Church court, conference and pastors in Norfolk

A delegation of 25 German pastors are touring Norfolk to learn from their English counterparts and share information about the wider role of the rural church in modern society.

 

The group arrived on Monday (September 26) and spent the day visiting south Norfolk churches in Hempnall, Woodton, Hedenham and Ditchingham. They also met a host of religious leaders at the Belsey Bridge Conference Centre near Ditchingham to discuss subjects including fundraising, the recruitment of volunteers, restoration and maintenance.

 

The group is led by Superintendent Horst Hörpel, of the Simmern-Trarbach Evangelical Church of Rhineland who said that there were far fewer historic churches in his country but some 80% of the population belong to the Catholic or Protestant church and all churches were state funded.

 

On Tuesday the group will take a guided tour of Norwich Cathedral before attending a reception with the Bishop of Norwich.

 

 

Shrine directors from Germany, Slovenia, Romania, England, Poland, France, Ireland and Portugal and other countries, are meeting together from 27-30 September at Walsingham in Norfolk.  The theme of the gathering is 'Evangelisation and gestures of popular piety'.

 

This year the Shrine is celebrating its 950th anniversary and has had one of its busiest pilgrimage seasons ever, having received approximately 100,000 pilgrims. The number of pilgrims to Walsingham has risen the past three years running.

 

 

Research scientists told an ecclesiastical court near Norwich there was “no consistent evidence” to support health fears over a scheme to transmit wireless broadband from Norfolk’s church towers.

 

The hearing was a “test case” for the Wispire project, a joint venture run by the Diocese of Norwich and service provider Freeclix, which aims to use the height of historic buildings to beam high-speed signals into homes and businesses.