Celebrating lay ministry

There are a few occasions each year that remind me of what I most like about my job as a diocesan lay education and training bod; this weekend was one of those times.

Yesterday Chelmsford Cathedral was full for our annual Readers’ Day service. During the service we admitted and licensed fourteen new Readers to work in the diocese and we welcomed and licensed five Readers from other dioceses. It is always a great privilege to be involved in the formation and training of our lay ministers but yesterday was a particular joy because Sandra Sykes was licensed to serve in our parish. I have known Sandra for about seven years and it has been wonderful to see her flourish as a Christian and as a minister.

This morning we welcomed Sandra as a fully fledged Reader in our parish services and she preached her first sermon in that capacity. The sermon was excellent; encouraging and challenging, with just the right amount of personal reflection and plenty of application for the congregation. Part way through I found myself thinking how good it was just to sit and receive from Sandra’s ministry, as in the past when she has preached I have been listening in my training role and assessing her sermons. The confidence and passion with which she spoke bore testimony to her faith and commitment to study and training over the last few years. I’m sure what I and the congregation felt in our parish was mirrored in the other parishes welcoming their newly licensed Readers today.

There is a certain amount of uncertainty about Reader ministry in the Church of England at the moment, not least a questioning of what the ministry should be called. Yesterday was a great celebration and reminder of the importance of lay ministry, as we rejoiced with a group of people committed to their vocation as preachers and teachers. May the word of God dwell in them richly as they minister to his praise and glory.

Bishop Laurie Green (Bishop of Bradwell) and Revd Dr Martin Kitchen (Warden of Readers) with the newly licensed Readers in the front rows at Chelmsford Cathedral

The new Readers and their parish clergy after the service

I love my job

The last month has been fairly manic but in the midst of it all have been several reminders of what I love about my job. A couple of weeks ago we celebrated our diocesan lay education and training programmes in Chelmsford Cathedral; it was a great occasion with a real sense of joy. Last weekend we held our Reader selection conference and met some gifted, faithful candidates offering to train to serve in this important lay ministry of preaching and teaching. It was particularly encouraging to see the diversity of candidates in age and background.

Then yesterday at St. Paul’s Cathedral staff and students of St. Mellitus College gathered together for our Graduation and Valedictory Eucharist. We said goodbye to recently ordained deacons and the Chelmsford Readers who were licensed last autumn. This cohort of students is the first group to study together from the two constituent parts of the college; North Thames Ministerial Training Course and St. Paul’s Theological Centre. It has been so encouraging to see the way the students have integrated, studied, worshipped and grown together in formation for ministry. They have modelled SMC’s commitment to generous orthodoxy.

The students graduated from Middlesex University, St. Mellitus College’s validating body; the ordinands receiving their BA in Contextual Theology and the Readers a Dip He in Ministry. The awards were presented by Dr Claude Pehrson on behalf of the university’s Dean. Claude is a good friend to SMC having been involved in the validation of our various programmes and we wish him well as he retires this summer.

During the Eucharist the students presented the college with a banner they had commissioned, a creative working of the St. Mellitus College logo. Each of the students was also presented with a certificate by Revd Dr Graham Tomlin, Dean of SMC, and myself as Director of Lay Ministry Studies. I was particularly proud of our Reader students, four of whom had received distinctions in the Dip HE. Following the service and some photographs at the West door of the cathedral we headed off to St Bride’s Institute for some lunch.

Other highlights of the last month have included chairing a diocesan working party on authorising local preachers; preparing and planning to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible in 2011 and several visits to deanery chapters to talk about SHAPE, part of our diocesan vocations initiative. There’s a fair amount of routine in my role with lots happening on a cyclical pattern, but at the heart of it all is the opportunity to support and resource Christians and churches in their ministry and mission and that is a real privilege.

celebrating Reader ministry

A full Cathedral in Chelmsford on Saturday for the annual Readers Service. It’s always a great occasion, celebrating the ministry of over 380 Readers in the diocese. During the service 11 new Readers were admitted and licensed and, having journeyed with them through their training, I felt a real sense of joy as they were sent out to serve their churches, parishes and communities. The service was also an opportunity to thank Canon Pat Nappin, the retiring Warden of Readers, and to license Revd Dr Martin Kitchen who takes over from Pat as Warden.

David Lowman, the Archdeacon of Southend, preached a cracking sermon based on Romans 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The address began with testimony as David shared a personal experience leading to a renewed passion for preaching the gospel. David went on to challenge those present that the ministry and mission of the church is the responsibility of all of us, lay and ordained. With so much focus on clergy in the news following the Pope's announcement, it's good to be reminded that God's work doesn't depend on one small band of workers in the vineyard.

On the Reader licensing retreat a couple of weeks ago at Pleshey. Canon Philip Ritchie, Jill Poole, Susan Riches, Sue Howlett, Chris Thomas, David Bates, Olive Thursby, Pam Kirby, Canon Michael Fox (retreat leader) (front) Diana Lowry, Liz Paxton, Rosemary Elden, Tina Rollings.

After the service on Saturday. It was rather wet so I was pleased to get at least one shot of the new Readers and their clergy before a dash back into the cathedral.

the long goodbye

Saturday was one long goodbye in Chelmsford Cathedral. In the morning we celebrated the St Mellitus College Graduation and Valedictory Service. The service was an opportunity for final year students to receive their academic awards and to give thanks for their time in training for ministry. During the service Readers, licensed last October, and recently ordained Deacons received their degrees and diplomas from Professor Edward Esche, Dean of Arts and Education at Middlesex University. It was a very special day as this was the first group of Readers to complete their training with St Mellitus College and be awarded the Dip HE Ministry, specifically designed for Reader training.

Readers Maureen McPherson, Julia MacGregor, Margaret Plant, Margaret Fowler and Jackie Sams. (Sue Sterry, Brenda Miller and Sue Masters were unable to attend.)

The Dean of St Mellitus, Rev Dr Graham Tomlin, was celebrant at the Valedictory Eucharist and Rev Dr David Hilborn preached on the theme of Ministry as Jazz, a theme which was continued throughout the day. Other members of staff took part in the service and we were joined in the Cathedral by family, friends and current students of the college.

Some of St Mellitus College Staff: Ann Coleman, Andy Knowles, Graham Tomlin, Mary Smith, Prof Edward Esche (Middlesex University), Phil Ritchie, Jeremy Ganga and David Hilborn.

After a buffet lunch and a good chat with students and guests, Graham and I headed off to the pub to catch the afternoon session of the Lord's Test Match before returning to the Cathedral for the second goodbye service, this time for Bishop John and Lydia Gladwin. Bishop John has served the Diocese for nearly six years as Bishop of Chelmsford and is the sixth bishop in a row to have the name John! It was another great occasion, with +John preaching and various tributes offered from those representing different aspects of his ministry both locally and nationally. +John is a great jazz fan so it was fitting that the service included some jazz and the refreshments afterwards were accompanied by a jazz band. Bishop John served as Chairman of Christian Aid, reflecting his passion for social justice, and in retirement he will take over as Chair of the Citizens Advice Bureau.

There was time for one more goodbye on Sunday when the family went to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Professor Dumbledore has finally departed Hogwarts for the last time, though it took nearly two and a half hours to reach the denouement. My children are now engaged in a forensic dissection of the film and detailed comparison with the book. They have already identified several inconsistencies and gaps in the plot. I tremble in fear of the day when they turn their analytical skills on my sermons.

Rather than post a review of the film, I recommend the following reviews by +Alan Wilson and David Keen.

st mellitus college inspection

One of the really exciting aspects of my job is being part of the staff of a new theological college. St Mellitus College is a partnership between the Dioceses of Chelmsford and London, training people for ministry both lay and ordained. My own involvement as Director of Lay Ministry is to head up the Dip HE Ministry programme for Reader training. During the first few months of this year the college underwent an inspection and the report St Mellitus Inspection and Reader Moderation was published a few days ago. It was a fairly demanding and challenging process but the outcome has been very encouraging.

Here's what the Bishops have had to say (pictured left with the Dean Revd Dr Graham Tomlin):

The Bishops of London and Chelmsford have welcomed the excellent first Inspection Report of St Mellitus College, a theological college created through a joint initiative between the two dioceses to offer innovative ways of training in theology and ministry for ordained and lay ministry.

St Mellitus College, which saw its first graduates become ordained as Deacons this summer, received a glowing report from the Ministry Council inspection team. The report concluded that the college had an “excellent breadth of teaching and academic standard” and recognised “examples of outstanding teaching which related well to the student body.”

The Bishop of London, Rt Revd Richard Chartres, said:

“We have worked hard and prayed hard over the past two years to establish this college which serves the two dioceses of Chelmsford and London and the wider Church.

“It is an inspiring example of the sort of co-operation and holy imagination that I long to see driving forward our mission and ministry across London.”

The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd John Gladwin, added:

"We are very encouraged by this excellent report and by the way St Mellitus has established itself. It is becoming a vital institution in the mission and ministry of the diocese."

The Bishops congratulated the Dean of the college, Revd Dr Graham Tomlin, and his dedicated staff on the progress that has been made by St Mellitus. Staff have now begun to explore the recommendations which the report gives to improve the work of the college in training ordained and lay ministers.

The new term at St Mellitus will see over 90 ordinands and many more lay people studying at the college, committed to deepening their faith and being equipped for the work of ministry.

St Augustine of Canterbury appointed Mellitus to be a missionary Bishop to the East Saxons in 604. He was based in London, but covered the whole of the region now covered by the dioceses of Chelmsford and London.

On Saturday 18th July Chelmsford Cathedral will host the St Mellitus Graduation and Valedictory Service. I am looking forward to taking part in the service particularly because our first cohort of Chelmsford Readers trained at St Mellitus will be receiving their Dip He Ministry awards; they all received a merit pass which is a fantastic start.

sabbatical (1)

I am looking forward to beginning a sabbatical in a couple of weeks. The main problem is trying to sort out three months worth of work before I go away.

The main components of the sabbatical are: taking part in a leadership programme called The Undefended Leader, studying at St. George’s College in Jerusalem during Advent, catching up on reading theology for pleasure rather than work and enjoying time with the family. The approach I’m taking with the reading is to look at a couple of books that take very different views on a subject e.g. on Ethics looking at Richard Burridge’s Imitating Jesus and Richard Holloway’s Godless Morality; other subjects include Richard Dawkins and Theology and Film. I have been trying to do some thinking about violence in film and how we respond as Christians, prompted by films such as In The Valley Of Elah and No Country For Old Men, and plan to get something down on paper / hard drive.

I’ll be blogging from time to time during the sabbatical and I am trying to work out the best way to post photographs from Israel so any suggestions gratefully received.

St Mellitus College

(The Psalm Drummers at St Paul's Cathedral)

Great occasion last night at St. Paul's Cathedral to celebrate, commission and give thanks for St. Mellitus College. The service was led by the Bishops of London and Chelmsford and included a dramatic telling of the story of Mellitus, very powerful testimonies from two students, an excellent sermon from Bishop Richard and the commissioning of the Dean Graham Tomlin and the Assistant Deans David Hilborn and Andy Emerton. It was a privilege to be part of the service in my role as a member of staff and to see former and present students and others involved in the establishment of St Mellitus College. A highlight of the evening was the procession to the Great West Doors of the cathedral led by the Psalm Drummers.

St Mellitus College is a new kind of academy, which offers training in Christian theology, ministry and the relationship between theology and the whole of human life. It was founded in 2007 by Richard Chartres and John Gladwin, the Anglican Bishops of London and Chelmsford. It is focussed in London and Essex – the dioceses of London and Chelmsford, although people come to study in the College from much further afield, and from all kinds of Christian churches.

At its heart, St Mellitus has two main parts, the North Thames Ministerial Training Course, which was set up in 1991 and the St Paul’s Theological Centre, which began in 2005.

Alongside the teaching that happens at its centre, the College also aims to bring together and co-ordinate many excellent resources around the region. Other training institutions and communities are joining St Mellitus as associate members, offering their teaching and resources as part of the College, for example: The Kensington Deanery Ministry Scheme and The Trinity Foundation for Christianity and Culture.

Please pray for the college, staff and students at this very exciting time.

The St Mellitus College Collect

God of grace and wisdom,
who called your servant Mellitus
to leave his home and proclaim your Word:
grant to all who belong to the college that bears his name
diligence for study, fervour for mission,
and perseverance for ministry,
that they might shine with your love and truth
in these dioceses and beyond,
for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.