ministry magazine Ruminations is now available. Click here to access from this website. Or go to source where you can also access earlier editions. The theme for this Spring/Summer 2021 edition is “RENEWING”. In his introduction editor Mark Faulkner says, “Each of our contributors have, completely independently of…
Read MoreGleanings of a Prairie Pastor
Joyce Sasse has penned this collection of rural community memories and writings which is available to download as an e-book. It contains the fruits of her many years as a rural minister with the United Church of Canada, with themes that will relate to many, in terms of the rural context or of being a…
Read MoreIRCA-Europe Conference 2021
Postponed from from 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, IRCA-Europe will gather at the end of May and work together on the theme of “Sourdough for the Land”. Rural Church representatives are invited to Sibiu/Hermannstadt in Romania from 31 May to 3 June 2021. In the words of the organisers: The biblical image of the…
Read MoreIRCA-Oceania Questionnaire 2020
Unable to gather in Queensland, Australia this year because of the pandemic, the Leadership Group of IRCA-Oceania has put together a questionnaire seeking stories and ideas from the people who might have gathered and indeed from all who are the heart and soul of rural churches in the Oceania region. The theme of the planned…
Read MoreNew Year Message from the Chair
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, We have entered a new year and a new decade. In many ways and in many places, it is a time of fear and travail. Wildfires rage in Australia and intentional fires ravage the Amazon Rainforest. Glaciers melt and sea levels are rising globally as the planet warms and…
Read MorePray for those affected by bush fires in Australia
A video has been produced and prayers written by IRCA members in the Oceania region. They have been posted on the IRCA Facebook page but copied and pasted here for those not on Facebook. Many thanks to Martin Harrison. Prayers for the Bush firesShow Movie reflection Give a few moments of silence afterJude and Andy…
Read More2018 Conference Feedback
Thank you, all those who attended the conference in Lincoln New Zealand and who filled in the feedback form. A brief summary of the points made, together with areas for reflection and ideas for topics for future events can be found here: NZ feedback report.
Read More2018 Conference Materials
Feedback from the 2018 New Zealand conference was very positive: “Amazing experience” “What a gift“. In particular the keynotes and learning community materials were much appreciated: “Fabulous – touched my heart” “Awesome and really helpful” “Extremely valuable” and “Inspiring!” These materials are now online. Click here and scroll to the bottom for keynote transcripts and…
Read MoreConference Statement 2018
It is our tradition to issue a statement after each quadrennial conference. Here is the statement from the New Zealand conference. International Rural Churches Association Voice of the Voiceless STATEMENT OF 2018 IRCA 6th QUADRENNIAL CONFERENCE HELD IN LINCOLN, NEW ZEALAND 15-21 April 2018 THEME: GROWING TOGETHER The gifts he gave … to equip the saints…
Read MoreIRCA Powhiri New Zealand 15 April 2018
The IRCA 6th quadrennial conference has made a great start today. We began with the traditional Maori welcome. As leader of the visitors, Jerry gave a speech following a particular sequence of greetings and explanation, backed up by a ‘Waiata’ sung by all the visitors. This was very positively received. Here is the text, which…
Read MoreRecord numbers at NZ conference
We will be welcoming 100 delegates to our 6th Quadrennial conference in Lincoln New Zealand 15-21 April, exceeding our highest expectations. The event is now full! Do pray that the event will be transformational as we learn from and support each other, reflect prayerfully on our ministries, and receive resources we can adapt to our…
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