Agricultural Christian Fellowship

The Agricultural Christian Fellowship (ACF) is open to all Christians in all branches of Agriculture, Horticulture and related activities. It exists to help them to make a Christian response to the many blessings, challenges and problems they face.

Conferences

In November 2008 there was a conference about agriculture and climate change with a biblical perspective and an exploration of the emerging scientific realities. This year on November 19th at the Arthur Rank Centre there was a conference on succession and continuity in farming, with biblical reflection on the “familyness” of farming, a review from Howard Petch of the problems and opportunities for new entrants to farming and sharing of personal experiences by Sir Donald Curry and others. 

Other Activity

In some areas there are local groups – a recent farm walk in Derbyshire was attended by 170 people. Members receive an “Update” briefing with articles, news and biblical reflection.

Partnerships

Reflection and prayer led to awareness of a billowing cloud of ethical issues around farming, and of a need to reflect on these as objectively as possible in the light of biblical understanding. From this grew a partnership with the Church Mission Society and the John Ray Initiative in an ongoing “Agriculture and Theology Project”

A growing understanding of global pressures on farming led to another partnership venture with the Arthur Rank Centre – Farm Crisis Network – now a substantial Christian presence in farming.

9.30am – 4.30pm, Saturday 6 March 2010
Newspapers and TV programmes herald the ‘end of cheap food’, warning us that the global food systems on which we have come depend are increasingly fragile. The cost to other nations and the environment, and the impact on UK food producers, mean that in a few years we will not be living as we do now. The Food Futures Day Conference at Redcliffe College, Gloucester help us respond by asking what God wants us to learn and how we could personally change and adapt. We will look at what Scripture says about our relationship with food and those that produce it, and at what can be done to improve global production, food security, and patterns of trade. For those of us who do not grow food but do eat it, we will explore the jungle of food ethics and whether ‘conscience in the supermarket’ is an adequate response to the coming storm.

Speakers include:
The speakers are Rev Dr Mike Rayner (British Heart Foundation, Oxford), Patrick Mulvany (Chair of UK Food Group) and Ruth Valerio, author of ‘L is for Lifestyle’.
The Food Futures day is in association with Redcliffe College, the Church Mission Society, and the Agricultural Christian Fellowship.

Cost: £35 including a two-course lunch.

To book:
Please download the booking form and send with a cheque to Mrs Diane Carter, Redcliffe College, Wotton House, Horton Road, Gloucester GL1 3PT.
A LEAFLET with more details is now available.

There is a special Facebook Event Page for this meeting. Do join us there for updates and the latest information. You will need to be registered with Facebook to do this.

The ACF Conference was held on Thursday 19th November 2009.  A full account of what took place will appear shortly.