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Revelation at top speed Buckinghamshire curate puts his foot down and all for the glory of God Back page picture story
WE BRING GOOD NEWS
wwwoxfordanghcanorg
JUNE 2003
No 143
Os New bishops named. a Berkshire priest who masterminded the 'unconventional' will go to Bucks and a Canon theologian from Southwark to Reading THE Revd Canon Dr Alan Wilson, father of five, Rector of Sandhurst and Area Dean of Sonning, who masterminded last year's Diocesan Convention at High Wycombe, is to be the next Bishop of Buckingham. The new Bishop of Reading will be the Revd Canon Dr Jeffrey John, Chancellor and Canon Theologian of Southwark Cathedral. The news that the Queen had approved the appointments came from 10 Downing Street on 20 May. Their consecrations are expected to be in the autumn.
Alan Wilson for Bucks ALAN WILSON became a
familiar figure in the months leading up to last year's Diocesan 'Unconventional' at High Wycombe. He was the energetic and popular chairman of its planning group. 'His seemingly endless ability to enthuse and encourage us never ceased to amaze us,' said one member of the group. Dr Wilson has served in the
Oxford Diocese since 1979 when he became a curate at Eynsham before moving in 1982 to be priest in charge of St John's, Caversham in Reading, eventually becoming the church's first Vicar. In 1992 he moved to be Rector of Sandhurst and was made Area Dean of Sonning six years later. Alan Wilson was born in Edinburgh and grew up in East London and Kent. He studied at St John's College Cambridge and then Balliol College, Oxford where he completed a doctorate in modern historical theology. He is married to Lucy, a violin teacher. With five children aged four to 17 the Wilsons are following in the steps of the outgoing Bishop of Buckingham, Mile Hill, who also has a family of five. 'It is a great joy to be nominated as a Bishop in the Diocese where I have served most of my ministry, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Buckingham Archdeaconry' he says. JEFFREY JOHN is widely
respected for his biblically based teaching and evangelistic ministry. As Bishop's Adviser for Ministry in the Southwark Diocese, his brief has been to unite all the diocesan training courses into a single department and to set up new courses for lay people and clergy. He writes: I am very honoured, as well as surprised and a little daunted, to be nominated as Bishop of Reading. My
chief hope and prayer is for growth - growth in knowledge and depth of faith, but also growth in numbers. We know that 70 per cent of the population believes in God and over 50 per cent call themselves C of E, yet only a small proportion worship in our churches We need to make sure that what we offer in our churches meets their needs and draws them to Christ.'
Jeffrey John for Reading
Dr John was born in a mining village in South Wales. Though brought up in the 'chapel' tradition, he became an Anglican after a teenage gap 'trying to avoid God'. He read classics and modern languages at Oxford and then went straight on to prepare for ordination. A curacy in Wales was followed by 11 more years at Oxford at Brasenose and Magdalen colleges combining research and teaching with college chaplaincies. In 1992 Jeffrey John was appointed Vicar of Eltham moving after six years to Southwark Cathedral.
FEEDING FIVE THOUSAND PLUS
Photograph: Frank Blackwell
BONN SQUARE in the centre of Oxford was the setting for a free cafĂŠ run by the City's churches. Called 'Five Thousand Plus', its aim was to offer 'grace and friendship' to passers by to demonstrate the unconditional love of God. Between 7 and 10 May more than 7000 hamburgers were cooked by dozens of volunteers like Jim Grady who said:'It was great to share our Christian fellowship with people outside the church. They were interested why our faith had prompted us to give something away for free.'
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