St Mary the Virgin, Fawley, launched the Friday prayer group in the first week of lockdown in March 2020. Led by a local congregant, Julia Ogilvy, the group has seen around 50 people regularly attend in the churchyard with more than 100 people joining at Christmas.Julia explained: “The usual congregation for our fortnightly Sunday service is around eight people whereas we have at least 50 regulars who like to attend Friday prayers whenever they can.” The informal nature of the outdoor setting also helped congregants feel safer during the pandemic.Julia said: “By standing in our churchyard we feel we are at the centre of our community. “Our prayers always include a list of first names of people in need of prayer – often running to 30 or more people known in the village. “We tend to stand in a circle for no more than 15 minutes with one person leading the prayers – with the theme ranging from friendship, home, living with uncertainty and welcoming strangers. “We typically include poetry and a Bible reading that fits our theme, the Lord’s Prayer and general prayers that are written specifically for that week.” The prayer group has been a success outside of the church as well.The increased use of the churchyard helped spur members of the local community to set up a group called Friends of Fawley Church.Julia added: “We have a renewed sense that the churchyard is a shared space for the benefit of the whole village.”
The requests for small grants are detailed, varied and at times heart breaking. A fast food worker needs to buy a pair of shoes as part of his uniform before he starts his job.Another man has been helped to buy new tools so he could return to work. He sold his tools earlier to fund his mother’s funeral.Some are refugees, with one listed as needing help with travel costs to therapy sessions for PTSD after fleeing his country. Many are from people living with mental and physical ill health. There are families and individuals who were just getting by before an item such as a cooker or fridge broke. Others have been unemployed and need help in the weeks before they receive their first wages.The Acts 435 charity was founded just over a decade ago by the then Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu and launched at the General Synod of the Church of England. It relies on a network of trained advocates based in more than 500 churches and local charities throughout the UK to act as intermediaries for people in need. Donors are able to give directly in response to requests posted on the charity website. The number of people it has helped has risen by more than 50% since the start of the pandemic. In February last year there were 334 people who were helped but this figure rose to 513 two months later, after the first lockdown. Demand has remained at the same level since.Acts 435 Executive Director Jenny Herrera (pictured) said she believed that the charity was now facing the ‘calm before the storm’ this winter.“We have so many people in need, and we always pray that God will provide people who will come along and help. We are a small team and we would love to partner with more churches and reach more people.”
The Church of England’s first-ever Black female bishop has reflected on why the diverse communities within the Midlands played such a pivotal role in where she is today.The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, 60, (see photo) was appointed the Bishop of Dover in June 2019, in a groundbreaking move that stamped her place in the history books as the first Black woman to hold the post in Britain.While you may have spotted her leading the prayers for Prince Harry and Meghan’s Royal Wedding, her career portfolio far exceeds this achievement. The pioneer is also known for her role as chaplain for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and becoming the first woman and Black person to serve as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.The mum-of-three lived in the Black Country for a spell and raised her family here as she built the foundations of her historic career.The Bishop told Black Country Live: “We moved to live in the West Midlands in the late 1980s where we settled first in Wolverhampton and later in West Bromwich. My children were babies then and indeed started their education in Wolverhampton. Having my children grow up in a diverse and vibrant community was very important to me. “Not only was the community diverse but it meant that as a family we were able to access food and drink that connected with my Caribbean roots. All of this is important as it provided meaning and interpretation of all the experiences that we were exposed to.”Born and raised in Jamaica, Rt Rev Hudson-Wilkin went to school at Montego Bay High School for Girls and continued her education in the UK at Birmingham University.After training with the Church Army she was commissioned in 1982 as an evangelist.Kickstarting her profession, Rose trained for ordination at Queens Theological College in Birmingham and landed her first role as a deacon in 1991.Three years later she became a priest and served at St Matthew’s Church, Willenhall Road, in the Diocese of Lichfield.She added: “The Midlands will always carry a special place in mine and my family’s life as this is the place where my ordained ministry began. What a journey it has led me on. I have such fond memories of the Midlands and always look forward to rekindling old friendships at different times in the year.”Throughout her inspiring journey, as a Black woman, Rose was forced to navigate through barrages of discrimination and prejudice.Reflecting on this she told the Church Army : “I have faced many obstacles in my life, especially racism and sexism. I’ve encountered a lot of people along my way who couldn’t see past a Black face. Every time this happened, I would think to myself, ‘It’s not my problem, it’s their problem, it’s their own short-sightedness.’ “I don’t see any walls in life that are impregnable. As it says in John 1:12: ‘Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.’”
As a member of Monty Python, Sir Michael Palin revelled in playing characters including the Boring Prophet, Pontius Pilate and one of the three wise men in the Life of Brian.Now he has joined an altogether different holy crusade: a movement geared towards protecting the future of UK churches.Expressing his concern about places of worship falling into disrepair, Palin, 78, said they formed a vital part of the country’s history, as he put his weight behind the National Churches Trust’s (NCT) campaign to preserve the sites.Palin, who is vice-president of the organisation, said: “Churches remain a vital and much-loved part of the UK’s heritage and we can’t let them fall into neglect and disuse.“There is hope. More and more churches are adapting to the modern world, providing not just spiritual comforts but a range of valuable services to local people such as food banks and youth clubs.“We must build on this and encourage people of all backgrounds to find hope and relevance in their local churches.”The NCT began what it describes as a debate to highlight the struggles of buildings around the country after warning an increasing number are facing closure.The future of churches debate will highlight “the community, economic, heritage and spiritual benefits of churches”, the charity said.Palin said: “If you care as much as I do about the future of these much-loved buildings, do get involved with the debate about the future of churches and help to shape their future.”The number of churches open and being used for worship has fallen from about 42,000 to 39,800 in the past ten years, the NCT said. The closure rate has been particularly acute in some inner-city areas.At its peak, in 1941, the Church of England had 18,666 churches. That number is set to fall below 16,000.A survey found that 12 dioceses were considering up to five closures in the next two to five years.Nine planned six to 12, and five planned up to 40. “That’s anything between 131 and 368,” said the Friends of Friendless Churches, which looks after 59 “redundant but beautiful” places of worship.
