Churchwardens training in Hamburg

Claire Clausen (Copenhagen), Hellen King-Scott (Heidelberg), Archdeacon Jonathan LLoyd, Eric Jarman (Stuttgart) and John Thompson (Stuttgart)
Churchwarden is the most ancient elected office in Europe which still continues to this day. The main responsibilities of a Churchwarden for key aspects of parochial life have remained largely unchanged for over 7 centuries, but the details of how the office is exercised have of course changed as the laws and rules of the Church have evolved.  

 Fourteen Churchwardens from our parishes in Germany, Latvia, Finland, Denmark and Sweden gathered for 24 hours for a training session on their duties on 26 and 27 October. Meeting at St Thomas Becket Church in Hamburg, the course was led by Archdeacon Jonathan LLoyd and the Reverend Matthew Jones, Chaplain at Hamburg. The course covered the nuts and bolts of the duties of the churchwarden - terrier, logbook, externally-examined accounts, stipend review and more - and also explored managing conflict, the duty of care to the priest, and helping the Church Council to be effective and mission-focused.

Archdeacon Jonathan said "It was a great opportunity to get to know each other, and form the start of a supportive network across this archdeaconry.  Churchwardens have a pivotal and vital role in our Diocese, and I thank God for their ministry."

Morning Prayer and Compline were led by the Revd Matthew Jones, who was previously an archdeacon in the Diocese of Brisbane, Australia.

St Thomas Becket Hamburg is celebrating its 400th Anniversary this year.

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