Lee Abbey Conference: 18-22 march 2024.

Graham and John write ...

Welcome to the Lee Abbey Estate. Credit: Marion Swinerd.

We co-hosted the 6th Lee Abbey conference in the ‘Big Bang to Biology’ series during the week of 18-22 March 2024. This week coincided with the Spring Equinox, heralding the beginning of Spring, presenting a wonderful opportunity to witness once again the renewal of the natural world. And what a great place to do it! Lee Abbey is a Christian retreat, conference and holiday centre situated on the North Devon coast near Lynton, which is run by an international community of predominantly young Christians. The main house nestles in a 280-acre (113 hectare)  estate of beautiful farmland, woodland and coastal countryside, with its own beach at Lee Bay. The South West Coast Path passes through the estate and the Exmoor National Park is just a short drive away. The meeting took place before the Springtime clock change so that nightfall occurred at a reasonable time (not too late) in the evening. However, Graham’s one disappointment during the week was that cloud obscured the amazing night sky each evening! The site is on the edge of the Exmoor National Park Dark Sky Reserve. 

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Lee Abbey, with the dramatic coastal and rock scenery of the the Valley of Rocks beyond. Credit: Graham Swinerd.

The Conference venue, the main Lee Abbey House, on a cold, sunny March morning. Credit: Graham Swinerd.

We were pleased to welcome over 50 guests to the conference, who had booked in for a Science and Faith extravaganza. One of the joys of Lee Abbey is that speakers and delegates share the whole experience; meeting, eating and talking together for the whole week. This group of guests were a delight, which made the week a pleasure, coming as they did with an enthusiasm for the topic and a hunger to learn more and to share their own thoughts and experiences in discussion. It was also great to welcome Liz Cole back to the conference, with her new publication ‘God’s Cosmic Cookbook’ (1) – cosmology for kids!

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The Lee Abbey Octagonal Lounge provided the perfect intimate meeting room for delegates and speakers. Credit: Jane Tompsett.

The usual format for the conference is to have two one-hour sessions each morning. Graham kicked-off on Tuesday morning with sessions on the limitations of science (2) and the remarkable events of the early Universe (3), followed on Wednesday by a presentation on the fine-tuning and bio-friendliness of the laws that govern the Universe, combined with the story of his own journey of faith (4). During the second session, John followed on with a discussion of the equally remarkable events needed for the origin of life and for life’s flourishing on planet Earth (5). In the first session on Thursday morning, John posed a question – are we ‘more than our genes?’ involving a discussion of human evolution and what it means to be human (6). This was followed by an hour’s slot to give participants the opportunity to receive prayer ministry. The final event was an hour-long Q&A session in the late afternoon on Thursday. This was both a pleasure and a challenge for us speakers, with some piercing theological questions asked, as well as the scientific ones!

Castle Rock, Valley of Rocks. Credit: Graham Swinerd.

Valley of Rocks. Credit: Graham Swinerd.

​After the efforts of the mornings, delegates have free afternoons to enjoy the delights of the Lee Abbey Estate and the adjoining Valley of Rocks, followed by entertainment in the evening. Afternoon activities, such as local walks, are often arranged for guests by community. During the week additional events were also arranged. On Tuesday afternoon, guests were invited to visit the Lee Abbey farm by Estate Manager Simon Gibson to see the lambing and calving activities. Later that afternoon John offered an optional workshop on ‘Genes, Designer Babies and all that stuff’. Wednesday saw an entertaining presentation in the late afternoon by Dave Hopwood on Film and Faith, and on Thursday afternoon John led a guided walk to see the local flora, fauna and geology of the estate, Lee Bay and the Valley of Rocks.

Lambing season at Lee Abbey Farm. Credit: Marion Swinerd.

Thank you to all who booked in and made the experience so worthwhile.
 
Graham Swinerd
Southampton, UK
 
John Bryant
Topsham, Devon, UK
 
26 March 2024
 
(1) Elizabeth Cole, God’s Cosmic Cookbook: your complete guide to making a Universe, Hodder & Stoughton, 2023.
(2) Graham Swinerd and John Bryant, From the Big Bang to Biology: where is God?, Kindle Direct Publishing, November 2020, Chapter 2.
(3) Ibid., Chapter 3.
(4) Ibid., Chapter 4.
(5) Ibid., Chapter 5.
(6) Ibid., Chapter 6.