Father Michael's Annual Report
Parish Priest's Report to All Saints' APCM
Sunday 18th April 2010
As is customary I should like to begin this report by acknowledging the many blessings which we received during the past year. It was a good year and God has truly blessed us.
My thanks to all who have contributed to our common life and witness. To Fr Christopher for his invaluable assistance and liturgical expertise. To Jenny and Chris - loyal and dedicated Churchwardens. To Ann for her competent stewardship of our finances. To Patrick - conscientious PCC Secretary. And to all members of the PCC for their support and co-operation.
Our services are sustained by the devotion of the servers and I should like to thank Patrick in his capacity as sacristan and chief server for ensuring that we are always properly prepared. My thanks to all servers and chalice assistants for their dedication. Also to David, organist and choirmaster, and to the choristers for their devotion; it is with regret that I note the departure of most of junior members of the choir. Thanks as well to Nola and teachers & helpers for looking after the Sunday School. The provision of refreshment after Mass is part of our ministry of welcome and hospitality and I express my thanks to the ladies who do so every week.
I should also like to thank those who assist with the cleaning and maintenance of the church and the gardens.
My thanks to all parishioners for their generosity over the past year: the many gifts received, both fmancial and material, have been encouraging. Thanks have been expressed in the parish magazine but it is fitting that we should do so at this meeting.
This does not mean that we have become affluent, but that we have been able to meet all our commitments and to have a small surplus. I hope that this will be built up over the years as such funds will serve a two-fold purpose.: to establish an endowment account and to carry out a major re-decoration with a new lighting system and other improvements. At some stage we will need to meet with the parish architect to determine the practical steps of achieving this. At this point I should announce that at the beginning of 2010 Marcus Beale became the Parish Architect, the parish having severed links with the previous holder of the post.
United Benefice with St Saviour: This process is meandering its way through the church bureaucracy. The last word received is that the Church Commissioners are drawing up a scheme for presentation to the diocese and to the parishes.The Parish will be advised on progress.
The brings me on to the wider Church. Bishop Tom retired at the beginning of March and the Diocese is being administered by the Bishop of Kingston as the senior area bishop. Please pray for Bishop Richard and for those responsibile for finding Bishop Tom's successor. It is unlikely that a new diocesan will be in place before the end of the year.
Most, if not all, of you would have heard of the invitation of Pope Benedict to disaffected members of the Church of England and the rest of the Anglican Communion to become Roman Catholics. Some have accepted the invitation and others will do so. Consequently, there will be a parting of the ways. However, some of us are determined to remain in the Church of England and to maintain the catholic cause .To this end it is my intention to offer myself as a candidate in the forthcoming elections for General Synod. I believe that adequate provision must be secured for loyal Anglicans and that we should be prepared to fight for our heritage. I would appreciate your prayers .
But to return to matters parochial. As we thank God for all the blessings of the past year I am conscious that we must not be complacent. There is always more to be done - more visiting (especially the house bound, those who have fallen away) , more involvement by some, more willingness to share from others. And from all of us more time in prayer, praise and adoration for the generous God who continues to love and cherish each one of us.
Father Michael