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BISHOP JOHN is stepping down as chairman of theChristian Aid board. He reflects on ten challenging years in the role.

IT has been an extraordinary privilege to have chaired the Board of Christian Aid this past 10 years.

It has been a boost to my ego to have Ann Owers - the Chief Inspector of Prisons - succeed me in this role. She will be superb!

The challenge of human poverty and exclusion is remorseless. It is central to our witness to the Gospel
of Jesus Christ that we are at the forefront of confronting this evil. Christian Aid is wholly focussed on
this moral and spiritual challenge.

I have had the experience, during my time as Chair, of meeting many of our partners across the developing world. People who, through courage and often great sacrifice, are making a difference for the poorest. That may be in clean water schemes in the villages of Kenya, in programmes to confront the abuse of human rights of the Dalit people in India, seeing the plight of Palestinian people in the Holy Land or in new farming techniques in Mozambique. So many good projects and causes are being supported by Christian Aid. Did you know that Christian Aid is the largest grant making charity in the UK? That is because we support partners in the local community rather than engage in projects of our own. That is the
distinctive note of the work and a mark of its Christian identity.

Chairing the Board has involved overseeing some important policy changes. The governing structure of the agency has been completely overhauled, terms and conditions of service of its team brought up-to-date and the managing order devolved to the regions across the world.

The Board provides the over arching strategy and policy. The devolved centres of work make the day to day decisions as to how these are to work in their several contexts.

I will miss Christian Aid but will remain an enthusiastic supporter! Not everything you do as a Bishop can be easily connected to the work of the Kingdom of God. I have no difficulty making that connection in my time of service to Christian Aid!

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