THE future of the Church in Wales was discussed by hundreds of its members last month, who gathered in Llandudno to learn about the radical changes under way.

More than 240 people, including all the CiW's bishops, attended the two-day conference The Time Is Now, to consider the 2020 Vision - the strategy created in response to an independent review of the Church, published two years ago, which warned that the existing structure meant that it was "stretched beyond what it can or should properly bear" (News, 27 July, 2012).

An important aspect of the strategy is the creation of "ministry areas", led by teams of clergy and lay people, as opposed to the traditional structure of smaller parishes led by one priest.

Speaking at the conference, the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said: "It is not about doing more with less, but more about a cultural change in the kind of Church we are - realising that the mission and ministry of Jesus has been entrusted to the Church as a whole, not just to bishops and clergy."

Each of the Welsh dioceses sent about 30 boxes to the conference, decorated by churchpeople with the stories of their faith. They were used to build a wall, a refuge, and finally an altar as part of the worship.