Bishop of Durham Says Farewell To His Diocese; Bishop of Liverpool to retire; Two new Church of England parish publications go online; Bishop urges Christian generosity ‘to give the blood that flows through your veins’; Wales: New Dean for Theological College; Free Church of England Orders recognised; Media review – Jewish leaders voice anger at Sunday Times cartoon; Murdoch apology over Scarfe cartoon
Bishop of Durham Says Farewell To His Diocese
The Right Revd Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham and Archbishop of Canterbury Elect, bade farewell to the Durham Diocese with a message of hope for the people he is leaving behind.
Bishop Justin attended a service of farewell, thanks and celebration at Durham Cathedral on Monday last in what was his last public appearance in the diocese before he receives his legal title as Archbishop of Canterbury.
Bishop Justin will cease to be Bishop of Durham and have the legal title bestowed on him as Archbishop of Canterbury at 12 noon on the 4th February at a formal service in St Paul’s Cathedral in London. His public ministry will be inaugurated at an enthronement service at Canterbury Cathedral on 21st March.
The Farewell service for Bishop Justin and his wife Caroline drew a large congregation from across the diocese and the region and was attended by the Lord Lieutenant Sir Paul Nicholson.
Speaking about his new job in an interview before the service, he said: “It is extremely scary and a huge privilege. It’s an extraordinary feeling to look back and see my predecessors, some of whom are extraordinarily distinguished, like my immediate predecessor Rowan Williams, who is breathtaking in his grip and imagination and his intellect and in many other ways. It’s exciting. There is a sense of what is God going to do?”
Asked what effect the possibility of a triple-dip recession could have on the Durham diocese, he said: “It is a huge challenge. Whether we go into a triple-dip or not, whatever does happen it’s going to go on being pretty dark economically. However, at the centre of the Church is Jesus Christ, who is described as the light of the world, and the darker the world, the more obvious the light.
“The Church is a centre of peace and hope which is completely independent of the circumstances around it so church communities everywhere have to be consciously seeking to be that peace and hope, welcoming and loving, ministering to people, letting them come and experience church life, making it easy for them to do so.
“In this diocese, churches, not just Church of England but churches generally, are organising about 50 food distribution centres. That’s the light of the world in the dark times in very practical ways. The church has often been at its best at times of difficulty because, as people are drawn into worship, they find someone who is faithful, whatever happens.
“If I have had three wishes for the diocese of Durham and its people, you couldn‘t get much better than what St Paul talks about in chapter thirteen of the first letter to the Corinthians, which is faith, hope and love.
“Faith in God and in each other, in the capacity of this area to pull itself up and give itself a great future, which I utterly believe is within the capacity of this area and is being demonstrated. You only have to look at what’s happening in places like the Foundation for Jobs in Darlington (of which he is Patron) and lots of other examples in the north of the diocese. Really very remarkable work is being done.
“Hope that some of the struggles of the present will be ended but also hope in the sense of expectation that there is a really good future out there. Hope shows in how we train people, teach them what to expect and give them a vision.
“Love, knowing the love of God and love for each other. One of the plagues of the Western world, including this country, is the absence of trust in each other but in this area the friendliness, its capacity and the strength of its character and people means that it can set an example on the trust that comes through a genuine love for each other and community and area.
“Three big wishes but I think they’re achievable. You build these things a step at a time.”
Bishop of Liverpool to retire
The Rt Rev James Jones has announced that he will retire as Bishop of Liverpool on his 65th birthday in August.
In a letter to the Diocese the Bishop says that his leaving will “give his successor the opportunity in due course to form his own leadership team to take the diocese forward.” The diocese will hold a farewell service for the Bishop at Liverpool Cathedral on July 3rd. Bishop James and his wife Sarah will leave the diocese in August. The Bishop will remain as adviser to the Home Secretary on Hillsborough, continue to write and broadcast and will be involved in a number of other national projects.
In his letter Bishop James said “Throughout my time in Liverpool I have found the willingness of the parishes in the Diocese to rethink and to reshape our common life for the service of others has been inspiring. Our Diocese is growing and there is still huge opportunity locally to make a difference to our communities with the Gospel of Christ. It has been a privilege as Bishop to serve the wider community not least in chairing the Hillsborough Independent Panel. The Diocese has recognised the rightness of me doing this which has given me great strength. The way the families and survivors have received the Panel’s report and the way truth is now opening up the path to justice affirms the worth of the Panel’s work..“
The Bishop concluded “Sarah and I are very conscious of God’s providence over the last 15 years. We are constantly humbled by the commitment of the laity and by the dedication of the clergy. It has been a joy to serve you all as bishop. As together in the Diocese we thank God for his providence we renew our trust in him and pray that he will continue to guide the Diocese especially in the appointing of a new Bishop of Liverpool.”
Paying tribute to Bishop James The Bishop of Warrington, The Rt Rev Richard Blackburn said “I give thanks and praise to God for the 15 years of exceptional and inspirational leadership that Bishop James has given to the Diocese of Liverpool. We have been enormously blessed by his gifts and energy. I shall miss him as a wise colleague and a true Father in God”
Dean of Liverpool, The Very Rev Dr Pete Wilcox said “Bishop James has been an extraordinary servant of the diocese of Liverpool, the city and the region, as well as a significant voice on a national stage, for well over a decade. He has been a wise pastor, a thoughtful and thought-provoking preacher and teacher, a courageous prophet, a champion of justice and a faithful friend. “We wish him and Sarah a fulfilling new phase of life and work in what will surely be an active and fruitful retirement.”
Bishop James and his wife, Sarah, will move to their cottage in Yorkshire and the Bishop of Warrington, the Rt Rev Richard Blackburn, will take over until a permanent replacement is appointed. He will remain an advisor to Home Secretary Theresa May on Hillsborough, after chairing the independent panel into the disaster which revealed the full truth behind the tragedy.
News of his departure – after 15 years in his role – comes just weeks after Liverpool’s Catholic Archbishop Patrick Kelly announced he, too, would step down after suffering a slight stroke.
Bishop urges Christian generosity ‘to give the blood that flows through your veins’
The Bishop of Carlisle today urged Christians to consider giving more than money in a new campaign launched jointly with the NHS and Churches.
The fleshandblood campaign aims to profile the need for more blood and organ donors and encourage donation as another way of personal giving within churches. Sponsored by Give.net and in association with denominations, organisations and festivals including the Church of England, Salvation Army, Methodist Church, United Reformed Church and Baptist Union, the fleshandblood campaign marks the first time the NHS has worked alongside the Church on a national initiative of this kind.
The Rt Revd James Newcome, lead bishop on healthcare for the Church of England, said: “fleshandblood is an exciting opportunity for the Church. Christians have a mandate to heal, motivated by compassion, mercy, knowledge and ability. Extending our understanding of the central Christian themes of generosity and stewardship to include blood and organ donation has the potential to tangibly transform the giver and the receiver. The benefit to others is not only life enhancing but can mean the difference between life and death.
“I would encourage individual Christians and local churches to engage with the campaign as we help address an important social issue and generously serve the communities to which we belong. Being willing to give our time, money and gifts is a significant aspect of our stewardship of what we have received. But this applies just as much to the blood that flows in our veins; and the organs that are such an intrinsic part of our bodies.
“By joining together to support fleshandblood, the campaign associates play a vital role in representing the church and enabling a collaborative voice on the issue within their communities and networks. Each associate commits to raising the profile of blood and organ donation and highlighting the various ways that individuals and groups can get involved at a local level.”
Lorna Williamson, Medical Director of NHS Blood and Transplant service, said: “We’re excited to explore this in more detail by working with the Church. By raising awareness amongst its members and community about the daily need for blood transfusions and organ transplants across the NHS, we hope to banish myths, educate people and encourage blood and organ donation. Donating blood, joining the Organ Donor Register, or consenting to organ donation from a deceased loved one is a unique gift and one that can truly save lives.”
Every day 7,000 units of blood are needed to meet hospital demand, with approximately 225,000 extra blood donors needed each year to maintain consistency. More than 1,000 people die each year in the UK waiting for an organ transplant. The Church, which has a long history of giving and generosity and has millions of people across the country as its members, is ideally placed to raise awareness and help to meet the need for blood and organ donation in the UK.
The campaign seeks to equip individuals and churches as advocates for blood and organ donation enabling them to raise awareness of this key issue with their family, friends and community and potentially help to save thousands of lives each year.
Two new Church of England parish publications go online
Two new monthly publications, specifically designed for Church of England parishes, have been posted online on the Church’s website.
In Review and In Focus concentrate on the work of the national Church. The front pages of both first editions feature news of the Confirmation of Election of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the parliamentary launch of the national Lent campaign, “Love Life Live Lent” by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.
In Focus is a four-page A5 insert specifically designed to fit the centre spread of parish magazines. It is offered in both colour and black and white versions.
The larger In Review is a four-page tabloid newspaper in full colour. Parishes are encouraged to print this off and post it on church notice boards for congregations to read.
The Revd Arun Arora, Director of Communications for the Archbishop’s Council, says:“The National Church Institutions are working on behalf of the parishes. That work is underpinned by contributions from congregations. In Review and In Focus offer all 12,500 parishes an opportunity to read about the projects carried out on their behalf by the national Church.”
In Review and In Focus are offered as free PDF downloads on the Church of England website. They will be available in the final full week of each month, to support parish magazines with publication dates on the first of the month. Alternatively church websites can link to the files for parishioners to browse at home.
Wales: New Dean for Theological College
A minister from the United States will help train clergy in Wales following a senior appointment at a theological college.
Revd Dr Mark Clavier is the new Dean of Residential Training at St Michael’s College, Cardiff, and will teach both at the college and at Cardiff University. He will start after Easter.
Mark, 42, spent 12 years serving parishes in Maryland and North Carolina before moving to England nearly five years ago. He joins the college having spent three years as a ‘house for duty priest’ in former mining villages in County Durham and a year as Priest-in-Charge of three churches at Steeple Aston, North Aston and Tackley in the diocese of Oxford.
Mark, who enjoys dual citizenship, has family living in South Wales and as a history undergraduate in the States, wrote a thesis on Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. His first book, on church life in a consumer culture, will be published by SPCK this year. He is married to Diane, who is an accountant, and they have a son Paul.
“The chance to teach at a theological college has long been a dream of mine, and so I look forward to working at St Michael’s College with tremendous excitement,” said Mark.
“When I was a small boy, I visited my grandfather in Milford Haven and discovered Pembroke Castle, St Davids Cathedral and the breath-taking Pembrokeshire shoreline. Ever since then, I have had a deep affection for Wales, her people and her magnificent heritage.”
Welcoming Mark to the college, its Principal, Canon Peter Sedgwick, said, “The references for Mark were very impressive. They spoke of his energy, warmth, ability to grow churches, and also to be a first rate academic. He will give a great deal to the spiritual formation of residential students, while also taking a leading role in teaching at Cardiff University. His record of growing churches both in the States and in England speaks for itself. I look forward to his joining the college and working alongside the existing team.”
Mark’s appointment is the second at the College in the last two months. Dr John Wilks is the new Director of Postgraduate Training, working with chaplaincy students and those on Master’s course in practical theology. He will also be a personal tutor next academic year.
“We look forward to 2013 with great confidence,” added Dr Sedgwick.
Free Church of England Orders recognised
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have recognised the Orders of the Free Church of England under the Overseas and Other Clergy (Ministry and Ordination) Measure 1967.
The Measure gives the Archbishops authority to determine whether the Orders of any Church are ‘recognised and accepted’ by the Church of England.
The recognition of the Orders of the Free Church of England follows approximately three years of contact between the bishops of the Free Church of England, the Council for Christian Unity and the Faith and Order Commission, which recommended that the Orders of the Free Church of England be recognised. That recommendation was subsequently endorsed by the Standing Committee of the House of Bishops.
When someone who was originally ordained in the Free Church of England or any other church whose Orders are recognised under the Measure wishes to minister in the Church of England, the first questions to be considered are those of whether the person concerned is suitable for ministry in the Church of England and if so, whether any further training is necessary. Where those questions are resolved satisfactorily, the Archbishop of the relevant Province can decide to give the minister permission to officiate in the Church of England without re-ordination, either permanently or for a specified period.
The Right Revd Christopher Hill, Chair of the Church of England’s Council for Christian Unity, said: ‘I hope there will be good relations between us and especially in those places where there is a Free Church of England congregation.’
In a statement, the Right Revd John McLean, Bishop Primus of the Free Church of England, said: ‘We are grateful to the Archbishops for this recognition of our common episcopal heritage. I pray that it will not be an end in itself, but will lead to new opportunities for proclaiming the Gospel.’
Note – The first congregations of the Free Church of England were formed in 1844. It is governed by a constitution and canons, and has two Dioceses in England and is a member of Churches Together in England. It is already a Designated Church under the Ecumenical Relations Measure 1988. Further details can be found on the website: http://www.fcofe.org.uk/
Media review
Jewish leaders voice anger at Sunday Times cartoon
Jewish leaders in Britain and Israel are upset over a Sunday Times cartoon that depicts Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu building a wall using blood-red mortar.
Some in the Jewish community drew parallels between the cartoon and anti-Semitic propaganda, which is often blood-drenched.
The discomfort was heightened by the timing: The cartoon was published on Holocaust Memorial Day, intended to commemorate the communities destroyed by the Nazis and their allies.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews, which represents the roughly 265,000-strong Jewish community, said it had lodged a complaint with the country’s press watchdog.
The Times said in a statement Monday that insulting the memory of the Holocaust was “the last thing” it wanted to do.
http://news.yahoo.com/jewish-leaders-voice-anger-sunday-times-cartoon-175124937.html
Murdoch apology over Scarfe cartoon
BBC news – Rupert Murdoch apologises for a “grotesque, offensive cartoon” by Gerald Scarfe in the Sunday Times, that brought complaints of anti-Semitism.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21239917