AD CLERUM: Advent 2014
Dear Colleagues
I have really enjoyed getting out and about in the Diocese this autumn and meeting so many clergy and readers at the Bishop’s Study Days, the last of which was at HMS Drake in Plymouth. They have been good occasions, not least for allowing people to get to know one another better! As so often happens, the conversations and exchanges over lunch or coffee proved to be as important as the formal sessions.Next year in Lent and Eastertide I will be hosting a series of Quiet Days for the clergy here at The Palace and cathedral, as well as leading the Readers’ Annual Weekend at Brunel Manor. Growing in prayer is vital if we are to be renewed in our mission and ministry, and I hope you will welcome my invitation to share in one of these days and give it priority. My office will be circulating dates and information about them in the New Year.
The promulgation of the canon permitting the ordination of women as bishops at last month’s General Synod represents an historic landmark in the story of the Christian Church in this land. Sadly I could not be there to witness the event myself because my father died and his funeral was on the same day, but I welcome the decision and look forward to the appointment of the first women. I am conscious that this Ad Clerum, although dated Advent, will in factbe arriving in your inboxes at the same time as a host of Christmas greetings and ‘round robin’ letters. I apologise for adding to them, but I have delayed writing until now so that I can share with you news of a series of senior appointments in the Diocese.
New Bishop of Plymouth
First of all, I am delighted that Nick McKinnel has generously agreed to move across to be Bishop of Plymouth in succession to Bishop John Ford. Those of you who have served in the Diocese a long time will recall that Bishop Richard Hawkins was asked to do a similar sideways move during Bishop Hewlett’s time,though in his case he swapped the See of Plymouth for Crediton! In ecclesiastical law, such an appointment is known as a translation. Bishop Nick is held in considerable affection across the Diocese and will bring to this new appointment his own distinctive brand of warmth and wisdom. Prior to being Bishop of Crediton, he served with distinction as Rector of St Andrew’s, the Minster Church of Plymouth, and before that forseven years was Rector of Hatherleigh in Totnes Archdeaconry. As a result he has a good knowledge both of the city and of the archdeaconries of Totnes and Plymouth which constitute the episcopal area of which he will have oversight. Along with many in the Diocese, I hold him in high esteem. He combines an instinctive feel for the art of the possible with a commitment to Christ and to mission which will serve Plymouth well.
He and Jan will move into a house in Molesworth Road, Plymouth which was bought for the new bishop earlier this year. Those of you who knew the previous Bishop’s house will recall that it had a flight of steps which proved nigh impossible to modify in order to install appropriate disabled access. Work is under way to redecorate the new house including making one or two modifications. Although plans are well advanced, it is unlikely that the work will be finished before the end of March. Until then Bishop Nick will be boxing and coxing between Tiverton and Plymouth in an attempt to keep various plates spinning. Please do remember him and Jan as they up sticks again and prepare for this new challenge. His Welcome Service will be held in St Andrew’s, Plymouth on Sunday 19 April at 4pm.
Bishop Nick’s forthcoming translation means that we have to begin the process for finding a new Bishop of Crediton and once again, this will necessitate making a submission to the Dioceses’ Commission for permission to fill the vacant See. The Advisory Group which helped me with the Plymouth appointment has kindly agreed to continue in this role for the See of Crediton. I am determined to get on with theprocess straightaway so that we can have a full complement of senior staff as soon as possible.
New Archdeacons of Totnes and Barnstaple
We had no less than 32 applications for the two vacant archdeacon posts. Disappointingly, only three applications were from women which reflects a national trend. Nevertheless the breadth of the applications and their quality meant that we were able to field a strong shortlist. I was particularly grateful that our Chancellor, Sir Andrew McFarlane, was able to find time to be part of the interviewing panel. I am delighted to say that Prebendary Douglas Dettmer, currently Rector of the Netherexe Parishes, eight rural parishes adjoining Exeter, and Chair of the House of Clergy, has been appointed Archdeacon of Totnes. He will be collated in Totnes Parish Church on Tuesday 24 March at 7.30pm. The Reverend Dr Mark Butchers, currently Vicar of Wolvercoteand Wythamin the Diocese of Oxford, has accepted my invitation to become Archdeacon of Barnstaple. Prior to moving to Wolvercote, Mark was Chaplain of Keble College, Oxford, and in an earlier incarnation still was Rector of North Tawton, Samford Courtenay, Bondleigh and Honeychurch in the Totnes Archdeaconry; so he too comes with a feel for the Diocese and an insight into the challenges and opportunities of rural ministry. Both priests have a track record of growing their congregations and faithful pastoral ministry. He will be collated in St Peter’s Church, Barnstapleon Monday 23rd March 2015 at 7.30pm. Bothappointments are subject to the completion of all legalities. In the meantime I remain grateful to Clive Cohen and Mike Edson, our acting Archdeacons, who are working incredibly hard in their respective ‘retirements’ to keep the show on the road.
Canon Anna Norman-Walker
It was a pleasure to preside at the installation of Anna Norman-Walker as Canon Chancellorat the end of November. Anna has been a very effective Diocesan Missioner and will bring to the life of the cathedral the same cocktail of infectious enthusiasm, a passion for the Gospel and her joie de vivre. She will continue with the monthly Holy Ground service and the Friday night soup kitchen, as well as developing new ideas and initiatives. The cathedral is keen that its worship and ministry have a stronger missionary edge in the city and,although Anna becominga full-time Residentiary Canon will be the cathedral’s gain and the Diocese’s loss, I am glad to say that you won’t lose sight of her entirely because she still intends to be out and about, including supporting clergy in their leadership development.
Director of Mission and Ministry
Anna’s move, coming hard on the heels of Andrew Godsall’sdecision to focus on the development of our mission communities, means that we no longer have either a Director of Mission or a Director of Ministry in post. After consultation with the Bishop’s Diocesan Council, it has been decided to combine the posts and create a new post of Director of Mission and Ministry. The post is currently advertised nationally and details are available on the Diocesan website. Once a Director has been appointed, it is intended to appoint a second officer, the remit of which will be determined in part by the skill-set of the new Director.
Sarah Johnson
I am the third Bishop of Exeter that Sarah has served and after twenty-four years in post as the Bishop’s PA she feels that it is time to retire. Sarah has been a familiar face and voice to those contacting the Bishop’s office and she will be sorely missed, not least for the wealth of knowledge of places and people she has accumulated over the years. Her discretion and professionalism have served Bishop Hewlett, Bishop Michael and now me well. Sarah retires at the end of February and her post will be advertised in the New Year.
Diocesan Safeguarding Officer
There are other changes in the Gatehouse staff to report. Sadly Simon Tickner has resigned as our Safeguarding Officer after only two months in post. No one should underestimate the demands that are made of such a person and we wish Simon well as he seeks a new position. Catherine Allen, the Diocesan Director of Human Resources, is once again holding the fort in partnership with Sarah Miller who has been appointed Acting Diocesan Safeguarding Officer. We are looking for a replacement for Simon with some urgency. Please do pass the word round your network of contacts. Once again, details of the position are to be found on the website.
New Diocesan Website
Mention of the Diocesan Website gives me the opportunity to thank Rebecca Paveley and her hard-working team who have designed our new website. The company which had provided and maintained our old site was no longer interested in extending their contract with the result that we had to start again. It proved to be an exciting opportunity to re-think our public interface. There are bound to be occasional glitches until things settle down; so please be patient! But like me, I hope you feel the new site is a vast improvement.
Shared Conversations
Next year will see a series of ‘Shared Conversations’ on scripture, mission and human sexuality following the publication of the Pilling Report in 2013. They will be conducted on a regional basis and our Diocese will be working in partnership with the other south-west dioceses of Truro, Bath & Wells, Bristol and Gloucester. Each diocese in our region has been asked to nominate ten participants (five clergy and five laity) and I have asked the Chair of the House of Clergy and the Chair of the House of Laity to suggest names of those whom I might approach. The conversations will be confidential to the participants and orchestrated by a group of trained facilitators under the overall direction of Canon David Porter, the head of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Reconciliation Ministry Team. The hope is that these conversations willin due course cascade down into deaneries and parishes, as well as contribute to a broader ‘shared conversation’ at the General Synod in July 2016.
In the words of Canon David Porter, ‘The shared conversations are intended to take participants deeper into these matters, not to line up two sides in confrontation. The extent to which this will be possible remains to be seen and much will depend on the expectations with which participants enter the process. If participants approach the conversations expecting to change the minds of others or fearing that the objective is to force them to change their own minds, no real conversation (in the sense of exploring beliefs and seeking understanding) is likely to take place. Minds may change, but that would not be a measure in itself of the ‘success’ of the conversations. The conversations are intended to help us find out how much we can agree on, how much difference we can accept in fellow Christians without agreeing, and where we find the limits of agreement lie.’I invite your support for this process and commend it to your prayers.
Parish Giving Scheme
We are one of the first dioceses to embrace the new Parish Giving Scheme. Devised by the Diocese of Gloucester, the scheme enables Christians to revisit their approach to planned sacrificial giving. It is organised so that all Gift Aid is administrated within 3 days of any contribution being made, and funds are returned directly to the nominated parish bank account within 10 days of receipt. This means that each parish is able to use its donations more effectively in the furtherance of its mission and ministry. We ran a pilot in the Diocese during the autumn which generated a lot of enthusiasm. One parish recorded that their giving increased by a third! As an integral part of discipleship, the Parish Giving Scheme gives an opportunity to express our Christian commitment in a simple buttax-efficient way. It is a tool for building a thriving church that actively demonstrates our love of God and neighbour. I will officially launch the PGS in the Diocese at Cullomptonon the morning of Saturday 14th March and lead a reflection on Christian giving. Do make sure you and your parish treasurers get the date into your diaries. In the meantime, if you would like more information about the scheme, don’t hesitate to contact Katie Roscorla, our Mission Resources Adviser at .
In our world it is sometimes hard to hold on to our belief in the coming reign of God and the sovereignty of His grace. So many things seem to militate against it. But that is precisely what the Bible teaches and what we in Advent celebrate. Advent reminds us that ultimately we all stand before the judgement seat of the One who has loved us for all eternity. That, it seems to me, puts everything into perspective and why Advent is supremely the season of hope.Bishop Nick and the Archdeacons join me in sending you our very good wishes for your Christmas celebrations.
With my thanks for our partnership in the Gospel,
+ Robert