thedoor
Autumn 2018
Remembrance
page 11 Disinvestment
page three Creationtide
Ordinations 2018. Meet our new deacons in our special souvenir pull-out supplement. Photo: Tom Pilston
centrespread Dunc’s story
page 16
2 News 60 new people join Diocesan Synod MORE than 60 new people have been elected to Diocesan Synod – the governing body of the Diocese of Oxford. The new members are lay people and clergy who have been elected to the synod, which meets three times a year – usually on a Saturday – to discuss issues facing the Church and to share their experience. The Rt Revd Steven Croft, the Bishop of Oxford, said: “This is a great moment for anyone wanting to see the Church respond to the challenges that face us all. The start of a new triennium (new members are elected every three years) aligns with the next stages of the Common Vision process as we journey towards a more Christ-like Church… the best Church we can be for this generation.” Contact details for synod members will be available on the diocesan website in September. Keep up with the work of Diocesan Synod here: oxford.anglican. org/diocesan-synod
Craft days in Little Chalfont. Photo: Chess Valley Churches Together
Thousands enjoy church based summer holiday clubs THIS summer around 7,500 children attended holiday clubs and activities run by more than 3,000 volunteers from churches across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. And, while youngsters were having a great time at clubs aimed at them, older people were also enjoying ‘holiday at home clubs’ in churches, with crafts, games and other activities. In Little Chalfont in Buckinghamshire, family craft days attracted 25 to 30 children on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout August. “They come with their carers, dog-walkers, grannies, child-minders and drop in for crafts and refreshments, including home-made cakes,” says Ann Chapman, one of the organisers. “We have funding from Skipton Building society and Chiltern District Council that enables us to offer everything free of charge.” Voluntary donations give the organisers the chance to donate funds to the parish council, which allows them to use the Westwood Park during the holidays. The scheme is organised by the Chess Valley Churches Together – usually including volunteers
from St George’s Anglican Church, Little Chalfont Methodist church and possibly from St. Aidan’s RC Church and Chenies Baptist church. Churches Together in Bicester, Oxfordshire, run their holiday clubs across four venues, all following Scripture Union Groundbreakers activities. Volunteers from most of the town’s churches help at the holiday clubs that take place in Emmanuel Church, Kingsmere, Longfields School and the Methodist Church. Longfields School and Emmanuel Church host children who are dropped off by their parents or carers, to be picked up later. Kingsmere hosts a holiday club for children to attend with their parents. This event hosts children from 0 to 12. When they turn 12 they are invited to become young leaders. Bicester also runs a Holiday at Home Club for older people which is now in its fourth year. LLM Elizabeth Taylor started the scheme when she returned from overseas and wondered how she could get involved in church. “Everything I heard on the radio was about the loneliness of the elderly. We started a weekly tea and coffee club.”
Get set for the Ride and Stride THOUSANDS of people are expected to join the 2018 Ride and Stride to raise money to protect our historic churches. The event sees people walking or riding cycles, horses and even tractors as they visit as many historic churches as they can on Saturday 8 September. The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Steven Croft, is set to join the Ride and Stride as part of his pilgrimage prayer walk through Oxfordshire.
More here: Oxon: ohct.org.uk/ride-stride Berks: berkschurchestrust.org.uk/ride-and-stride-2 Bucks: bucks-historic-churches.org/ride-stride
Similarly, in Warfield, Berkshire, a twoday Holiday at Home club starts with tea, coffee and biscuits, before mosaic making and other crafts, nail painting, and other activities in stations around the church. “People can go from one to the other, or sit and watch,” says Serena Parsons, the organiser. A home-made lunch is provided before afternoon activities which include bingo, singing around the piano and a quiz. The initiative was spearheaded by the Revd Janet Taft, who used to be an associate minister at Warfield and started the Autumn Club, a group for older members of the church. Read more at oxford.anglican. org/holiday-clubs-for-theelderly and oxford.anglican. org/holidayclubs Listen to a BBC Radio Oxford interview on church holiday clubs here: tinyurl.com/ ybh6353u
Burghfield School Pastors celebrate fifth anniversary BURGHFIELD and Area School Pastors celebrated their fifth anniversary this month with over 60 guests including church leaders, police officers, local dignitaries, parents, students and staff of The Willink School. School Pastors is a national initiative from the Ascension Trust – the organisation that oversees Street Pastors, Rail Pastors and Response Pastors. The anniversary celebration was held at Mortimer West End Chapel, which was decorated with bunting made by the Willink Christian Union. Home-made cakes and refreshments were prepared by friends and supporters. James Puxley, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, cut the cake alongside Cllr Carol Jackson-Doerge, Chairman of West Berkshire Council, and Libby HawknessSmith, the Burghfield and Area School Pastors Coordinator. Libby says: “We continue to make connections with students and staff at The Willink, and are slowly becoming better recognised across the whole school community. Most lunchtimes, we’ll talk to between 40 and 70 students. Read a fuller story and see photos here: oxford.anglican.org/burghfieldschool-pastors
Thank Your Vicar Week SHOW your appreciation for the clergy who work hard in communities across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire by getting involved in Thank Your Vicar Week. Schools are invited to hold assemblies and parishes to organise services during the week, which takes place between 14 and 21 October. St Luke’s Healthcare, a charity that cares for clergy health and wellbeing, has put together a host of resources including a short film, posters, and content ideas for the week. See stlukeshealthcare.org.uk/events for more.
News 3
Oxford Diocese helps Church move forward on disinvestment from fossil fuel companies A MOTION from the Diocese of Oxford was instrumental in moving forward national discussions on the Church and disinvestment. The General Synod, the Church’s national governing body, has called for disinvestment to be completed by 2023 at the latest, if those companies are not prepared to align their plans with the Paris Agreement and a carbon zero future. The Paris Agreement was made after an international summit held in December 2015 in the French capital. The Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft described the measure, put forward by Canon Giles
Goddard and voted in when the General Synod met in July, as: “…a considerable step forward.” In his address to Synod, Bishop Steven said: “The world is on a trajectory to catastrophic climate change if nothing more is done. We need a much greater urgency in this debate, grounded in a hope that things can change.” He told Synod members: “Any company making 40-year investments that does not have a plan for net zero by 2050 is either counting on Paris goals not being met or neglecting its duties to its shareholders.” He said that the Church must ask
companies what their plans are for the reduction of carbon emissions by 2050. “We have a very serious issue before us as a Church. Achieving the aims of of the Paris Agreement requires 30 per cent of oil and 50 per cent of known gas reserves to remain unburned. If we continue to invest in these companies we will be making money from practices which will harm the poorest people on earth and the planet itself.” He added: “The Church of England has a responsibility to lead on this issue within the United Kingdom and internationally through the Anglican Communion. That
moral leadership depends on aligning our investment practice and our lifestyle with the global vision for a net zero carbon world by 2050.” Read Bishop Steven’s full address to General Synod here: blogs.oxford.anglican. org/general-synod-and-the-oxfordamendment/ The piece includes links to detailed further reading about fossil fuels, disinvestment and the Church. For more on the importance of protecting the environment, turn to the centrespread.
Light floods through “transformational” new doors at All Saints’
Stylised waters of the Great Ouse suggest the cleansing waters of baptism and the Waters of Life. Photo: Nick Carter
NEW glass doors have transformed the entrance to All Saints’ Church in Emberton, Buckinghamshire. Light can now flood into the church, making the building more welcoming. Tracey Sheppard, Fellow of the Guild of Glass Engravers, was commissioned to engrave the glass doors with a design that was inspired by the rural setting of All Saints’ church. The PCC felt her design was both beautiful and spiritual while respecting the history of the church. The Diocese of Oxford supported the project along with a private donor. Tracey says: “The guidebook states that All Saints’ church ‘…has stood with its commanding view of the village and surrounding countryside through six-and-a-half centuries of change’. In Christian art, a church standing on a hilltop can be seen as a symbol of heaven. The view of All Saints’ is the starting point and from its door flows all the other elements of the engraved design. “There is a particularly lovely lychgate at the entrance to the churchyard. The gate has a number of symbolic meanings in Christian art—in this design, it represents the entrance into the heavenly Paradise.” Read more and see more photos here: oxford.anglican.org/ transformational-new-doors
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the Door, Autumn 2018, page 4
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Resources 5 Raising awareness of persecuted Christians
Adrian Brooks inspects one of his illuminating installations. Photo: Nick Forman
Coming soon: Light a Spiritual Journey EXPERIENCE a mini-pilgrimage with Light A Spiritual Journey at Dorchester Abbey. This multi-media exhibition includes footage from the Hubble Space Telescope and original artwork and music. Artist, Adrian
Brooks has produced light installations, while composer Tim Cook has produced music that will be played as visitors walk through the Abbey’s Cloister Gallery. Hear the creators of the project describe
IMAGINE you live in a land where, because you’re a Christian, you’re failed in your studies, your neighbours beat you up, your home is destroyed, your family is put in prison, your father is killed. How would you respond? Would you lose heart, give up, change your faith? Or would you pray harder, stay faithful, grow bolder? A new resource from the Witney-based charity Open Doors gives you the chance to find out how God is strengthening his followers around the world in the face of hostility, violence and injustice - and share it with your church. Open Doors works in over 60 countries, supplying Bibles, training church leaders, providing practical support and emergency relief, and supporting how the idea developed in this short video: Christians who suffer for their faith. In the UK and Ireland, Open Doors works oxford.anglican.org/lightjourney/ to raise awareness of global persecution, Light A Spiritual Journey runs from October 20, mobilising prayer, support and action among Christians. 2018 to January 6, 2019. The new Can You Believe It? pack features the amazing true-life stories of Faith, Hope and Love from five persecuted Christians – and includes a service outline, poster, sample Prayer Polaroids pastoral experience of the writer. and gift envelope, also a DVD with films, PowerPoint and audio tracks. His intuitive understanding and deep conviction that the presence of To order your pack now, visit opendoorsuk.org, inner faith must be accompanied by a contact the Open Doors Inspire team on 01993 transformational impact upon the world 460015 or email inspire@opendoorsuk.org around us (however big or small that world may be) shapes the way that he guides the reader through the chapters. If you are looking for an approach to the beatitudes which is easy to read, yet challenges you to pause and think and examine the lifestyle choices we make day to day, then this is for you.
Living Differently to Make a Difference and out as well as selecting chapters of particular interest entirely possible. The format makes this a quick and easy read, with plenty of illustrations from history, politics, culture, sport and literature. The individual devotions and group discussion questions provide ample invitation and space for pausing and thinking, even when read outside of a more intentional devotional or group study setting. The group questions are particularly accessible and appropriate to a group which had never done a similar study before, with a range of suggested options catering to timings from 15 minutes to an hour. The strength of this book is in the
Exodus – an art exhibition about refugees
The Revd Kate Seagrave is the Mission Priest at the Community of St Frideswide in Oxford.
Win a copy of Living Differently… Living Differently to Make a Difference Will Donaldson Bible Reading Fellowship £9.99 By Kate Seagrave
I
t would appear to be a brave undertaking to write a book on such a famous passage as the beatitudes and on such topics that so many have tackled before, but Will does so with originality and confidence. This easy to read book follows the standard mixed format of so many of BRF’s publications, being a combination of an individual devotional read, a small group Bible study, and an introductory guide to this famous passage of scripture. His extensive experience in pastoral care and discipleship shines through his approach and his challenge to the reader to a more distinctive and holistic Christian life. Topics covered challenge both our inner lives and ‘secret’ attitudes as well as our more outward and visible actions and service. The structure of each chapter stands alone, which makes dipping in
Living Differently to Make a Difference by the Revd Will Donaldson is described as a book for those who want to make a difference, to change the world one step at a time. The Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, the Bishop of Oxford, endorsed the book. He said: “I think Will is inviting us in this book to contemplate the face of Christ… and in so contemplating that, be renewed in our compassion and our courage that we may be the people of Christ in the world today.” Having been in parish ministry for 25 years, Will Donaldson is chaplain and senior welfare officer at St Edmund Hall at Oxford University, Area Dean of Oxford and Director of Pastoral Care at St Aldate’s Church, Oxford. For the chance of winning one of three copies of the book we are giving away in this month’s prize draw, simply answer the following question: which famous passage from the Gospel is Living Differently to Make a Difference based on? Send your answers to reception@oxford.anglican.org or Living Differently Competition, The Door, Church House Oxford, OX5 1GF. The closing date for entries is Friday 19 October.
And don’t forget…
Living Differently to Make a Difference complements Bishop Steven’s Exploring the Beatitudes booklet. This three-session course is in a 32-page booklet written by Bishop Steven, and is suitable for small groups. A weblink in the booklet provides accompanying audio and video resources. Find out more: oxford.anglican.org/commonvision
AN exhibition of art by Karima Brooke and Michele Tallack takes place from 1530 September in St Giles Church, Oxford. Karima’s work, pictured below, shows the poet Ovid, in exile in Tomatis (now Constanta in Romania). 2017 was the 2000th anniversary of his death, still exiled from Rome. Michele and Karima have both worked on refugee issues in many ways and find that a hostile environment is making life increasingly difficult for those seeking refuge in the UK. Sanctuary Hosting, Asylum Welcome and Refugee Resource will benefit from sale of paintings from the exhibition. The artists will be at the exhibition every afternoon from noon-5pm. On Sunday 23 September at 2pm there’s an artists’ talk with tea and cakes.
the Door, Autumn 2018, page 6
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Huge adventure base project gathers pace
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A multi-million-pound centre that aims to give young people the opportunity to try a huge variety of adventure sports, and hear a Christian message, is well on the way to completion. Back in 2013, the Door reported how Adventure Plus had ambitious plans to buy the Windmill Farm Conference Centre in Clanfield, near Witney. Now, five years later, JO DUCKLES meets Jon Cox to find out how the plans are progressing.
A conference centre has been launched for use by adults on the site. There is also a newly renovated house, bought for the complex by some kind farmers. These are run as a separate business with any profits plunged into the charity for its work with children and teenagers. Some of these youngsters are from challenging backgrounds and may not otherwise get the chance to try a range of activities and hear the message of the Gospel. There are already mountain bike trails, a climbing wall, adventure hall, and a barn containing a host of canoes, kayaks and mountain bikes. The next initiative is a village of yurts that are to be built of hempcrete – a high intensity material that allows them to be used all year round. “They will be up and in use by next spring,” says Jon Cox, the founder of Adventure Plus. “They will be for youth groups to stay on the site. We hope to build a communal hub with showers and kitchens, but to start with we’ll have portable buildings.” After that it is hoped that a huge adventure barn will include high ropes, an even bigger climbing wall, and a parkour facility. A caving trail and a lake are also part of the ambitious plans. Bush craft activities will take place in an area where 1,500 trees have been planted next to a small, existing copse. Previously the charity, founded in 1990, ran from a depot on a farm near Witney, with just an office and a barn for storing equipment, bikes, boats and bows and arrows. “The main reason for leasing this space is that when we build the adventure base we will double the number of children and young people we can reach,” says Jon. Adventure Plus also offers gap years and internships, giving people the chance to learn about outdoor education, conservation or catering. “We have social services knocking on our door, asking us to do more. When young people visit, they want to come back and do more. I think this sort of service should be strategic across the country. The national Church is scratching its head trying to work out how to engage hard-to-reach young people. It’s increasingly difficult to get them into church but they are living the Christian ethos by being a part of what we do here. “There was a guy referred to us at 15. He’s now 25 and he said he was an angry, frightened boy and that coming to us helped him become the man he is today. That was brilliant. That makes the last 28 years worthwhile.” Adventure Plus has launched a Fun Raising, rather than fundraising, scheme, encouraging young people to get involved with helping. “They can do anything. Arrange a gig, a bike ride or a walk. It doesn’t matter if they raise £60 or £600, it’s about getting the young people
Making a splash - youngsters enjoy kayaking. Photo: Adventure Plus
Above - testing a bike skills course. Above right, some of the A+ team and right, the mountain bike store. Photos: Jo Duckles.
involved in what we are doing. We will be having a free open day for fun raisers with a barbecue and offer awards to people,” says Jon. Another big fundraiser is the annual Witney to Westminster canoe marathon. Check out adventureplus.org. uk/events/witney-to-westminstercanoe-marathon for more. So how can readers of the Door support Adventure Plus? Jon says the growing team is praying for an experienced fund raiser, construction co-ordinator, human resources officer and a chief activity instructor as the work expands. “There have been so many examples of God’s faithfulness in provision and guidance that have got us to where we are.
We initially moved from a two-bedroomed flat in London as volunteer youth workers. I am happy to share our story at any parish breakfasts, or other groups. “My prayer is that this would become a special place in the lives of thousands of young children and young people for years to come and that many will learn for the first time that they are greatly loved by our awesome, eternal, Heavenly Father.” What do people who use the centre say? One said: “We had an absolutely brilliant time! Thank you for your warm welcome, exciting activities and challenging the children to overcome their fears. We will definitely be back next year.” A parent added: “Please pass on to all
the team how much my child enjoyed the week. He’s quite a quiet, thoughtful, sensitive boy and we were a little concerned that he might struggle to settle in....but all the leaders did such a good job of making everyone feel very welcome and included that he didn’t feel nervous at all.”
For more photographs see oxford.anglican.org/ adventureplus For more on the charity see adventureplus.org.uk
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Tending Creation By the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft
CALL
9
St Mary, Beaminster, Dorset
WE CAN
Creationtide: caring for our world
8
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Living God, you call us to be good stewards of this earthly home, strengthen us to care for your creation; forgive us when, through our greed and indifference we abuse its beauty and damage its potential. Empower us, through your Spirit to so nurture and love the world, that all creation sings to your glory. Amen Collect for Environment Sunday, Diocese of Leeds
HE WORLD HAS WOKEN UP to the dangers of single-use plastic,” said Sir David Attenborough interviewed by the Daily Mirror. He was speaking about the public response to Blue Planet 2. Viewers were shocked by footage of albatross parents unwittingly feeding their chicks plastic and a sea turtle caught up in a plastic sack, among other gripping images. In Genesis, God places the man and the woman in the garden to till it and keep it, for the blessing of the earth, not its exploitation. Paul makes clear in Romans 8 that the mission of Christ is to the whole of creation. The best-known verse in Scripture, John 3.16 reminds us that God so loved the world, the cosmos, whole of creation that he sent his Son to save it. The fifth mark of mission of the Anglican Communion goes beyond conservation to restoration and undoing the damage we have inflicted on God’s world. Yet still, there is a lack of energy across the Church and society around this agenda. In 2016 Pope Francis published his great encyclical, Laudato Si’, a letter to every person on the earth pleading for a greater urgency in tending creation. We are exploring as a Church our call to be a more Christ-like Church: contemplative, compassionate, courageous. Our gaze needs to pass beyond what can be filmed and shown on our screens to the invisible gases which are causing the rise in global temperature. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases cannot be seen but we can measure and see their effect. Climate change caused by human intervention is a present reality. For our sisters and brothers in other parts of the world, the effects of climate change are a daily reality. In South
Africa, there is severe drought in the east of the country and extreme weather in the west. In 2015, the nations of the world made an historic agreement in Paris to work together to limit the rise in global temperatures to well below two degrees from pre-industrial levels. The churches and other faith communities have been at the centre of raising awareness of these issues. Our influence across the world is hugely significant, much greater than we think it is.
“ An essential mark of God’s mission is to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation…” Social service provision is part of the life of every parish church. There are people who care passionately about the environment who are already part of our parishes and deaneries and who give their expertise freely. Martin and Margot Hodson, who work in this area, argue that the parish church itself is an inherently green concept. The more people engage and do things in their own communities, the less energy they use, the more they encourage local skills and businesses. An essential mark of God’s mission is to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth. May Almighty God give us grace and strength to give this mark of mission the priority it deserves and needs and a sense of urgency in our task as we live as disciples of Jesus Christ in this earth, our beautiful and fragile common home. A full transcript of Bishop Steven’s address to the March Diocesan Synod can be read here: blogs.oxford.anglican.org/tending-creation/
The Hospital of St Cross & Almshouse of Noble Poverty
‘England’s Oldest Almshouse’
Signing the Big Shift are, from left, Canon Carol Starkey (Kimberley), Rob Finch (Youth worker Marcham), The Ven. Olivia Graham, Archdeacon of Berkshire, the Rt Revd Ossie Swartz, Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman and the Revd Heather Steenkamp, and Revd Tefo Motaung.
Churches convert to renewable energy
M
ORE THAN 5,500 UK churches have made the switch to clean energy, which means that, based on the average annual church electricity bill of £1,000, British churches have diverted more than £5m from fossil fuels to clean energy providers. These include more than 100 Anglican churches in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire — and it is hoped that more will follow suit. One way of doing so is through the Parish Buying service. The national Church of England has created the Parish Buying website to allow churches access to negotiated discounts and contracts. The most popular product is the Energy Basket, which uses the bulk buying power of the Church to obtain competitive prices for gas and electricity. 100 per cent of the electricity in the Energy Basket is green, all from UK-based renewable sources. The Parish Buying team have been working with the Basket provider, Total Gas and Power, to do this at no extra cost to parishes. St Ebbe’s Church in Oxford is one of those that have switched. Andy Menary, church manager, said: “At St Ebbe’s we spend over £10,000 per year on electricity and are delighted to be part of the Energy Basket” Steve Jenkins, churchwarden from the Caversham Thameside and Mapledurham Parish in Berkshire, says: “We have a long-term goal to be carbon neutral but it’s taking time. We’ve looked at renewable energy for some years and solar panels, on the south-facing nave roof of St Peter’s, are the best bet, though we haven’t been able to make the investment, yet. “Meanwhile, all three churches in CTM parish buy their electricity from the Parish
Buying Scheme Energy basket. That way, we get competitively priced energy 100 per cent sourced from UK-based renewable sources and going some way towards meeting our goal.” The Revd Graeme Fancourt, Area Dean of Reading and Vicar of St Luke’s with Bartholomew’s, said: “Switching to energy sourced from renewables is one of the easiest ways the church can live out our belief that we do not live in an accidental nature, but in an ongoing creation in which we are called to care for all that God calls into being. Doing this collectively is also a
good way to encourage people in the pews and the parish to think about the source of the energy they use at home and at work, and to consider how they might change that.” The Ven. Olivia Graham, the Archdeacon of Berkshire said: “Through the Parish Buying scheme, churches can switch easily to an energy provider that uses 100 per cent renewable electricity. We strongly endorse this. Switching to renewable energy is an important way in which churches can show leadership in protecting our environment.”
Vacancies for Brothers The Hospital, founded in 1132, is home to 25 retired laymen (‘Brothers’) and applications are welcomed. A registered Charity with a Christian foundation, the Hospital is situated a mile south of Winchester. Each Brother lives independently and occupies a flat which he furnishes himself. Further information and an application form are obtainable from: Clerk to the Trustees Hospital of St Cross Winchester, SO23 9SD Tel: 01962 878218 E-mail: clerk@hospitalofstcross.co.uk www.hospitalofstcross.co.uk Registered Charity No.202751
Could you become an Eco Church? CHURCHES that want to become “good news for God’s earth” can find helpful resources in the Eco Church programme. Eco Church offers a free online survey and tools to help your church express care for God’s world in worship and teaching; care for buildings and land; engagement with your local community and wider campaigns, and personal lifestyle actions. Taking simple steps can even lead to an award. The Marlow Team decided to participate in the programme, and two of its churches recently received awards: bronze for All Saints, Marlow and silver for St John the Baptist, Little Marlow. Under the leadership of an Eco Church Team, the churches have undertaken a variety of activities, including installing LED lights and special sensors/ timers to reduce energy usage, improving their recycling process, and reflecting on care for creation as part of Christian mission. Paul Taylor, of All Saints, who initiated the process, says “It’s very easy to start, doing
the survey and find out what you’re already doing. Lots of churches will already be doing different aspects and it’s just a matter of working out where they fit together and drawing people in to help you as you go.” Resources at ecochurch.arocha.org. uk. Read more about Marlow’s Eco Church experience at 4u-team.org/ecochurch/
New resources for Creationtide
Creationtide or the ‘Season of Creation’ (1 September to 4 October) is the period in the annual church calendar dedicated to God as creator and sustainer of all life. To inspire you and help you explore and celebrate Creationtide the people behind the national Church’s environmental programme have created new liturgies and pulled together examples of services and prayers from across the Church of England. Find out more here: creationtide.com/ resources/ and download the 2018 action sheet here: tinyurl.com/y9jrggf5
Andrew brought a boy to Jesus... The Boys’ Brigade are doing likewise. Are you reaching out to the homes around your church and surrounding area? We reach the ‘young’ from age 5. 01442 231681 www.boys-brigade.org.uk
the Door, Autumn 2018, page 10
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CHRISTMAS 2018
Services of Nine Lessons and Carols 23 and 24 December 2018 The ever-popular services of Nine Lessons and Carols in Christ Church Cathedral will take place at 7.30pm on Sunday 23 December and 3pm on Monday 24 December. As in previous years, tickets will be available from Oxford Playhouse. There is no charge for tickets (but you will be charged £1 for postage).
Tickets will be available from 10am on Monday 19 November 2018. Online: www.ticketsoxford.co.uk In person: Oxford Playhouse, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OXl 2LW By phone: Box Office: 01865 305305 Please note: • The maximum number of tickets is four per application. We ask you please apply only for the number required so that as many people as possible have a chance to attend these services. • Tickets are for entry to the service and not for a particular area or seat. • Seats will be allocated to all on a first come, first served basis. • Seats are held until 20 minutes before each service begins when unoccupied seats are released. • Those without tickets may therefore wish to come on the day and queue for a short period, although we cannot guarantee admission.
11 Reconciliation: the struggle at the end of conflict? As we prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day in November, JOAN VAN EMDEN reflects on reconciliation and war.
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t’s easy to assume that reconciliation happens only at the end of conflict, but of course there are moments, even in the midst of war, when by the mercy of God there is a space for compassion and peace. We have all heard of the Christmas Truce in 1914; there was a more limited truce again in 1915 and, at times during the worst of the conflict, soldiers who respected one another would pause for a short while. An unidentified soldier reported: “We shouted to the Germans to come and fetch their wounded...we promised not to shoot, and a man who wore the iron cross advanced to assist a wounded man. Another followed and, amidst our cheers, they carried him off. Before going, the first man saluted and said, ‘Thank you, gentlemen, I thank you very much. Good day.’ The incident quite upset me for a time, and I wished we might all be friends again.” More commonly, perhaps, reconciliation came with approaching death: a young soldier passed a large shell hole and saw two decomposing bodies lying side by side, one a British soldier, the other a German. “They lay hand in hand, as though reconciled in mutual agony and in the peace of death.” At the end of the war, the victorious soldiers marched into Germany and the two nations came face to face. A private in the Scots Guards wrote: “I had serious misgivings before entering Germany. My comrades vowed such vengeance on the people that I anticipated something worse than war...no treatment was going to be bad enough and cruel enough. What was my surprise to find, after two or three days in Germany, all our roaring lions converted into sucking doves. The army, without any prompting, took up an unexpected attitude of friendliness...” Reconciliation came sometimes between the families of opposing troops. A German, Egbert Wagner, met a wounded British soldier, Jack Brewster, pulled him into a shell hole, bandaged him and, as he wrote to the distraught British man’s parents:
Book now for sound and light display A SOUND and light display by artist Peter Walker, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts will be part of a series of special events at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. The poignant display takes place on the evenings of 11, 12 and 13 October. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance: chch.ox.ac.uk/cathedral.
Poppy Field, a Luxmuralis production is coming to Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, soon. See below left for details. Photo Luxmuralis
Mrs Simpson visits her son’s grave in France
“Acting on the command of our Lord Jesus, ‘Love your enemies,’ I provided him with bread and wine and had a lot of conversation with him.” He was able to report Jack’s convalescence. In 1918, Jack’s parents helped Egbert’s brother, then a POW in British hands. A bond of friendship was firmly established between the families. The Armistice brought great rejoicing, but there remained a most difficult area of reconciliation: between the living and the dead. A boy whose father had been killed remembered: “The buttons of my father’s regiment were black with a bugle, and Mum used to write to the regimental headquarters and get stacks of these buttons because all her dresses were covered in the black buttons, on the cuffs, down the front. She never forgot my father.” The scars of war could indeed last a lifetime. Lily Baron, born in 1912, remembered her father and his last leave at home, and when she visited his grave in France in 2010, aged almost 98, she left a card on which she had written: “Thank you for five years of real happiness. I’ve missed you all my life.” And what of the soldiers themselves?
Harry Patch meets Charles Kuentz. Photo: Joan van Emden.
Some felt that they had gained by their experiences, however terrible, and were able to move on in their lives, but others found it difficult to be reconciled with their past. One veteran described only towards the end of his long life the vision that had haunted him since the day of the Armistice: “I could not put my head up because I was under fire but above me, at eye level, walking past, were hundreds and hundreds of boots and puttees...They went on and on for hours, and I realised that it was the dead all walking away and leaving me behind. I felt worried and frightened that they were leaving me by myself, that I had been left behind. They were marching away into the distance where I would never follow.” The last veteran of the war, Harry Patch, who died in 2009 aged 111, spent much time towards the end of his life talking about the need for reconciliation. In 2004, he visited the battlefields and met the last surviving German veteran, Charles Kuentz: “Charles was conscripted just like myself and fought for the Kaiser as I had fought for the King, relations, of course, cousins, so it was a family affair. It shows you how stupid war is.” The two men, through an interpreter, spoke and exchanged presents and shook hands. In Ypres that evening,
they sat side by side for the nightly ceremony of commemoration at the Menin Gate; Harry commented: “I felt sorry for what Charles had to go through; no one deserved to go through that war.” A true reconciliation. I have prepared two services for the commemoration of the Armistice, using many words of Great War veterans, like those in this article, quoted from books by my son, the military historian Richard van Emden. These services, Aftermath and Reconciliation, are available here: oxford.anglican.org/first-world-warcentenary Joan van Emden is a Licensed Lay Preacher at Christ Church, Reading. You can also find centenary resources from the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship on our website. APF material for worship and remembrance, together with a piece on Remembering War by Bishop David Walker and poems by Malcolm Guite can be downloaded at oxford.anglican.org/ first-world-war-centenary
the Door, Autumn 2018, page 12
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Farewell to the Door By the Rt Revd Colin Fletcher
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t’s with mixed emotions that I write this article to say ‘farewell’ to the Door. On the one hand I do so with a great sense of loss – on the other I am excited by what lies ahead and I trust our Communications Team to have plenty of good things in store. As a former chair of the Editorial Support Group, I am well aware of the debates and discussions – and sometimes the disagreements – that have lain behind its publication month by month. Which advertisements were acceptable or more often, which were not? How should it handle issues on which the Church is sharply divided? How did you preserve editorial freedom, not allowing it to simply become a mouthpiece of diocesan policy, but at the same time, being a vehicle to proclaim Christ and his Kingdom throughout the Thames Valley? How did you try to balance news with opinion pieces? And what sort of news was of interest? How would people in
communities from Hook Norton to Slough and Hungerford to Milton Keynes see that it had relevance to their lives as members of a single diocese? No doubt you can add your own questions to these, as they are ones that will still be there as we move to an exciting new publication, but I would not want the moment to pass without saying a huge ‘thank you’ to the people who have been the life of the Door in the years I have known it. To the Editor, the contributors, those who draw together the Prayer Diary, the proof readers, the Audio Door team, those who have faithfully distributed thousands of copies each month, our advertisers, our printers, and most of all, to you, its readers. Now we move to a new format. More of a magazine style, more reflective but still for the whole diocese. So, in (almost) the words of that doyenne of the dancing world – Keep Reading. The Rt Revd Colin Fletcher is the Bishop of Dorchester.
CONGRATULATIONS to Bedgrove’s Lydia Lee who won the 2018 Church Times Sermon of the Year competition. Lydia, 27, is a former teacher who now runs a café at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Bedgrove, Aylesbury, where she preaches regularly. She has won a year of study at the London School of Theology. Her winning sermon was a meditation on Jesus in the boat on the Sea of Galilee, relating the fear of the disciples to her own experience of anxiety and fear. She describes winning as “overwhelming.” “The final was just such a great evening. It was a real privilege and honour to be picked as the winner. Being in an all-woman final was really special. Some women still find it difficult to step out into teaching roles in the Church. We had four women, from all different walks of life. It wasn’t a statement from the charity. The judging was all done blind, but that was what stood out for me about it.” Lydia grew up in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and returned to teach after training in Gloucestershire. She left her job as a primary school teacher because she
felt God was calling her to teach in other settings, not just education. “I stepped out in obedience, had a break and when I was offered the job running the café I thought ‘why not?’” Lydia is hoping to study part-time while continuing to work at the church. She says she enjoys understanding the Bible in a modern-day context and applying it to our lives. “I find with the Bible there is a lot that in our culture, we don’t understand; we miss the richness. Jesus told stories about shepherds to shepherds. There are lots of instances like that and I enjoy researching the Hebrew, looking at the context and applying it to the 21st century.” Read more on the competition here: tinyurl.com/yc7lyfwj Read Lydia’s sermon here: oxford.anglican.org/ lydiasermon/
Summer school builds interfaith understanding CHRISTIANS and Muslims live together for a week at a summer school that aims to help faith leaders from different backgrounds understand and connect with each other.
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ow in its fourth year, the school brings together Christians and Muslims who are training to be ministers. “The idea is to give them the opportunity to live together for the week,” says Dr Richard McCallum, a senior fellow at the Oxford-based Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies, which runs the school. Students study parallel texts from the Bible and the Qur’an. They also look at contemporary issues, bringing in someone from the Christian environmental charity A Rocha and Islamic Relief. There is a social side too, with a visit to the Bodleian Library, punting and time to hang out and play games. Members of each year’s cohort are encouraged to keep in touch via Facebook and WhatsApp. Shahanaz Begum was part of the first cohort and has returned twice to help facilitate the summer school. She says she signed up because she wanted to learn about Christianity from Christians, rather than from a book or lecture. Shahanaz is currently studying for a Masters in Islamic Studies in London. For her, the scriptural reasoning was the most important part of the week.
“It’s a real privilege to look at your own holy text through a different lens,” says Shahanaz, who occasionally lectures at Oxford’s Wycliffe Hall Theological College on gender in Islam. “Every cohort has a different vibe and dynamic. It’s helped my learning and it’s been even more profound watching people make those connections and see them travel through the texts.” Idina Dunmore is studying on the Church Mission Society pioneer ministry course. “Just to be in a community for a week with people from another faith and being able to ask all the questions you want to ask is a great opportunity,” says Idina. She also said the highlight of the week for her was studying the scriptures. “I have tried to read the Qur’an before, but it was difficult because it is a different genre to the Bible. “We’ve also had quite a few social times, punting and just sitting down to dinner and playing group games.” The summer school is partly financially supported by three trusts; St Michael & All Saints, Gladiator Trust and Dame Violet Wills Trust. Photo: CMCS Oxford cmcsoxford.org.uk
programme in a centre they can visit every day.” In terms of support, Dunc says people back in the Diocese of Oxford can help Street Kids financially. They can get involved in charity events, or sponsor Dunc and his colleagues as they set out on theirs. One was the Camino por Amor 2018 which saw Dunc and his friend Steve Poulson go head to head in a 364-mile walk. They had to avoid gang areas and climbed mountains with an altitude of 14,300m. Dunc described the walk as ‘amazing’
and on finishing they were greeted by the British Ambassador to Guatemala and the British Ambassador to Honduras. “Two large buses of children also met us on the approach to the city and walked with us under police motorcycle escort all the way to the finish. It was an emotional journey but one that saw us cope with many challenges along the way.” The walk raised £5,800 for a new Protection Home that recently opened in Guatemala.
God in the life of... ...continued from page 16 “When Toybox moved on to do other things in 2001 I founded Street Kids Direct.” He says 100 per cent of money donated to Street Kids Direct is used to help poverty-stricken Guatemalan children. Many of them live in grave danger, fearing for their lives. When the Everyman documentary was made, there were 5,000 children on the streets. Now that figure has been reduced to zero, according to a recent survey, but many children are still extremely vulnerable.
Recently Dunc rescued a family of six who were at risk of living on the streets and Street Kids works hard to prevent others from going down the same route. He also met one boy Danny, who had been selling drugs for five years. “He had committed armed robbery and was getting into more and more trouble. Three attempts have been made on his life and he is just nineyears-old,” says Dunc. “He’s now in a secure children’s home and has started school and he’s doing well. We help them get off the streets and offer them a mentoring
Editor: Jo Duckles Tel: 01865 208227 Email: jo.duckles@oxford.anglican.org Editorial Assistant and distribution: Ruth Hamilton-Jones Tel: 01865 208225 Email: ruth.hamilton-jones@oxford.anglican.org Advertising: Glenda Charitos Tel: 01752 225623 Email: glenda@cornerstonevision.com Editorial Support Group Chair: The Revd Graham Sykes Email: graham@thesykes.plus.com
This is the last edition of the Door newspaper. Look out for our new magazine, scheduled for late autumn. The Door is published by Oxford Diocesan Board of Finance (Diocesan Secretary Mrs Rosemary Pearce). The registered office is Church House Oxford, Langford Locks, Kidlington, OX5 1GF. Tel: 01865 208200. While every care is taken to ensure the reliability of our advertisements, their inclusion in the Door does not guarantee it or mean that they are endorsed by the Diocese of Oxford.
streetkidsdirect.org.uk
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Sight impaired people can get a free audio version of the Door. Call 01865 208227.
16 God in the life of… Dunc Dyason MBE tells JO DUCKLES about his miraculous escape from a life of booze and crime, his conversion to Christianity and how he devoted his life to rescuing Guatemalan street children.
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unc was born in Kent and moved around the South East during what he describes as a dysfunctional childhood. “My dad was a gardener and my mum did parttime cleaning jobs. At some points the family lived in extreme poverty,” he says. At 15 Dunc was thrown out of school. “I was under social services care and they sent me to work on a farm. I had a record for burglary. My life spiralled out of control until I was 21 and became a Christian. “It was a difficult time. I was drinking heavily and seeing what was going on with my sisters. We were spiralling into oblivion,” says Dunc, who had moved to Blackpool. Alone in his bedsit one night, he decided he didn’t want to carry on living. “I just thought I would end my life that night,” says Dunc. However, with no knowledge of God and having never been to church, Dunc found himself reflecting on eternity. “I realised that when you die it is forever. My mind was going over and over the word ‘forever’ and I started thinking about God,” he says.
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We were spiralling into oblivion.” Shouting out to God for help, Dunc says he heard an audible voice tell him to go to Tunbridge Wells. With £28 to his name, Dunc got on a train the next day. Opposite the Tunbridge Wells train station was a newsagent’s, where Dunc spotted an advert for a bedsit. He phoned the landlady, but without a deposit, he was at first declined the tenancy. The situation seemed gloomy as a local assured him he would: “never find a job in this town.” “I walked into a department store, thinking I could nick some silverware when a man in a suit approached me and asked if I was looking for a job,” says Dunc. By the next day, he had been fitted out in a
suit and began earning a living selling the silverware he had been tempted to steal. The man from the store gave Dunc the deposit money for the bedsit, and it turned out the landlady was a Christian. That Sunday, Dunc felt bemused as he walked into Christ Church, on the High Street of Tunbridge Wells. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with the books he had been handed, or why the leaders were wearing strange robes. “The last four rows of the church were full but there was no one at the front apart from me. I had no idea what to do, when to stand up or sit down. I was a big guy with a leather jacket on, and most of the congregation were aged 60 plus. I think they were frightened of me,” he says.
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I got up the next morning and with my new clothes on and felt like there was a joy inside of me.” But the hospitable vicar’s wife began a conversation with Dunc, inviting him back to the vicarage for lunch and to a mid-week Bible study. “I just kept turning up and hearing all this stuff about God and Jesus. They just kept feeding me and loving me,” he says. Saving up enough money to buy a second-hand telly, Dunc switched it on to discover Ben-Hur was on the box. “It got to the point where Jesus is on the cross and says: ‘Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing’ and I just started crumbling because I had been forgiven. I just burst into tears, dropped down on to the floor and cried and cried. Why would God forgive me for all the houses I had burgled and the bad things I had done? “I got up the next morning, put my new clothes on and felt like there was a joy inside of me. It felt like someone had cleaned me inside. I went outside that Monday morning and everything was brighter. When I went to the Bible study and described what had happened, they told me I had become a Christian.” Feeling zealous, Dunc went out every
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Dunc Dyason. Photo: Jo Duckles
lunchtime to tell people about Jesus. One day he got an icy response from some teenagers he invited into the church. This prompted him to start a youth group and a month later he was appointed youth leader for Christ Church. Feeling a strong calling to learn more about his new-found faith, Dunc was reliant on the generosity of people from Christ Church to fund his three years at Moorlands Christian Theology and Training College in Dorset. From there he moved to Chesham Bois in Buckinghamshire to be the youth worker at St Leonard’s Church. It was a BBC Everyman documentary entitled They Shoot Children, Don’t They? in 1991 that inspired Dunc to move to Guatemala.
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“I just got home one Sunday, turned on the television and this programme was on,” says Dunc. The documentary highlighted the plight of children, many thrown out or abandoned by their parents, who were forced to live on the streets. Those youngsters, forced into a life of crime, were often shot at or beaten up by the police who should have been working to protect them I just knew this was something God wanted me to do so I went to work for Toybox, helping those children on the streets of Guatemala. Continued on page 15...
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Autumn 2018
Ordination supplement
New clergy for Oxfordshire, Be A FORMER professional scuba diver along with teachers, lawyers and youth workers were among the 22 people ordained deacons in special services this summer. For the first time the ordination services were livestreamed via Facebook. This meant that people all over the world, who couldn’t be at Oxford’s Christ Church Cathedral, could watch. The stream had thousands of views and hundreds of people posted positive comments. “If the Church of God in our generation can take up the towel and do what Jesus did, then perhaps there will still be a Church in 100 years’ time,” said the Rt Revd Alan Wilson, preaching at the morning service, when the deacons who will serve in Buckinghamshire and Berkshire were ordained. Bishop Alan encouraged the ordinands using the story of Jesus serving his disciples by washing their feet. The Rt Revd Colin Fletcher, the Bishop of Dorchester, talked of the challenges the impact of austerity presents to the Church. “With the challenges come fresh opportunities and I think it’s an important and exciting time to be ordained,” said Bishop Colin, preaching at the afternoon service, when deacons who will serve in Oxford and Dorchester were ordained. The sun was shining all day, and after each service, the ordinands processed out of the cathedral, behind the bishops and other senior clergy, into the historic and beautiful Tom Quad for photographs. There they could be re-united with family and friends after three days on a preordination retreat. The Revd Phil Price, who will serve at St Peter’s,
Earley, said: “After moving to a new house, to have three days to be quiet and think about what was about to happen was just amazing. The ordination was emotional. It is hard to describe how it felt but it was of those moments you will remember for the rest of your life.” The Revd Andy Gosler, who will serve in Marston and Elsfield, said: “There is so much going on. I am non-stipendiary [an ordained minister who isn’t paid a stipend] so won’t be giving up my day job as an academic. The most important thing for me is to work out how to be a minister in my workplace and in the Church. I’d ask for prayer for 27 hours in the day.” The Revd Sarah Nesbitt, who will serve in Shiplake, said leaving the retreat and entering the cathedral took her breath away. “I thought to myself ‘I’m here and I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be’. My hopes are that I will get to meet as many people as possible, that I’d get to know people and serve them in the name of Christ.” The Revd Gemma Beesley, who will serve in Cowley, Oxford, said: “I felt God was calling me to Cowley. It’s diverse. I grew up in Milton Keynes and it’s a bit like that so I feel like I’m going back to my roots, even though it’s a different place. I’m really looking forward to being with people. There are 29,000 people where I am moving to, compared to 1,500 where I have come from.” Oxford and Dorchester’s new deacons.
Photos by Tom Pilston
will be able to serve the community of Micklefield and Marsh with the love and hope that Christ brings.”
BERKSHIRE Kevin Colyer – Furze Platt Kevin Colyer is married to Nicki and the couple have four children. He worked with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in the UK and Belgium, before the call to Pioneer Anglican Ministry. He started missional communities and has planted one or two fresh expressions. He loves Belgian beer, computers, running, and weird electronic music.
Signing oaths of allegiance to the Sovereign and canonical obedience to the Bishop.
BUCKINGHAM Hanna Akibo-Betts – Bletchley “Experiencing God in the centre of his call on my life and allowing him to direct, lead and educate has been and will continue to be an amazing journey. In pursuing his answers to my prayers for my own will, I learnt and am learning to do his will.” Paul Pavlou – Bletchley “My family and I were originally living in North London. Since then we have moved to Cambridge for theological college and have now ventured into Milton Keynes. We are incredibly excited to see what God has in store for us during my curacy.” Nigel Spoor – Prestwood “‘But I’m too old,’ was my response when my vicar asked me if I’d ever considered
ordination. I was surprised and delighted to find that I wasn’t, and after 40 years in the legal profession I now look forward to new joys and challenges in serving Christ and the Church.”
Kvetoslav Krejci – Reading St Giles After two decades as a city firm solicitor, Dr Kvetoslav Tomas Krejci read theology at Oxford and trained for ministry at St Stephen’s House. Born in Prague and at home within the catholic tradition of the Church of England, he will serve his post as a self-supporting curate.
Michael Wilcockson – Eton College Michael Wilcockson has been a teacher since 1982 and a licensed lay minister since 1992. He was appointed Head of Divinity at Eton College in 1996 and in 2012 became the college’s first Head of Philosophy. He is a senior A Level religious studies examiner and has written over 25 text books.
Leonard Onugh - Thatcham “I look forward to new adventures with Jesus. Born into a wonderful family but raised under tyrants in a ‘fairy-tale’ neighbourhood, I have gone on to be arrested for holding a prayer meeting in one country, before spending years preaching the Gospel undercover while moonlighting as a business executive in another. Whatever next Lord?”
Natalie Worsfold – High Wycombe “Having been drawn to faith in my teens, the journey to ordination has built slowly. I spent many years in leadership roles within large retail IT departments before starting training. My prayer is that I
Philip Price – St Peter’s, Earley Phil is married to Esther and they have two children, Amelia, seven, and Magdalena, four. Before training for ordination, he was a professional fundraiser for various charities, including Age UK, the MS Society
Candidates in a semi-circle at the crossing of the cathedral.
and the MND Association. Gemma Wilkinson – Finchampstead and California Originally from the Midlands, Gemma trained for ministry at Ripon College Cuddesdon. Previously, Gemma was a youth and children’s worker in Newbury. She remains interested in the benefits of all-age worship and developing intergenerational relationships. In her spare time, Gemma likes to make things. Susan Templeton – St James’, Southlake Susie is joining Oxford Diocese from Portsmouth as a pioneer minister and previously worked with Royal Navy Chaplaincy. She has professional
erkshire and Buckinghamshire
Berkshire and Buckinghamshire’s new deacons.
experience in video production, cake decoration and SCUBA diving. Having travelled widely, she loves Indonesia, particularly the food, but is now looking forward to a new adventure in Reading.
OXFORD Benjamin Baker - St Mary’s, Headington Before training, Ben worked as a children’s and youth worker in Birmingham, having come to faith in his teenage years. This passion for working with young people will continue into his future ministry. He is married to Johanna, a doctor, and the couple enjoy travelling, the outdoors, and film. Gemma Beesley – St James’, Cowley “God called me to ordination from my baptism in the river Cherwell in 2009. I am looking forward to getting my feet wet again as I step out of the boat, and pray that God will use me to bring light, hope and joy to the people of Cowley.” James Dwyer – St Andrew’s, Oxford “I’m delighted and humbled to be serving my curacy at St Andrew’s, North Oxford. Before training for ministry, I worked in journalism and communications, and have a heart to see people grow as lifelong disciples of Jesus. I’m married to Cheryl and we have two boys, Toby and Joel.” Susan Gillingham – St Barnabas with St Paul and St Thomas the Martyr, Oxford “I am at present a licensed LLM and I shall be ordained to the Permanent Diaconate to serve at Worcester College Chapel, Oxford University, and at St Barnabas Church, Jericho, Oxford. Initially my ministry will focus on preaching,
teaching, and leading non-eucharistic services. There will be some pastoral ministry when required.” Andrew Gosler – Marston with Elsfield Andy Gosler is Associate Professor in Applied Ethnobiology and Conservation. He is Research Director of EWA, the Ethno-Ornithology World Archive, and Co-convenor of OxPeace. He teaches ornithology, ecology, evolution, ethnobiology and biological conservation through a joint appointment between the School of Anthropology and Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford.
DORCHESTER Christopher Ashton – Burford with Fulbrook, Taynton, Asthall, Swinbrook and Widford Chris is married to Jessie and the couple have two children, Frazer, seven, Bethany, three and are expecting a third. Chris has been on a unique route through training, combining the rigours of boarding school and chaplaincy life with mixed mode training at Wycliffe Hall. They will continue their role in school and chaplaincy, alongside taking up a part-time curacy role at Burford. Toby Artis – Chipping Norton Benefice “I have just finished training at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield. I’m very much looking forward to getting involved in the community, in and around Chipping Norton, to serve as assistant curate with my wife Emma. I love drumming, skiing and windsurfing, and before I began training I appeared on an episode of Bargain Hunt and won.”
Following ordination, it’s time for the Peace.
Sarah Nesbitt – Shiplake with Dunsden and Harpsden “Andrew and I have been married for 31 years and have two grown-up sons. As a Street Pastor and churchwarden, I finally engaged fully with my calling and am delighted to be moving into the next stage of this amazing journey with Robert and his team.” Oliver Strange – Burford with Fulbrook, Taynton, Swinbrook and Widford “I am very much a philologist – a lover of words. I love languages and word origins, and I speak Welsh, Russian and a smattering of a few others, like Greek and Hebrew, which have seriously helped me as a lover not just of words, but also of The Word.”
Paul Walker – Great Faringdon with Little Coxwell Paul was brought up in West London and became a Christian as he was preparing to get married. He previously taught in a secondary school and his interests include history, music, current and foreign affairs. Paul also enjoys cycling, walking, reading and playing the piano. Hear our new deacons talk about their big day here: bit.ly/ordination_interviews See a full gallery of ordination pictures here: bit.ly/oxford_deacons
Could you be called to ordination?
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Are you wondering whether God may be calling you to ordination? If so, please talk to a clergy person you know or get in touch with one of our Diocesan Vocations Advisers: oxford.anglican.org/ vocations-advisors
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ST. MARY’S CONVENT WANTAGE St Mary’s Convent offers a variety of facilities and flexible accommodation for Group Quiet Days and Group Retreats. Also, Conference facilities and private stays. Everyone is welcome at the Eucharist and Daily office in St Mary Magdalene’s Chapel. For further details please contact: St Mary’s Convent, Wantage, Oxfordshire, OX12 9AU Tel: 01235 763141 Email: guestwing@csmv.co.uk www.csmv.co.uk
Alternatively, you would be very welcome at one of our vocations events, details of which can be found on the Vocations in the Oxford Diocese Facebook page. Why not attend the Hearing God’s Call Vocations Eucharist at Christ
Church Cathedral in Oxford on 15 November 6pm – 8pm. Or you could join one of the Exploring Vocations events starting this month. vocations-breakfastbeaconsfield.eventbrite.co.uk