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Annual Report Ministry Department

Council for Ministry
Annual Report 2008

Working with God to transform people and places

 

Introduction

I have recently been reading ‘Give us this day’ a novel by the north east writer Jonathan Tullock. In it he tells the story of a Roman Catholic priest who has lost his way – or has he? At one point towards the end of the novel he says to one of the characters ‘You wouldn’t believe how lonely I’ve been. And empty, like a dry well. If other priests feel like me no wonder congregations are haemorrhaging. You don’t draw from a well that’s dry. But now …. I can scent water!’

One of my concerns as a Bishop is to try to find ways in which those who are involved in ministry have wells that have not run dry. Some of this comes in initial training for ministry. My hope is that much of what is done in initial training and formation for all ministries will equip ministers to help them go on filling up the wells from which they will draw over years of ministering. We are starting to think more than ever, too, about how we go on resourcing people often years after their initial training so that those initial wells are not allowed to run dry. There is always the danger that we put so much energy and resourcing rightfully into initial training and formation and then forget that there is a need for in-service training be it for clergy, for Readers, for members of shared ministry development teams and it is good that in a variety of areas we are seeking to address this.

I am immensely happy to commend this annual report. The different sections are written by people who I discover more and more have a deep commitment to the well-being of the life of the church and the flourishing of all those who minister in so many different ways. Inevitably much of the Director of Ministry’s time and indeed that of some of his colleagues has been taken up in 2008 with the preparations for Lindisfarne. Lindisfarne has real potential to be a significant resource for the flourishing of ministry right across the north east. Stephen Cherry’s contribution to this has, as I hope is now widely known, been deeply significant and he has given much of his time, energy and indeed of himself to ensure that the 2009 launch of Lindisfarne goes as well as it possibly can. As we start to work alongside Lindisfarne we will inevitably find that 2009 will be a period of further uncertainty and more transition.

I continue to thank God for the sheer dedication, imagination and skill of those who work within the Ministry department, a small part of whose work is reflected in this document. I hope that as you read their reports you will thank God for them too.

Bishop Mark

 

Local Ministry Officer’s Report

During the past year my role as Local Ministry Officer has involved work in the areas of Ordained Local Ministry discernment, the Vocations Advisors team, Shared Ministry Development, the Faith and Life Course, Living Theology Today, Ministerial Review and Seeds of Hope. These areas are all inter-related sit alongside my other roles as Chaplain to Greatham Hospital, priest in charge of Greatham and a personal ministry of spiritual direction under the auspices of the diocesan advisor.

I have been working with eight parishes or localities in the discernment and resourcing of vocations to OLM, helping teams to discern what is the particular charism of the OLM and whether that fits into the local context, liaising with the DDO in the discernment process for each candidate thus identified and supporting the team in its growing sense of how the emergence of an OLM affects its own role. I am part of the Northern LMOs network.

Until October I was part of the Vocations Advisors group, working to support the work of the Director of Ordinands. This involved work with individual candidates for all forms of Ordained Ministry and acting as a Diocesan Panel Advisor.

I work as a Spiritual Director with nine people around the diocese.

There has been much change and uncertainty in all of this over the year, not least in the period since October when I have been acting DDO, and as I prepare with colleagues in the areas of shared ministry and education for taking up that substantive post.

Richard Collins
March 2009

 

Shared Ministry Development Officer: 50% 2008-2009

Overview

I have now been in post for 18 months and am feeling settled and enjoying the job. It is clear to me that there is a very strong commitment to Shared Ministry in the diocese and this was evidenced, among many things, by the excellent turn out for the “Seeking God” day in February. This day was for SMDTs to gain resources for “renewing the sacred centre” and to take them back in turn to use in their parishes. 114 people attended and over 30 parishes were represented. The day was lively and positive and will, I hope, be one of a series. There was a strong desire to hold the next day around the issue of peoples’ gifts and how we could celebrate and encourage them and use them wisely in ministry and mission.

This year I have worked with 29 parishes in Durham and 30 in Newcastle Diocese. In Durham the work has taken a variety of forms:

  • 7 parishes have started an initial exploration of Shared Ministry and what it would involve.
  • 5 parishes are presently training and preparing to join the scheme.
  • 7 new parishes have been commissioned.
  • 10 established parishes have been reviewed and have renewed their SMDTs.

I have also led 5 Quiet Days for parishes and 1 for two clergy chapters, visited 1 chapter and addressed 2 Deanery Synods.

I have greatly enjoyed all these contacts and have been encouraged by the energy that there is for this area of work. Over a third of all the parishes in the dioceses have had at least some contact with the values of Shared Ministry by now.

Work in progress

Necessarily the main areas of work are similar in content to those listed in the last report:

  • Reviewing the work of Shared Ministry parishes
  • Renewing SMDTs
  • Acting as a consultant for parish development
  • Re establishing teams where things have failed
  • Training and setting up new teams.
  • Restructuring teams
  • Training and Quiet Days

In addition to these ongoing tasks I am currently:

  • Reviewing the liturgy for the Commissioning Service.
  • Establishing a Strategy Group
  • Working towards a celebration of 10 years of Shared Ministry and a re-launch.
  • Renewing the training materials for SMDTs

Wider Ministry

  • Assistant priest in St John’s, Neville’s Cross
  • Spiritual Director
  • “Seeds of Hope” weekend
  • APA course: “Sin, guilt and forgiveness.”
  • Clergy training on Collaborative Ministry
  • Training with curates.
  • MA teaching on Supervision module, Cranmer Hall
  • Writing new book for DLT on “Living Life abundantly!”
  • LTT session.
  • OLMs in training: session on Shared Ministry.
  • Preaching engagements in the diocese.
  • Ordination Retreat: Oxford Diocese
  • Key note speaker Lay Conference: Chester Diocese
  • Spirituality Training Day: Carlisle Diocese
  • Ordinands Training Day: Wakefield Diocese
  • Quiet Day: Liverpool Diocese
  • Curates training day: Peterborough Diocese


Comments and Reflections

Currently the workload is getting near to what one half time person can facilitate. There is a pressing need to draw in other people to work in this area. It is a challenge with hard pressed clergy and laity to find people with the time and energy to offer.

There is increasing cross fertilization of work across the Tyne and I am beginning to experiment with training across the dioceses. I am still concerned that although there is effective supervision in each diocese no one really has a realistic overview of the joint demands of the whole post.

There is a need to develop ways of encouraging Shared Ministry across parishes and in deaneries. The essential challenge is how to work locally in a way which is effective and appropriate.

Judy Hirst
March 2009

 

Living Theology Today

The 2007-2008 session of the class had eighteen students who completed the course and received their certificates from the Bishop of Durham at a service in the chapel at Auckland Palace in September. This was the first year that Mrs. Mary Barr had acted as chaplain, and I am very grateful for her pastoral care and creative and imaginative contributions in epilogues, and the worship at the two study days and the residential weekend. I am also very grateful to the tutors who support the programme with inspiring and thoughtful material. Student feedback has continued to be positive and encouraging, and the journey of head and heart in theological reflection is one that is much appreciated. We are grateful for the continuing hospitality of St. Giles’s Church as the venue. What is also important is the behind-the-scenes work in organisation, to make as good and careful a learning experience for the participants as is possible, and acknowledgement is made of the significant administrative support of Mrs. Pamela Wilson.

The 2008-2009 course which began in September has twenty two students participating. In light of Cross-Tyne collaboration one of the students is from Newcastle Diocese. I have made one or two slight changes as part of continually seeking to improve the learning experience. These now include having a former LTT student come to the first Study Day to share something of her own learning and faith journey on the course. And I also now provide a termly digest of “leading questions” to help students think ahead for each up-coming weekly session. I continue to affirm that this is not “an academic course”, as if this is what might distinguish LTT from other learning in discipleship programmes. Nor is it a “pre-training mill” for authorised ministry. LTT is an invitation to undertake a journey of reflective discipleship that engages the mind and the heart in equal measure, one that allows participants to explore their faith in an encouraging, supportive and evaluatively encouraging context.

As a spin-off from the LTT course four students asked if they could do some New Testament Greek. And so I now have a little NT Greek class that meets weekly in term time on Thursday mornings at the Cross Gate Centre. We are currently reading through Mark’s Gospel, with a focus on theological reflection and some grammar-book study.

Jim Francis

 
Enriching Our Discipleship

This light-touch series of three evening events for those who have or who are doing LTT continued through the year. We enjoyed a session on “Theology and Popular Culture” with the Bishop of Jarrow in February, a “Pilgrimage through the Cathedral” with the Dean in May, and “Theology and the Environment” with the Archdeacon of Durham in November. Each event attracts between forty and fifty people. What began as a “holding pattern” for something beyond LTT has perhaps begun to take on a life of its own, and another series of events is planned for 2009.

Jim Francis


Ordained Local Ministry

In 2008 there were six students on the training programme. Of these, four were ordained deacon at Petertide, and one serving OLM deacon was priested. Sadly one of the clergy ordained, Mrs Pat Hardy, died in November. She had pursued her studies against a background of increasing illness, and her witness to her faith both in her congregation and amongst us as a learning community was an inspiration. She ministered to us all in so many ways during her training, and after her ordination. There were no new students in September, and there are two students continuing. The study days and residential weekends on the course continued to be shared with the Newcastle OLMs, and on occasion additionally also with the Newcastle Readers in training and with NEOC. The Summer School in July-August (which is shared with NEOC) was at Bristol and it centred on historical themes relating to the 18th century Evangelical Revival.

Jim Francis


(On a personal note, I continued during the year with some external examining work, course validation, and institutional audit for York St. John University, the University of Wales and the Open University. I continued to do some theological reflection around ministry in secular employment, and to attend the New Testament Seminar in the Department of Theology at Durham University. And I continued as a non-stipendiary ministry at Sunderland Minster. Jim Francis)

 

Director of Reader Ministry

The past year has seen much development in areas of work and new outlooks for Readers in the diocese.

One of the main developmental areas has been the continuing work to bring Reader training within the auspices of Lindisfarne in 2009. This has involved close co-operation with colleagues from the Council for Ministry and also with staff members of Newcastle diocese. All is well on track for the handover of students to the new training body in the autumn of 2009.

There have also been developments in responding to the General Synod Report, “Reader Upbeat” which identified many areas of Reader ministry that could be enhanced. There are 30 recommendations most having a number of action points attached to them. It is good to note that many of these points are already being developed and the others are in the process of being studied.

Allied to this is the national move towards Ministerial Development Review for Readers. An outline of how this might work is nearing completion for the Council to work with, the hope being that some of the material will be implemented during 2009 with the remainder following soon after.

Other policies to aid the ministry of Readers are also nearing completion and approval by either the Council or Synod. These include a modified CMD policy for Readers, a proposal for the support and involvement of Readers in the parishes which are awaiting the appointment of a new priest, and a revised constitution for the Readers’ Council that takes into account the recent changes in the integration of Reader ministry into the Council for Ministry.

Two successful study weekends, one for those in training and the other for licensed Readers were completed last year, as were a number of other events. This was the first foray into expanding the CMD provision for Readers that should continue to expand in the coming years. For the first time this year there has been training specifically for the clergy who are working with Readers, perhaps for the first time: it included supervision skills and feedback on preaching and was shared with training incumbents of curates. This is something that has not happened before and it will be expanding over the coming years.

The number of enquiries about Reader training continues to be buoyant, and it is hoped that another good sized cohort will be selected for training this year.

 

Work with licensed Readers has also been done, much on a one-to-one basis, and a new scheme to mark significant dates in Reader’s lives (birthdays and significant anniversaries) has been trialled and is now being used by the Director of Reader Ministry as a way of ensuring that people continue to feel valued.

These are the highlights of the year; much routine work in training and support has also continued with the support of the Council for Ministry and Reader colleagues.

Michael Beck
February 2009

 

Adviser in Pastoral Care

Authorised Pastoral Assistants Officer
Numbers in 2008:

  • 20 APAs were commissioned in a cathedral service in July 2008, 12 for the first time, and 8 whose authorisation was being renewed for a further five years.
  • 11 new people from 9 parishes started the APA course in the autumn of 2008.
  • At the end of 2008, there were a total of 64 APAs: 28 in training and 36 commissioned. 14 out of the 16 deaneries now have an APA presence, spread between 41 churches.
  • 6 support tutors worked alongside the 3 year groups throughout the year; 20 visiting speakers shared their pastoral wisdom with the groups.
  • 1 superb administrator (Pamela Wilson, shared with OLMs, Readers, LTT and Mission) made it all happen within the limits of the 2 days per week the Officer has for APA work.

Quotes in 2008:

  • What difference does it make having an APA in your church?
  • Their insights and gifts are refreshing, and give an added dimension to our Ministers Team.
  • It has enlivened the whole parish (and the Rector)
  • We now have others considering a call to train as APAs, and we welcome this. The reflective nature of the training helps both church and individual to grow and develop.
  • It also encouraged others to believe that God might have new gifts for them
  • It means that the church recognises that the Vicar can't or shouldn't be responsible for all the pastoral care that goes on in the parish.
  • It means that there is someone with a specific concern for pastoral care working alongside others in the parish, and that the love and care the church intends to give is much more likely to actually happen

Pastoral Care Adviser
I continued to respond to requests from parishes, teams and incumbents to help with the process of planning and delivering good pastoral care. I worked alongside colleagues in the Council for Ministry to deliver pastoral care training for Readers, Living Theology Today students, Incumbents and Curates. I also gave sessions at Cranmer Hall, Wesley Study Centre, Ushaw College, and in Newcastle diocese.
I contributed a chapter on ‘Looking after yourself’ for the Christian Handbook of Abuse, Addiction and Difficult Behaviour published by Kevin Mayhew

Alison Moore
March 2009

 

Acting Diocesan Director of Ordinands

Fourteen deacons were ordained in 2008, of whom seven were stipendiary, four Ordained Local Ministers (OLM), one Self Supporting Minister, one Ordained Pioneer Minister and one Non Stipendiary Minister.

Ten people went to Bishops’ Advisory Panel (BAP) in 2008 and of these two were not recommended for training compared with nine in the previous year, of whom one was not recommended. Seven of these candidates were for stipendiary ministry and one for Ordained Pioneer Ministry.

Twenty three Durham ordinands were in training as at October 2008 at Westcott House, Cranmer Hall, NEOC, Ridley Hall, St John’s Nottingham and Queens Birmingham. A similar number are in various parts of the discernment process, and a group of similar size are either moving on or working on a longer time frame in the discernment of their calling.

Robert Lawrance was Director of Ordinands for eight years until October 2008, and his fruitful ministry has been much appreciated by all with whom he has worked.

On Robert’s departure I became acting DDO, and after a process included national advertisement and interview, I was appointed as priest in charge of Lumley and DDO from May 3rd 2009. After that date I shall be 0.6 DDO, a diminution of 0.25 from the previous time allocation. One of the early challenges of the new role will be to ensure that this reduction of time available does not mean that pastoral care and discernment is reduced.


Richard Collins
March 2009

 

Clergy Initial Ministerial Education 4-7 / Phase 2


The Phase 2 Programme / Events
During 2008 the shape of Phase 2 training for clergy changed significantly. Most events are now planned for curates in year groups (4, 5, 6 and 7). These events are part of a four-year programme which is based on a curriculum of areas to be covered over the full period of a curacy. Most events are also now run as joint Durham-Newcastle ventures (except for our Residentials, which are still for Durham curates in years 4-6 together).

The new programme delivers more events for reflection and training, covering a wider range of aspects of ministry. It provides curates and incumbents with a clear map, for the whole of the curacy, of the areas which these events will cover.

There is also now a full “Year 7” programme – a monthly meeting looking at areas particularly important for those talking on positions of responsibility (but again open to all). Those in their fourth year since ordination attend, both just before and just after the transition to incumbency. The topics are relevant, and the shared sense of purpose and support in the group is good. The programme is also open to those who have recently moved on from curacies but have not benefitted from training of this kind, so is particularly suitable for those moving into the dioceses of Durham and Newcastle from elsewhere.

Among the challenges we still face in this area is the question of how to make a coherent and cohesive programme for stipendiary and non-stipendiary clergy alike. The new programme has a mixture of events where all are expected and others compulsory for stipendiaries (while open to all). The dilemma here is that enabling the participation of stipendiaries is generally best achieved by running events during office hours, when all non-stipendiaries cannot attend. There are a number of aims here – preparing stipendiaries for incumbency, making the right events for non-stipendiaries accessible, and developing collegiality in ministry among all the ordained in a cohort – which are in some tension when it comes to arranging a delivering the programme. We continue to wrestle with this.

Process
In 2008 there was also further development of the whole process for placing curates and for preparing curates and incumbents to work together. This has
involved working closely and well with the Bishop of Jarrow (as Sponsoring Bishop) and the DDO.


There is now a clear process for clergy to apply to be training incumbents, beginning sixteen months ahead of the ordination of deacons. Within this process the expectations about what this role involves and the training to be undertaken for it are made very clear. There is also a meeting of the Bishops, DDO and IME 4-7 Director with prospective curates sponsored by the diocese twelve months prior to ordination. Out of all this work, we are trying hope to improve the matching of curates to the most suitable training incumbents. Training incumbents continue to attend core training in supervision skills, and additional training about giving feedback and mentoring a colleague over time in the skills of ministry is now being provided. Regular meetings with training incumbents of curates in years 4-6 also continue, and each meeting now has a clear focus about one particular aspect of the work.

We are also seeking to respond to national guidelines from Ministry Division about the assessment of curacies. The guidelines envisage all dioceses developing a clear and transparent process for reporting on the development of clergy during Phase 2, so that final references refer to common learning outcomes, assessed in relation to clear evidence. There is more work to be done here.

Another challenge here is how we offer the right kind of support and structures for accountability to those who work together as curate and incumbent: experience shows that this is an intense and offered pressured relationship. Considerable work now goes into preparing both curates and incumbents for their work together, and helping them work through expectations of one another thoroughly. Still, providing support with the appropriate level of accountability – if there are problems, they need addressing – is not straightforward. It is easy to be either too laissez-faire or unhelpfully intrusive.


The Future
IME Phase 2 for clergy will soon be part of the work of Lindisfarne, the new institution devised to enable the Dioceses of Durham and Newcastle to work together and with others in partnership in training in our region. This will bring further changes. Nevertheless, it is hoped that the developments to date in the programme and process, many of which have been realised in 2008, have prepared Phase 2 work well for the ongoing co-operation between Durham and Newcastle that Lindisfarne is being created to enable.


Rick Simpson,
Director of IME 4-7 for the Dioceses of Durham and Newcastle,
February 2009

 

Developing Discipleship

I find an enthusiasm in many places, a hunger for learning and growth. Some lay people are realising for themselves that the onus is on us all to live and share our faith. Some parishes ‘snap up’ short courses with great alacrity! Requests come from Shared Ministry teams from Churchwardens and other lay folk as well as clergy. One person commented that it was nice to have a short course on prayer provided by the diocese, but with no agenda, no strings attached! This is exactly ‘Education for Discipleship’ as in the Hind Report, formation not training.

At the end of the Advent Lay Conference (Dec 08) Stephen Cherry asked who might be interested in helping to facilitate learning groups in the diocese. In response 17 people are coming to training days this March. An earlier introduction and training day for the ‘Lord Teach us to pray’ course was in November 08. 15 Prayer Guides gathered at St Anthony’s Priory. In the first session the writer, Lesley Dennis introduced the slides on the CD. In the second, participants went off in pairs to experiment with preparing a session. At the end of the morning each group presented what they had prepared.

Facilitator-training

Course training                                Date                           Numbers involved
Lord, teach us to pray              November 08                                 15
For general facilitation            Volunteered in Dec 08                  17
Making sense of the Bible     Jan 17th 09                                       8

Conversations with graduates of Living Theology Today continue the ‘hunger’ theme! I keep meeting people who are excited by what they are learning. Such people are longing to go further still.

Jim Francis’ Living Theology Today re-union evenings go some way to meeting this need; though in the long term individuals require support as they pursue further learning and explore their calling, long after the structured course is finished.

The six-session ‘Lord teach us to pray’ took place in 2008 at the Cathedral, at Ebchester, and East Darlington. Feedback is that it was helpful and practical.

The ‘Making sense of the Bible for today’ course was piloted with groups numbering 8-10 at St P High Spen . The feedback was very positive. None had ever previously experienced a course which gave such an absorbing overview of each of the four gospels, as well as some coherent Old Testament background.

At St James and St Basil Gateshead, despite technical problems with lap top and projector the same course was much appreciated. In the end the technician who was only there to help stayed for the whole course and enjoyed it!

Short Courses
Lord Teach us to Pray                                3 courses in 08, average 10 people each
                                                                       Cathedral Ebchester East Darlington
Making Sense of the Bible for Today      2 courses in 08, average 10 people each
                                                                       Rowlands Gill and High Spen and
                                                                       Gateshead St James and St Bede
Jesus,
the hope of freedom and forgiveness
Prototypes of course                                  40 at People of Hope, 16 at Barnard Castle
                                                                  
At time of writing the feedback is in from the first two units of the 08/09 Faith and Life course. Yet again Hartlepool and Stockton have found new takers! And there is great enthusiasm. Sedgefield deanery are having their first Faith and Life group for quite a few years. Having missed the bus for 08/09 Faith and Life, Gateshead and Jarrow deanery already have plans in place for 2009/10! In general, there is a lot of enthusiasm. The challenge is to provide suitable learning processes in the right place at the right time. If we can do so, and do this in careful collaboration with other aspects of diocesan life, there will be great fruit.

Alastair Macnaughton

 

Continuing Ministerial Development

Introduction
CMD for clergy is itself in a process of ongoing development. During 2008 we provided a number of events as well as support through grants and our Peer Support Scheme, Sabbaticals and some personal support from the Officer/Director. Due to pressure of work from Lindisfarne, there was no Clergy Summer School in 2008.

 
Section 1 CMD Programme

We hosted ten successful events for different numbers of participants. Click here for “attendance statistics”.

Early Good Friday
We continued with the idea of holding this twice. Once as day event and once as an evening event. The venue was Bishop Auckland and the leader was the Bishop of Jarrow. Numbers were up and feedback was positive.

 Section 2 Grants, Degrees, Sabbaticals

Grants
The policy offers clergy the chance to apply for one basic grant per year of £150 (not transferable to another year). Alternatively or in addition clergy can apply for a Special Clergy Development Grant for which there is no specified upper limit. A Council for Ministry Grants Panel has been formed to make decisions about special grants. There are now clear guidelines for applicants for a Special Grant – and these are on the website.
 
Higher Degrees
During 2008 5 clergy received financial support to undertake further degrees or study or audit modules of the Durham MATM. DMin: David Atkinson; MATM: Kevin Tromans, Bill Braviner, Philip Smithson; BA: Paul Clayton.

The decisions about new grants are taken by the Council for Ministry Grants Panel.  Click here for an analysis of grants awarded during the year.
 
Sabbaticals
3 clergy had sabbaticals during the year: Ian Jagger, Meg Gilley and Rosalind Brown.

Brief reports on some recent sabbaticals are now available on our WebPages together with the current sabbatical policy and process.
http://www.durham.anglican.org/mission-and-ministry/clergy-cmd
 
Section 3 Clergy Peer Support

This scheme continues on a volunteer and self –referral basis. We are making it easier for clergy to request and find a new reviewer after a period of time. There are currently 51 Reviewers and 109 Reviewees.
 
Final Reflections

It is always worth reminding ourselves that the overall purpose of CMD is to engender and encourage a culture of life-long learning among the clergy. As we look to the future it is clear that CMD will become more important than ever as a tool to help clergy adjust to the mission challenges of the day. Significant changes will also occur when “Common Tenure” becomes the norm and a process of Ministerial Development Review introducing “feedback” from parishioners, colleagues, etc., becomes obligatory. 

Stephen Cherry

 

The Director’s Year 2008

Last year I gave a full account of my duties and tasks as Director of Ministry. Rather than go over all that again, let me say what was different and special about 2008.

  • 2008 will have been the only year when I was Lindisfarne Project Developer on 1st January and 31st December. This is a 50% role and has consumed very significant amounts of time, energy and emotion. I have reported on this elsewhere.
  • During the first five months of the year I took part in the Common Purpose ‘The Know’ course. It was difficult to find the time but I found the engagement with the challenges, and putting my own leadership issues alongside those in the public and private sectors, very worthwhile.
  • I was able to support Gateshead West Chapter by leading a residential, Chester-le-Street by leading a quiet day and Darlington by reflecting on ‘Being a Parish Priest Today’. My work with South Shields Central Locality reached a high point with a pilgrimage to Lindisfarne and has now ceased.
  • Several strands of my ministry came together in preparing and leading a BBC Radio 4 ‘Sunday Worship’ from Durham Cathedral in partnership with ‘After Sunday’.
  • I have contributed to IME 4-7 by leading an event on ‘Leadership Style?’ and Developing Discipleship by leading the People of Hope weekend on ‘Jesus and the Hope of Forgiveness’.
  • I have become involved in the Council for Mission project ‘Faith in Our Community’ as a theological animator and consultant. This has involved leading two half-day events together with work with the oversight group and Community Development Workers.
  • I attended the Ministry Development Officers residential conference, after which we all agreed that this national structure was not working and in future would be absorbed into the CME/D network.
  • The departure of Robert Lawrance as DDO and appointment of Richard Collins represent two very important pieces of work.
  • I was the only Ministry Officer personally connected in the Review of Structures and repeatedly argued for the closer integration of mission and ministry support.
  • I had a chapter on ‘Representation’ in a book called ‘Praying for England’ and a book review in the Expository Times.

2008 was, in retrospect, a very demanding and yet rewarding year. Much of its flavour was contributed by the degree of behind the scenes and planning work that I was involved in, as well as the amount of transition being anticipated. There will never be another year quite like it. It is indeed a special privilege to have this position at this time.

Stephen Cherry
March 2009