Cornwall reflections
Several months ago, my husband and I moved permenantly to a small coastal community in South Cornwall. We did so with a sense of calling after spending time in the area and getting involved in a small church which has been in the village for over 200 years.
The theme of this and the previous Vista edition about mission to indigenous groups is therefore very relevant as we think about how we live out our faith in a different context and lifestyle from our previous life.
Personally, I am inspired and challenged by The Message paraphrase of John 1:14 ‘The Word became flesh and moved into the neighbourhood’. Jesus came to a particular time and place. While his purpose was global, his relationships and how he carried out his ministry was shaped by the history, culture, geography, and people of that ‘neighbourhood’.
There has been a lot of discussion about the difference between ‘place’ and ‘space. In his PHD thesis, Inge (2001) differentiates between the more abstract concept of ‘space’, and ‘place’. This he defines as ‘a location, a particular space which carries significance’.[i] He argues that in the Old Testament, the interaction between God, people, and place - as a particular geography - is important. The New Testament focus on the incarnation moves this idea from a specific land to ‘places [being] thought of as the seat of relations or the place of meeting and activity in the interaction between God and the world’ (p104), and as such is still vitally important.
My friend Abby, who is a pioneer missionary in a nearby coastal village expands on this, defining place as a space formed by history and story, where there are memories and important words have been spoken.[ii]
“Place is a space formed by history and story, where there are memories and important words have been spoken”
But to live incarnationally in the place where I am, I need to understand it - including the history and story - and the opportunities this presents. This is very much a work in progress, and I feel I am just at the start of discovering what it means.
So what is this place?
Situated in the very South-West of England, the long and narrow country of Cornwall is surrounded on three sides by the sea (the county’s coastline is 697km long). The county is mainly rural and the capital city, Truro, has a population of just over 24,000, with 40,000 living in the most densely populated area of Redruth and Cambourne.[iii] As we have got to know the county, we are discovering the legacy of the fishing, farming, and mining industries which have shaped the county, and more about the distinct communities involved in each.
The growth in tourism over the last 150 years has included large numbers of second homes owned by people who spend most of their time living elsewhere. This means many villages have declining populations (as locals cannot afford to buy locally) and little supporting infrastructure.
Although there are areas of affluence, seventeen neighbourhoods are ranked in the top 10% of deprived areas in England and in some of these, over a third of children experience poverty.[iv] However there is also a lot of innovation and new opportunities developing in agriculture, health technology, mining, and the aerospace industry.[v]
Who lives there?
Before the 1700s, maps delineated Cornwall as a separate nation like Wales, and the Cornish flag of St Piran flies proudly from many buildings. This distinctive identity was confirmed in 2014 when the population was afforded the same status under the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities as other the Celtic nations in the UK, Scots, Irish and Welsh.[vi]
In the last UK national census (2021), ethnic groups such as Asian, Black, or Mixed (including British or Welsh Asian/Black/Mixed) made up 2.1%, of the population, and ‘other ethnic groups’ were 1.1% - rising from 0.2% in 2011. 96.8% of people living in Cornwall identified as ‘White’. Of the ‘White’ population, 93.1% of the total said they were originally from within the United Kingdom. 14.0% (80,000) of the population selected a "Cornish" only identity (an increase from 9.9%, in 2011) and 1.6% (9,000) of the population selected "Cornish" in combination with a "British" identity (an increase from 1.0% in 2011). [vii]
“In the 2021 census 14.0% (80,000) of the population selected a “Cornish” only identity (an increase from 9.9%, in 2011) and 1.6% (9,000) of the population selected “Cornish” in combination with a “British” identity ”
This is a far cry from the multi-cultural populations of the rest of the country, or even the ethnic makeup overall of England, where 74.4% (compared with 93.1%) of usual residents in England and Wales identified their ethnic group as "English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish, or British”.
From a missional perspective therefore, it could be tempting to think of people living in Cornwall as a fairly homogenous group. However I disagree.
My local context
As we have got to know the local community we’ve become aware of many different ‘groups’ or sub-cultures. There are people who have lived in the local area for generations, fishing and farming. While they are in the minority now, there is a definite ‘boundary’. There are those who have moved in more recently, either to work or retire. Local employment is often construction or seasonal tourism. Others frequently stay in their second home here, and some of them are very involved in the community when they are here. Then there are regular visitors who come here on holiday at the same time every year, as well as those visiting for the first time or just passing through. A local church leader recently observed that most people attending her church are from elsewhere – very few ‘born and bred’ Cornish people go regularly.
The vision of our church community of around 16 people is to be a blessing to the village and beyond – i.e. all these people - but what does this mean?
Part of it means living our ‘everyday ordinary life’ [viii] in community, relating to all these different groups in different ways. In a small village, everyone knows everyone else’s business. We are known as ‘chapel people’, and I’m acutely aware that if I park my car badly or accidentally snub someone, people will know about it in no time! And it may not just be a reflection on me – but on people’s opinion of Christians.
It means living out our faith in public. Some of us meet on Friday afternoons in the local pub to pray blessing for the village. It feels important for us to do it in the heart of the village, and not to worry what others think.
And it means waiting for and depending on the Spirit’s guidance. I try to remember God is not in a rush – this is a long-term project!
In his article, Pasties, Pirates and Practical Theology, [ix] Aldous (2020) identifies three potential areas of Cornish culture: cultural identity, countryside and topography, and ceremonies and tradition as rich areas for contextual theology. I have found Aldous’ three areas very helpful to provide a framework for how I think about missional opportunities and I explore them below.
Cultural identity
Each of the groups above (e.g. the historic Cornish population, the long-term non-Cornish residents, and the regular visitors) have a different ‘cultural identity’. We have more in common with people like ourselves, who have moved from elsewhere, and it would be easy to stay within that sphere.
But through activities such as joining the local gig rowing club[x] and having a drink with the group afterwards, we’ve been able to get to know people who have grown up in the village. Many of them have memories of going to Sunday School or weddings at the chapel. I’ve found that being curious and asking questions about what it’s like here, listening to the issues, and being honest about what you don’t know has helped to create friendships. We will never be ‘Cornish’ but wanting to get involved and be part of things creates some respect. And these conversations enable me to discover more about the local cultural identity which creates further bridges for building relationship.
“We will never be ‘Cornish’ but wanting to get involved and be part of things creates some respect.”
There is also a strong village identity, and we want the church community to be seen as part of that. Each summer we open the building for traditional ‘cream teas’[xi] to raise money for charity. This year, we gave the money to the local Anglican church who needed funds to repair its spire – a local landmark in the area. The whole village were very positive about this contribution.
Countryside and topography
Before moving to the coast, I did not appreciate how much the sea influences daily life. Timings of walks along the beach are influenced by the tide. Whether or not you swim in the morning depends on the size of the waves! But there is also a knowledge of the precariousness of life and the harshness – as well as the beauty – of the sea, particularly for the fishing community. Many locals know of someone who has died at sea. There are well attended local ecumenical services for ‘Sea Sunday’ and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (complete with visiting lifeboats) held on the harbour wall. The services focus on praying for safety at sea and giving thanks for those who risk their lives for others. How do we bring the Gospel into these?
The Chapel is on the Southwest Coast path which runs along the entire coast of Cornwall as well as some of the neighbouring counties. We keep the building open every day with free hot drinks and scripture-based literature for people who drop in. We also have leaflets with some local reflective prayer walks, and we want to develop more alongside the idea of pilgrimage. While we may never know the results, we trust that God will meet people where they are at.
Ceremonies and tradition
There is a lot of ‘traditional’ religion in the area. Alongside open-air services, there is Remembrance Sunday as well as an All Souls service where those who have died in the last year are remembered. The Carol Service in the village square includes the local brass band and ends with a visit from Father Christmas! Lots of people who usually never go inside a church attend because they are traditional. I haven’t quite worked out yet how to broker the conversation about ‘how much does this mean to you?’ but it is an opportunity.
Our services are traditional too – I have sung hymns from my childhood that I’d forgotten, and there is a familiar format on Sunday mornings. Part of this helps people feel at home – whether local or visiting from elsewhere.
We want to respect the faithfulness of the people who have kept the church going over many years by enabling incremental change where appropriate rather than bringing in lots of new ideas all at once and causing division. But we have been able to do some new initiatives – like having prayer stations in the chapel during the village Regatta Weekend, providing opportunities for quiet reflection and prayer as an alternative to the activity of the rest of the programme!
Making the most of the opportunities
In all of this, I am wrestling with what Gospel ‘relevance’ means for this particular community. We are in a space with multiple ‘places’ and many different identities shaped through memories and stories, the countryside and topography, the customs and traditions.
As a church community, I am sure that being relevant is not up to date music and audio visuals in church services which might attract some of the younger people (or not) while putting others off.
Relevance feels more like helping people make connections back to a scarcely remembered yet meaningful spiritual heritage in this place. It means showing through our welcome and community that faith is more than that heritage, but living and active with answers to issues they are facing today.
And as an individual, I sense I am being called to being as fully present as I can be in this place. Living my life in this community, being myself with people with all the messiness and mistakes that involves, listening to and learning from those around me. And always, always attempting to be present to what the Holy Spirit might be doing in this place and how I can join in.
Pause for thought:
What are the places you are called to?
Who lives there?
What is their story, in terms of identity, topography, customs, or traditions.
Where are the points of connection?
Joanne Appleton is a freelance coach and facilitator, and co-editor of Vista (joanneappletoncoaching.com)
Endnotes
[i] Inge, John (2001) A Christian theology of place., Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1235
[ii] Conversation with Abby Clayton May 2025
[iii] Truro, United Kingdom — statistics 2025, Falmouth, United Kingdom — statistics 2025, Redruth, United Kingdom — statistics 2025
[iv] Cornwall Council Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2019 and 2015: Cornwall Reports - Transformation Cornwall and Cornwall's areas with highest levels of child poverty MAPPED - Cornwall Live
[v] http://cornwallti.com/industries/
[vi] Cornish granted minority status within the UK - GOV.UK
[vii] How life has changed in Cornwall: Census 2021 also Ethnic group, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics
[viii] Romans 12:1 The Message paraphrase
[ix] Benjamin Aldous (2020) Pasties, Pirates and Practical Theology: Taking Cornish Context and Culture Seriously When Utilising the Resource Church Model, Rural Theology, 18:1, 2-12, DOI: 10.1080/14704994.2020.1727146
[x] a ‘gig’ is a particular type of traditional rowing boat, with a crew of 6 people. https://robierobes.com/blogs/news/a-brief-history-of-gig-rowing
[xi] a cream tea is a traditional snack in Cornwall and Devon, comprising of scone, jam and clotted cream)