New Area Deans for the Netherlands and the Nordic/Baltic States
The Revds Mark Collinson and Barbara Moss |
The Revd Mark Collinson, chaplain of Christ Church Amsterdam, has been appointed Area Dean for the Netherlands, the first such appointment to serve the 16 Church of England congregations and worship centres in that country. Together with his counterpart the Area Dean for Belgium and Luxembourg, the Revd Andrew Wagstaff, Mark will assist the Archdeacon of North West Europe, the Venerable John de Wit, in the oversight and pastoral care of the clergy and congregations in their respective areas. Bishop Geoffrey will formally commission Mark for this new role during the synod of North West Europe to be held from 6th to 8th October.
The Revd Barbara Moss, chaplain of St Andrew's Gothenburg and chaplain to English-speaking staff and students at the University of Gothenburg, has been appointed Area Dean for the Nordic Baltic States. Barbara takes over this role from the Revd Nicholas Howe, who has served in this capacity for over 4 years. Together with her counterpart from the German Deanery, the Revd Canon Christopher Jage-Bowler, Barbara will assist the Archdeacon of Germany and Northern Europe, the Venerable Jonathan LLoyd in the oversight and pastoral care of of the clergy and congregations in their respective areas. There are about 30 congregations and worship centres in the Nordic Baltic Deanery, which stretches from Iceland to Estonia. I will formally commission Barbara for her new role during the Nordic Baltic Synod to be held from 30 September to 1 October.
We offer Mark and Barbara our congratulations and the assurance of our prayers as they take on these additional responsibilities. The term of both appointments is three years.
The appointment of spiritual carers to Nordic and Baldic areas is a more than significant decision. There is a deep connection between the Viking/Old Norse traditions and the "Variagi/Варяги" or Eastern Vikings; Saint Olav and St. Vladimir christened a huge part of of North Europe. Sadly this has not been noted this year when terrible events happened in Norway.
ReplyDelete