Eurobishop

On 1 February Bishop Geoffrey Rowell formally admitted Mrs Carol Johnston (above) as the Diocesan President of the Mothers’ Union (MU). Carol assumes this post following on the pioneering work of Barbara Woods who was our first Diocesan MU President and who tirelessly worked for the promotion and support of the MU in our congregations. The MU is one of the oldest mission societies of the Church. It is active in over 80 countries and has an extensive programme supporting marriage and family life and working alongside vulnerable and marginalized communities around the world. In the Diocese in Europe we have 13 branches and many additional individual members. You do not have to be a mother to be a member! You do not even have to be a woman! The MU is open to men, women, singles, married, parents, grandparents or young adults. There is an excellent website for our Diocesan MU which can be found here . If you or a group in your church is interested in this work, do contac...

There are four congregations in the Anglican parish of St Laurence Lanzarote. Earlier this year the parishioners welcomed their new priest-in-charge, the Revd Tom Barnfather. Already the fruit of Fr Tom's ministry is being experienced as confirmations were celebrated on Sunday 11 November. A significant part of the confirmation rite is when the candidates gather at the baptismal font to renew, along with the members of the congregation, their vows of baptism. The candidates then cross themselves with the baptismal water to remind themselves of that moment they were joined to Christ in baptism. The Reader in Lanzarote, David Dowdell (blue scarf) assists me at the font in the Church of Our Lady of Carmen, in Puerto del Carmen, one of the local Roman Catholic Churches in Lanzarote which we use for our services. At the Sunday morning service, I also admitted Fr Tom Barnfather as a member of the Mothers' Union (yes, men can join!) and welcomed his wife Rosie who transferred her memb...

On 14 February meetings were held with Bishop Simo Peura of the Finnish Diocese of Lapua. Bishop Simo is pictured above next to Archdeacon Jonathan LLoyd in the blue coat, in front of the oldest parish Church in the diocese of Lapua, dating from the 14th century. (The temperature at that moment was about -20 C!). We reviewed the relations of our churches under the Porvoo Agreement and explored possible ways for deeper cooperation. We looked at aspects of ministry to migrants and refugees, particularly Sudanese who have settled in the area of the diocese, and examined issues such as the Church’s role in assisting the integration of immigrant groups into the life of the host nation. The Diocese of Lapua is includes the city of Vaasa where Fr Amos Manga, a priest of the Diocese in Europe of Sudanese origin, ministers to members of the “White Nile Congregation”. It is also where Deacon David Oliver, an Old Catholic Deacon lives. I licensed David to serve the Ang...

Mrs Barbara Woods, the Mothers' Union Diocesan President of the Diocese in Europe, has announced the launch of a new website for the Mothers’ Union in the diocese.   It is intended both to raise the awareness of the work and witness of the Mothers’ Union worldwide and to reflect the development of the MU within our own diocese.   New pages about the branches will be added as they appear, containing news and photographs. The website is here .

The Archdeacon of Germany and Northern Europe, Jonathan LLoyd, visited our Sudanese congregation at Vaasa, Finland, last Sunday 12 September. In the above photo is Archdeacon Jonathan with Fr Amos Manga, our priest responsible for the Sudanese community in Finland and three newly baptised children, Joshua, Gyiniwa and Joanna, with their families. Archdeacon Jonathan said "The Anglican community at Vaasa are worshipping God with joy and celebration. They yearn to return to their country from exile, when Sudan returns to peace. The election in January will be a key moment. It was wonderful to spend time with Fr Amos and the congregation. I was greatly encouraged by their Christian witness and real sense of joyful hope." Please pray for the people of Sudan who go to the polls on 9 January 2011 to vote on the future of Southern Sudan - whether it should become a separate state. Please also pray for Fr Amos who is currently receiving treatment for cancer.   Some of the joy o...

Mrs Barbara Wood, the Diocesan President of the Mothers' Union (MU) has recently written to all the members of the MU in the diocese with news and an update on the development of the organisation here in Europe. Barbara is delighted with continued growth of the MU and hope for even greater things in the future. In her letter she writes: "When we decided to take the leap of faith and start our own diocesan Mothers’ Union in 2007 we did so with just 4 branches and a few diocesan members. We now have 9 branches and quite a number of diocesan members, which is most encouraging, but I would like to see our membership grow especially in those parts of the diocese where there is no presence at the moment. We need to try to make more people aware of the work that is done throughout the world, to encourage more people to support the Mothers’ Union and then to become members. In this diocese Sheila Lewis from Lanzarote is looking after Action & Outreach. We are also delighted t...