Eurobishop

For any who might be interested, Unité des Chrétiens , the French ecumenical journal has run an interview with me which touches upon many themes of our Diocese in Europe: ecumenical life, Anglican identity, Brexit and our multicultural context. The journal itself (despite this interview!) is always an interesting read, covering ecumenical life in France, Europe and beyond, from Oriental, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Protestant perspectives. The link to the journal's site is here: https://unitedeschretiens.fr/ The article is below:

MES interns at All Saints, Rome Dr Clare Amos, the Diocesan Director of Discipleship, also directs the MES programme of the diocese (the Ministry Experience Scheme, formerly known as CEMES, the Church of England Ministry Experience Scheme). We have 5 interns on placement for this academic year, in Brussels, Vienna, Copenhagen, Rome and Warnham Sussex (the intern is from Heidelberg). Together with their supporting advisors and mentors, Clare brought the interns to Rome recently for their official orientation to the programme. Pastoral Advisor Mary Talbot and Dr Amos taking a drink from a fountain in Rome. (The figure in the fountain is damaged as it was believed (mistakenly) that it was Martin Luther, not a popular figure in 16th century Rome.) At the PCPCU in Rome The orientation in Rome included a visit to the PCPCU, the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, where Bishop Brian Farrell, the Secretary of the Council met with the interns and their ...

Six interns on the Diocese in Europe CEMES scheme, (a Church of England programme to encourage young vocations to the sacred ministry), 4 mentors and guests were led by Fr William Gulliford, the Director of Ordinands, on an 8 day pilgrimage to the Holy Land from 12 - 20 November. I was privileged to be part of the pilgrimage for a few days, along with the Revd Dr Matthias Grebe, (a former ordinand of this diocese and now on the staff at the Council for Christian Unity). Director of Ordinands, Fr William Gulliford The purpose of the Study Pilgrimage was to give a focus for the first term’s academic study for the interns and for to research one site of historic importance, about which a 4000 word essay is being written. On site, at each place, respectively each intern introduced the location to the group, and then fielded questions. For the many other sites, the group was most fortunate to have in support Dr Clare Amos, Director of Lay Discipleship in the Diocese, Hebrew Scholar...

Canon Monberg (centre) with our curates All newly ordained clergy or curates in the Church of England must complete what is known as IME 4 - 7, a period of 3 - 4 years when further training is given. This is also known as Post Ordination Training or POT. The Revd Canon Ulla Monberg, the Diocesan Director of Ministerial Development, is the staff person responsible for our own IME 4 - 7 programme in this Diocese in Europe. Our curates recently participated in a POT seminar focussing on the Church's liturgy. At the end of the years of curacy our priests and deacons are required to demonstrate solid rootedness in the liturgical traditions and practices of the Church of England, and to use their gifts and abilities in leading public worship in a variety of settings. In addition the curates are to show an understanding of the insights and practices of the liturgies and traditions of ecumenical partners. Canon Monberg was assisted in this recent IME session by the Revd Canon Willi...

Are you under the age of 30? Are you interested in exploring a possible vocation to ministry in the Church of England? If so, there are still a couple of places left for participants in the CEMES programme for 2017-2018 in the Diocese in Europe. CEMES, the Church of England Ministry Experience Scheme, is intended for young adults to provide a way to help with the discernment of possible vocation in the Church of England. Information on the entire scheme is available on the Church of England's "Call Waiting" website, here . Essentially the scheme offers an opportunity to: Explore and deepen faith Discern where and to what God might be calling you Spend a year learning about yourself and your faith tradition with a caring support structure Acquire life-long life-skills and formative experiences which will enrich your life and your Christian discipleship and faith. The CEMES programme in the Diocese in Europe consists of three basic elements: Practical exper...

In the Church of England, after ordination, (or after a priest is received into the C of E from a Church not in communion with ours) a second phase of training is compulsory. This is called IME Phase 2. Various themes are covered in this training period which lasts 3 - 4 years, to assist clergy with their great demands in terms of spiritual and parochial leadership. The Director of Ministerial Development, the Revd Canon Ulla Monberg, has recently completed directing another residential training session for our own IME Phase 2 candidates at St Columba's House, Woking. The group focussed on issues to do with observing boundaries in ministry, understanding transference and counter transference, dealing with the shadow self, safeguarding, priorities for ministry, and clergy well-being. One of the resource persons for the sessions was the Revd Canon Philippa Boardman MBE, Canon Treasurer of St Paul's Cathedral. She invited the priests and deacons from across the diocese to b...

The blessing of pets and animals is often celebrated on October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, or on a Sunday near that date. This coincides with the end of "Creationtide", originally an Eastern Orthodox initiative, which has spread to other Churches. Our Director of Ordinands, the Revd Canon William Gulliford, is also the vicar of St Mark's Regent's Park in London. The London Zoo happens to be in his parish so obviously St Francis Day has to be celebrated in style. On 2 October, he gathered with one of our diocesan curates, the Revd Doreen Cage, and about 100 parishioners at the Zoo, for a service before the penguin pool. Mother Doreen is a great animal lover, and in addition to her priestly duties runs a home for dogs in the hills above Malaga city, where is an assistant curate in St George's. There are two remarkable things about the photo above. One is to observe Fr William engaging in an action song! The other is the penguin in the bottom le...

The Church of England is embarking on a programme to attract younger vocations to the priesthood. Many of us who were ordained in our 20s remember that the first inkling of a call to the sacred ministry often occurred when we were servers or acolytes, perhaps while still in our teens or even younger. The experience of being given a responsibility in the liturgy, and being entrusted with the privilege of handling "holy things" was powerful and formative. The Revd Tuomas Mäkipää, Chaplain of St Nicholas's Helsinki, has already incorporated this insight into his own parish strategy. For example, Fr Tuomas's young daughter Linnea now takes her own leadership as an acolyte very seriously. With great care and dignity she leads the procession of the ministers in to the service, carrying the cross. The cross she carries, incidentally, was the one that was once in our congregation in St Petersburg. The last members of that congregation brought it with them when the...

Last weekend in London, 19 persons from across the Diocese gathered with the Revd Canon William Gulliford, the Diocesan Director of Ordinands, as part of an initial enquiry into possible vocation to Holy Orders in the Church of England. Fr William brought together a team of vocations advisors, as well as other former ordinands of the Diocese, to assist him in guiding the enquirers through this weekend of exploration. The enthusiastic group of enquirers came from Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey, Poland and Italy. Many come from non-Anglican backgrounds, and one of the key questions explored in the weekend was "What has brought me to this point and why am I an Anglican?" Fr William and his team led them through discussions that help to prepare them for the Church's rigorous discernment process. It is a healthy sign that so many in our Diocese are interested in the Sacred Ministry.

St George's Church in Madrid celebrated the 90th anniversary of the building on Sunday 25 October. The regular congregation was joined by many visitors, including several Ambassadors and other clergy. The patio of the Church provides an excellent venue for the post service refreshments and tapas! When built 90 years ago, it was known as the British Embassy Church of St George. Things have changed. This is now a very international community. The Chaplain, the Revd Paul Ormrod, tells me that at least 24 nationalities are represented in the congregation today. Music plays a large part in services at St George's. On this anniversary occasion, the regular choir was supplemented by a Nigerian one who sang some hymns in Igbo. One of the members of St George's who is originally from Nigeria is exploring a possible vocation to the priesthood. Presently the parish is served by Fr Paul, the Chaplain, Fr Nigel Thomas and Deacon Mathew Phipps, Curates, and Reader Celia Pa...

The Diocese in Europe has a healthy number of vocations to the ordained ministry, and continues to encourage and foster vocations. The Director of Ordinands, William Gulliford (pictured far left above, who is also Vicar of St Mark’s Regent’s Park, where the above was taken) hosts a weekend each year for those embarking on the process of discernment. From 6-8 February 15 enquirers coming from across the diocese attended a three day conference, which included talks, visits and exercises designed to prepare those at this early stage for what lies ahead. The discernment team from the diocese included the the Revd Canon Meurig Williams, the Revd Deacon Frances Hiller, the Revd Douglas Emmott, the new Vocations Adviser for France, the Revd Nigel Stimpson, the new ADO for Spain, as well as former ordinands from the diocese, some now in others dioceses. Sonia Taylor, Senior Vocations Adviser for France gave a talk on Spiritual Direction and Discernment. The Revd Matthias Grebe of Bonn...

The Anglican Church in the Costa Brava is a relatively new parish in the diocese. Services were begun in the ancient church of St Stephen in Madremanya (pictured above). They continue there but now two other worship centres have been opened in the pastoral area, in Pau (not the French one!) and Penedes. The parish website is here . Due to the generous hospitality of the Roman Catholic diocese of Girona we have use of their churches for our Anglican services. As the parish grows numerically, the spiritual life is also deepening. A person is presently training for Reader ministry, and another is in the process of discernment for Holy Orders. The priest-in-charge is the Revd Anne Jenkins. Recently 3 persons were presented to me for Confirmation. The parish has a pattern of a shared lunch after the Sunday eucharist in Madremanya, which is typically abundant in true Catalunyan style, with some excellent local wine to accompany. Recently a new rented parsonage has been found...

Training for the priesthood or the diaconate in the Church of England takes about 7 years. 3 of those years of study and formation are normally completed before ordination. 3 - 4 years of training and formation continue after ordination, in what was once called "post-ordination training". Today this is called IME 4 - 7. Such post-ordination training is compulsory in the Church of England. In the Diocese in Europe IME 4 - 7 is delivered in residential sessions held twice a year. A recent IME 4-7 session focussing on aspects of liturgy and worship took place at St. Columba's House, Woking, from May 13-16. Ten curates gathered from across the Diocese in Europe, from Armenia, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey and Spain. They spent an inspiring couple of days exploring our rich liturgical tradition, from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer to the many possibilities offered in Common Worship . The residential sessions also provide an opportunity for the Director of Tr...

L to R: Debbie Flach, Adèle Kelham, June Hutchinson, Jill Strachan, Hazel Door, Ulla Monberg, a male interloper, Anne Jenkins and Mary Strommen The Diocese in Europe was well represented at the national service to mark the 20th anniversary of the priesting of women in the Church of England on Saturday 3 May. There were 8 women clergy who joined the thousands from other parts of the Church of England and overseas for the celebration: Jill Strachan (Aquitaine), June Hutchinson (Midi-Pyrénées), Debbie Flach (Lille), Hazel Door (Poitou-Charentes), Mary Strømmen (Trondheim), Adèle Kelham (Lausanne) and Anne Jenkins (Costa Brava) and Ulla Monberg (Diocesan Staff). The celebration began as hundreds gathered in Dean's Yard, Westminster for a "walk of witness" to St Paul's Cathedral for the service. Many bemused tourists stopped us along the 2 mile route to ask what we were about. I had a couple of interesting conversations with visitors from Spain who had clearly nev...

Among the signs of new life and vitality in the parish of St John the Evangelist in Casablanca, are some possible vocations to licensed lay ministry (Readers). Two enquirers come from the USA, one from Liberia and one from Nigeria. Over the next months, Canon Medhat Sabry, the Priest-in-charge will be carrying forward these vocational explorations. Licensed lay ministers, theologically trained and episcopally authorised, would be a great help in this multicultural parish, to relate pastorally and spiritually to members of the many nationalities who are members of St John's. There are two Sunday services in St John's, one largely with members from North America and one largely with members from Sub-Saharan African countries. The Anglican liturgy is lively and uplifting, supported by an enthusiastic and talented group of musicians. There is also a burgeoning Sunday School programme.

On 1 March, the Archbishop of York is hosting an event for anyone aged 18 to 30 who is wondering about ordained ministry in the Church of England. The event is organised by Cranmer Hall in Durham, in conjunction with the Directors of Ordinands of York, Durham and Newcastle. It is open to people of any diocese in the Church of England.  It is organised by a team from Cranmer Hall in conjunction with the DDOs of York, Durham and Newcastle, but is open to people of any diocese.   If you are interested or know someone who might be interested, more information and guidelines about how to register can be found  on-line  at   www.stepforwardanglican.org.uk.   .