Easter Sunday Special: Religion in Rural Life

Emily Buchanan presents a special Easter Sunday programme exploring the place of religion in rural communities.Emily visits a cattle auction in Yorkshire to examine the changing face of church ministry in the countryside.Rev Sarah Lunn, who is responsible for thirteen churches in Cumbria, explains how she's also helping with a shortage of GPs in the area.Bob Walker reports from the largely rural diocese of Lincoln, where three quarters of churches no longer have a regular weekly church service. The future of the thousands of listed rural Church of England buildings is debated by Bishop John Inge, lead bishop for cathedrals and church buildings, and Simon Jenkins, former chair of the National Trust.Bishop of Ripon, James Bell, and Professor of the Sociology of Religion, Linda Woodhead, consider the future of congregation-led church communities. And London vicar Marie-Elsa Bragg explains her spiritual connection to Cumbria, and how it inspired her first novel. Producer: Dan Tierney Series Producer: Amanda Hancox.