As part of the year’s Ride + Stride, I recently completed a walk round the six churches of the Pontesbury and Stiperstones group, raising money in aid of the Shropshire Historic Churches Trust, and to support Holy Trinity, Hope and All Saints, Shelve. Ride + Stride is a national event, the largest source of income for many Historic Churches Trusts which enables them to make financial grants to places of Christian worship. In Shropshire there are over 300 Anglican churches in regular use and many churches and chapels of other denominations. As we know, responsibility for the maintenance and repair of our churches falls upon parishes; our church buildings are not maintained or financed by the Church Commissioners, Diocese or State. So, grants from the Trust and others are vitally necessary to help with the cost of repairs. Many churches are Listed Buildings, which means they are of architectural and historic interest. But for those of us who worship in them, or who attend at significant moments in our lives for baptisms, weddings, or funerals of loved ones, they of course mean much more. When Jacob awoke from his dream of the ladder to heaven, he said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know’ (Genesis 28.16). For many, church buildings are places to meet with God in a special way, whether during worship together, or sitting on our own in the silence. Visiting each of the churches in our group on foot rather than by car as I usually do, gave me the opportunity to appreciate better each within their own distinct setting and community, arriving at walking pace, often using footpaths or bridle paths which predate our modern roads, and so seeing things from a different angle. Rowan Williams’ little book, ‘Being Disciples’ which I have been re-reading recently, speaks of the quality of expectancy, that watching and listening to what is around us, in the belief that at any moment we might see something of God. That can be true as we read the Bible, as we walk our local footpaths, as we deal with whatever tasks face us every day, and as we worship in our churches. But Williams goes on to talk about the expectancy which we are called to when we look at one another. He admits this is not always easy: ‘Yet it can’t be said too often that the first thing … to think of when in the presence of another Christian ... is: what is God giving me though this person?’ The way our churches are organised in parishes, deaneries and denominations may seem a bit random, and we may sometimes find working together challenging, even within our own congregations, let alone more widely or when we disagree. Yet with this kind of expectancy, we can approach each other ready to receive what Jesus has to give us, prepared to see things and people from a different angle. And sometimes, like Jacob, we will be able to say, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know.’ Rev Fran Brealey Being Disciples: Essentials of the Christian Life, Rowan Williams 2016 is published by SPCK You can find out more about the Shropshire Historic Churches Trust at https://shropshirehct.org.uk
This week we mark 30 years since women were first ordained to the priesthood in this diocese, at Hereford cathedral on May 7th 1994It was a significant moment, following many years of prayer and debate. Today the Church of England opens its orders of ministry equally to women and men, regardless of gender. We can give thanks for all the women since that day who have followed those pioneers and answered God’s call to serve as priests in this and other dioceses.One of those first 15 women ordained 30 years ago, Prebendary Frances Hancock, became Hereford’s first Diocesan Advisor for Women's Ministry. She had a key role in the campaign for women’s ordination in Hereford and was the unofficial leader of that first group of ordinands in 1994. Frances was a true pioneer, ordained deacon in London, she came to Ross-on-Wye to become Team Vicar of Bridstow and Peterstow, although as a deacon she was then unable to preside at the Eucharist. Almost 60 when she was ordained priest, she was the first woman ever to celebrate Holy Communion in Hereford Cathedral, in September 1994.Sadly, Frances died last December but she paved the way for many who came after her. Today in Hereford diocese we have more than 50 women serving as priests across a wide range of roles in sector and parish ministry. Half of our incumbents, and half of our rural deans are female. On Bishop’s staff we are blessed by the ministries of women priests Dean Sarah, Archdeacon Fiona, Dr Elizabeth Wild, our Director of Mission and Ministry and our Bishop’s chaplain, Nicol Kinrade. The ministry and mission of the churches in our own group have been sustained by a number of women priests over the years, most recently our dear friends Revd Pam Bickley and Revd Carolyn Chadwick.
DailyHOPE was initially launched in April 2020 as a response by the Church of England, Faith in Later Life and Connections at Holy Trinity Church in Claygate to support older people who would not be able to access online worship during lockdown.In 2023, Faith in Later Life took over the development and ownership of the line, but its aim remained the same; to ensure that the spiritual life of older people could continue to flourish. Data from the same year showed that DailyHOPE received almost 100,000 calls. Expected to end in January 2024, funding has now been secured for the phone line to continue.As DailyHOPE is relaunched and refreshed, Christians are encouraged to share the free telephone number – 0800 804 8044 – in their church and wider communities.The plan for DailyHOPE is to further develop the range of content and content providers in order to appeal to a wider audience of Christians, as well as older people exploring faith for the first time.Announcing the return of DailyHOPE, the Chief Executive Officer of Faith in Later Life, Alexandra Drew, said:“Closing the DailyHOPE line was an extremely heart-wrenching decision to make. I know that it’s been a lifeline to many older people, especially those unable to attend church in person, and without online access to spiritual comfort.“Amidst letters of thanks, and expressions of sadness at the closure, our prayers that God would yet provide continued, and although the timing wasn’t quite what we might have hoped for, God’s answer has been overwhelming. I’m thrilled to share the news that we have been able to restore DailyHOPE for a further season. Praise God!“We’re looking forward to welcoming new callers, as well as new content providers from across church traditions, and funding partners, to help us continue to bring DailyHOPE to older people, and others who are staying at home.”
Those attending the Lent Lunches in Hope Village Hall this year were treated to an exciting variety of soups. Each week a different church provided our lunch, and after eating and chatting together, we heard a different speaker share a brief reflection on one of the characters in the Easter story. There was no charge but donations were requested the the Christian Aid Appeal in aid of those suffering in Gaza. We were thrilled to raise a magnificent £600!
