Barry Osborne

ABOUT BARRY OSBORNE

In 1963, while in his late teens, Barry joined an interdenominational mission specialising in rural evangelism as a trainee evangelist. Two years later he was invited onto the full time staff and held various offices over the following 23 years becoming the CEO in 1985.

During his time in this mission he organised and took part in over 200 missions, and also set up and led a residential training programme for Bible College graduates entering rural ministry.

In 1982 he helped to set up the Rural Evangelism Network which he still serves this network as Executive Secretary.

Around 1985 he was invited to join what is now the Chartered Management Institute and undertook a course of studies in management with the Open University which proved a useful addition to a portfolio of skills.  He became one of the earliest thinkers in what is now commonly referred to as mission shaped churches.

In 1988 he set up a new kind of Mission Consultancy called "Rural Sunrise" (since re-branded as Rural Mission Solutions). This was an ecumenical mission-enabling organisation that uses a unique process drawing on three important disciplines - theology, sociology and organisational development. The process is based on the premise that each local church has a unique role within God's mission which relates to the gifts of its members and the context of the local community.

In addition to his evangelistic experience Barry has also served four churches in a pastoral and teaching capacity. From 1968 to 1989 he was a member of a ministry team in Hastings. From 1990 to 2005 he served as the Minister of a Congregational Church in Herstmonceux, East Sussex. From 2005 to 2007 he served Theddingworth Congregational Church, Leicestershire. From 2005 onwards he has served Yelvertoft Congregational Church, Northamptonshire.

He is a former President of the Congregational Federation and has served on its Council, the Mission and Society Committee, Pastoral Care Board, and is the chairman of the Inter-Church Board responsible for ecumenical relationships.  He is a member of the Executive Committee for the International Congregational Fellowship.

He has also served as a director of several companies and as the MD for two of these.

Monica Cook

Meet Monica Cook

Monica Cook heads up the children's work in Rural Mission Solutions. The daughter of a farmer, Monica has a real love for children and for rural life. She trained initially as a teacher and worked in schools in the east of England and in Australia.

While in Australia she felt a call from God to Christian ministry and retrained at Birmingham Bible Institute and on the Rural Training Programme being run by Barry Osborne. He invited her onto the staff and the two have worked together since then.

Monica has served as Youth Pastor of a Baptist Church with around 300 young people in her care. She has a real love for evangelism and runs Holiday Bible Clubs, Children's Camps, and Children's Missions throughout the year.

She is the author of a series of 15 books of Children's Work Programmes, and an Appraisal Package. She speaks at conferences and leads seminars and workshops.

One of Monica's primary concerns is that children are too often treated as the church of tomorrow, even where churches know this is poor theology. She has been running a campaign to encourage churches to release the potential of the children to share in the life and mission of the church now.