Approaching Our Third Winter
The outdoor church in the North East of England is here to stay
I remember reading about a pioneering Christian pastor called Anna Woofenden, who founded a garden church in an abandoned car park. It was in the heart of a very poor and diverse community, bringing people together over food and fellowship at an urban farm. It was a church, also a fully functioning church. I remember thinking, Wow, what an amazing concept. It’s a good job it’s in California!
A few years ago, when the Bishop of Durham asked me to start a new church in Chopwell, I dreamed of being free from a building, pews, and the typical image people have when they picture a church. I dreamed of freedom to roam and get to know God in fields and forests, to hear about Jesus by rivers and waterfalls, and to do all this with campfires, food, and the sound of children laughing and playing. But could it really be done in North East England? Would it last? If it rained, would people come back?
I should have had more faith! Just as I was hoping and praying, God was gathering other dreamers and visionaries—pioneers with a heart for the most vulnerable, eco-warriors, cooks, and plenty of folk perfectly at home outdoors. I didn’t know them yet, but as soon as the church launched, there they were, ready to set off on this wild adventure together. In April 2023, Magdalene Community Church was born.
It has to be said—we are unusual. We choose not to have a building. Our possessions are few. Wherever our community gathers, that’s where church is. Mostly, that’s in Chopwell Woods, where we pray, relax in hammocks, and share Holy Communion every week of the year.
About half of our church are children, and we follow a matriarchal model of leadership and structure—mutuality, collaboration, distribution of power, and centring the most vulnerable. Because we are not mainstream, we attract people who, for a variety of reasons, don’t fit in mainstream spaces. So, we are diverse, we are young, and we question everything!
And yet, where our community finds peace and stability is in the predictable liturgies of Common Worship—yes, we’re Church of England—and the ancient, poetic rhythms of Celtic spirituality. We use tree stumps blessed with holy oil as our altar, and we share wine and bread freshly cooked on the fire, under a canopy of trees, singing a cappella, accompanied only by birdsong. It’s a truly multisensory experience, and we’re intentional about using our whole selves in worship; we practise grounding techniques, breathwork, and body prayers. The peace is tangible.
Being outdoors all year round, regardless of the weather, and witnessing the woods change so dramatically with the seasons means we cannot fail to notice God’s presence. It’s the perfect setting for people who want to explore their faith but find buildings and mainstream expressions of church too constraining. And being intentionally slow-paced helps too.
Our worship lasts for a whole day on Fridays, with people dropping in and out throughout the day. On Sundays, we gather from lunchtime until teatime. This pace gives us time to notice the creatures we share our space with, and to reconnect ourselves—often barefoot—with the earth.
Being outdoors also really helps our neurodivergent adults and children to feel regulated and able to thrive. There’s loads of scientific proof about how beneficial being outdoors is for our health and wellbeing—and we certainly feel it.
So yes, it turns out it is possible. You can be a church without a building in the UK. This isn’t a short-term experiment, but a thriving community that has put down roots in a beautiful former pit village.
As we approach our third winter and feel the temperature drop, we get our hats and blankets ready. We look forward to singing and storytelling in the dark woods, lit only by fairy lights and campfires; to eating casseroles, pizzas, and toasted marshmallows—and above all, to experiencing Love.
From Rev Rachael Leader of the Magdalene Community Church
