Church spells out welcome
Back row left to right - Steven Webb (Chief Executive), Elwin Cockett (Archdeacon of West Ham), David Lowman (Archdeacon of Southend), Chris Newlands (Bishop’s Chaplain), Christopher Morgan (Bishop of Colchester), Martin Webster (Archdeacon of Harlow)Front row left to right – Jane Carter (Bishop’s Secretary), Roger Matthews (Director for Mission and Ministry), Laurie Green (Bishop of Bradwell), Jenny Tomlinson (Bishop’s Adviser for Women’s Ministry), Jenny Robinson (Bishop’s Secretary)
Senior clergy and staff from Chelmsford Diocese joined the Bishops of Bradwell and Colchester to spell out the warm welcome awaiting those returning to church this Sunday – September 27 -- when they posed with giant letters declaring that everyone is ‘Welcome to Church’.
‘Back to Church Sunday’ takes takes place this weekend, with thousands of people set to return to churches following a personal invitation from a friend. The Bishops are embarking on a drive to put out a message of ‘open invitation’.
Backing the initiative, the Bishop of Bradwell, Rt Revd Laurie Green, says: “The Church of England doesn’t just welcome all comers on one Sunday in the year! This is your Church and you will always be made welcome in it. But this Sunday prompts us to do a better job of spelling out to people that we are really happy to welcome everyone all year round.”
Up to 16,000 Church of England churches could be taking part in ‘Back to Church Sunday’ across each of the Church’s 44 dioceses, joining congregations from Churches Together in Scotland, the Church in Wales, Baptist, Methodist, United Reformed, Salvation Army and Elim Pentecostal churches nationwide, and Anglican churches in Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and Canada.
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