Stephen Cottrell, whose Chelmsford diocese covers five east London boroughs, has warned voters who are going to the polls to elect a London Mayor this Thursday not to be taken in by the title of “Reverend” used by BNP supporter, Robert West and printed in a BNP mini-manifesto which has been sent to thousands of London homes.

The Right Revd Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford, points out: “Robert West has nothing at all to do with the CofE. Don’t be misled by the word, Reverend.”

The bishop has said that Mr West’s election statement is at odds with the Christian faith.

In this statement Robert West claims:

“I’m backing the British National Party because they support our traditional Christian faith. We need strong leadership to protect our national identity from the threat of Islam.” Reverend Robert West.

But the bishop says: “I don’t trust Mr West or the BNP. What they are saying is unchristian.

“Jesus didn’t just live and die for white people or for Christians: Jesus lived and died for everyone. His teaching showed great respect for people of other faiths and he calls us to a new humanity which unites and re-defines differences of gender, class, nationality and even religion.

“Londoners are of course free to vote how they choose, but the views of the British National Party are at odds with Christian teaching. To be a follower of Christ requires us to love our neighbour, whoever they are.

“Although I find the views of the BNP distasteful in the extreme, they are free to hold them; what they should not do is suggest that they are somehow supporting the Christian faith. They are not.”

The Bishop said: “Listed church buildings are vital community assets, contributing a huge amount to community cohesion and development. From time to time they need to be adapted if they are to be made useable for a wide variety of community purposes and to meet modern expectations, not to mention comply with contemporary regulations.

“The burden of raising the money for these repairs and alterations rests with the local church community. If VAT is levied on listed church building alterations as the Chancellor proposes, then at a stroke 20 per cent is added to the cost. This is a massive increase.  It will certainly deter churches from making changes to their buildings. In some cases it will scupper plans altogether.

“At a time when local churches are already facing huge additional costs from metal theft and higher insurance premiums, this feels like a kick in the teeth. Local neighbourhoods, especially in rural areas, will be the losers.”

St Christopher’s Church in Willingale near Ongar is one of the churches that will be badly affected. Dr Simon Baker, PCC Treasurer at St Christopher’s, commented: “With a project costing tens of thousands of pounds, the additional 20 per cent is a cost we cannot recover. As a small church we will face significant challenges in raising the additional funds.”

The Bishop added: “Perhaps it didn’t seem this way when the Chancellor thought up this scheme, but what it amounts to is a tax on churches. We receive precious little government help as it is. This will make serving the local community that much harder.

“The government says it wants to build a Big Society and support the nation’s stressed communities at a time when they are feeling economic hardship. This tax sends a different message.”

Further information

1. VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent will be imposed on alterations to listed church buildings from 1 October 2012 unless the Chancellor of the Exchequer changes his mind.
2. The Bishop of Chelmsford has written to the Chancellor, Mr George Osborne MP, asking him to re-consider the proposal.
3. Church buildings, including cathedrals and retreat houses, are almost entirely maintained by volunteers and voluntary giving. They are being adapted to make them suitable for use by the community. The extra cost this will impose will seriously threaten the continuation of such works.
4. Churches are not-for-profit organisations and they exist for the benefit of the neighbourhoods they serve.  Churches open their buildings for use as drop-in centres for counselling and support, advice bureaux, after-school clubs, meeting and conference rooms and occasional exhibition and concert halls. Some contain village shops. They may also be linked to other essential community resources such as health centres and schools. Retreat houses, such as the Diocesan House of Retreat at Pleshey, are open to local neighbourhoods and also attract people from further afield who return to service in their own community.
5. The cost of adaptations to church buildings is already higher than for many types of building because of the need to comply with the stringent restrictions that apply to them.
6.  Churches are already unreasonably taxed on the cost of church building repairs and maintenance.
7. The cost of church repairs is particularly high due to the exacting standard of craftsmanship required on heritage buildings. Alterations to listed church buildings are very expensive for the same reason, and imposition of VAT on these adaptations would be a further tax.
8. he Church of England has created an e-petition calling on the Chancellor to bring back zero rate VAT to alterations to the CofE’s 12,500 listed churches: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/32229.
9. This follows the recent launch of a consultation by HM Revenue & Customs on VAT charging to approved alterations to listed buildings: http://bit.ly/HmjpDV . The consultation closes on 4 May 2012.
10. Government assistance for church buildings is virtually non-existent Extending the remit of the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme, with no additional funding, will go no way to mitigating the proposed tax. On the contrary it means that a shrinking pot will be stretched even further.

On hearing the news, the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Reverend Stephen Cottrell said: “Rowan Williams has been an outstanding Archbishop of Canterbury. Although he is a man of enormous intellect, respected and revered in the theological faculties of the world, he is first of all a man of prayer, and this endearing holiness and faithfulness is recognised by all who meet him. Other church leaders, leaders of other faiths, and those who have no faith at all, see in him the Christian faith lived well.” 

This has been his greatest gift to the church and to the nation: he has showed us Christ, and in so doing has kept the family of the Anglican church listening to each other; given the Church of England a moral, intellectual and spiritual credibility; and kept the Christian faith on the nation’s agenda. He has invited us to take ourselves and God more seriously. He has offered us an intellectually stimulating vision of Christian faith. We shall miss him. However, in his new role in Cambridge he will be able to continue his work as a theologian, and this will bring great blessings not only to those who study under him, but to that continuing conversation that the Christian faith has with the world about the meaning of Christ and his relevance and value for the world.” 

Rowan has been reported as saying that his successor needs the constitution of an ox and the hide of a rhinoceros. I beg to disagree. He needs a humble and gentle heart and a godly and prayerful wisdom. That is what we have seen and received in Rowan’s ministry and it is what we look for from all who pastor in Christ’s church. The world may choose to focus on the internal squabbles of the Church of England, but we look to Christ and for the building of his kingdom in the world, and thank God today for the faithful ministry of this godly poet of an Archbishop. The Diocese of Chelmsford thanks God for his ministry, and wishes him and his wife, Jane, every blessing in these remaining months in office and for all that lies ahead.

The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Reverend Stephen Cottrell was delighted to hear the news. He said: "What wonderful news! Being awarded city status is good news for Chelmsford and good news for Essex. Having been brought up in Essex it always seemed slightly strange that Chelmsford wasn't a city."

"Now, in the Queens Diamond Jubilee Year, it is a great honour to receive this affirmation. In 2014 the Diocese of Chelmsford and the Cathedral celebrates its centenary. It is good to approach these celebrations knowing we are now a Cathedral city."

The Dean of Chelmsford Cathedral, the Very Revd Peter Judd said: "In my inaugural sermon in 1997, having heard that Chelmsford would be applying for City status, I said in my naivety "Chelmsford shortly to be a City." This caused a bit of a stir with the then Mayor of Chelmsford asking "Does he know something we don't know?"

"It is lovely to be proved right even if 'shortly' wasn't quite right. We are thrilled to bits for Chelmsford and for our beautiful Cathedral in the centre of the City. That sounds good."

"We look forward to serving the City of Chelmsford in the years ahead."

Referring to the ban on prayers during public meetings which Bideford Council is appealing against, the Bishop of Chelmsford has said: "It is only when people are converted to Christ that they will see the logic of prayer at public meetings."

The Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford, was addressing the Synod of Chelmsford Diocese on 3 March 2012.

He said: "We cannot expect a secular world not to challenge people of faith, and we will win our argument not by endless appeals to tradition, custom, or even law, but by living and proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ. It is only when people are converted to Christ that they will see the logic of prayer at public meetings."

Download the full Presidential Address here

Click here to download the Letter

“Occupy Southend have set up camp in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church in Prittlewell since last Sunday, 19th February 2012, without any warning, notice or request.

“The churchyard is holy ground used for burials and interment of ashes; this occupation is unlawful; and it is distracting St Mary’s from serving the local community. St Mary’s takes its responsibilities to the community very seriously.

“The trespassers are reported to have said that they are aiming to leave the churchyard next week. But their occupation is unlawful, disrespectful and inappropriate. They must leave now.

“We take exception to their suggestion that people in the Church have threatened or intimidated them in any way.

“The vicar of St Mary’s, Prittlewell has talked with them several times and at some length. He has also written to them, and told them to leave. However, they have not given him the courtesy of a reply.

“The trespassers have until 3pm tomorrow, Sunday 26th February to leave.

“With legal action being imminent, we cannot say anything which might be perceived as prejudicing the outcome.”

Without any warning, notice or request, you set up camp in St Mary’s churchyard on Sunday afternoon (19^th February, 2012). In addition to your tents, you set up a canteen and portaloos and have lit fires in the churchyard.

Your occupation of the churchyard is unlawful. We did not invite you to come here and we have not consented to your occupation. When I first spoke with you, I made it clear that you must leave. Your continued presence indicates a refusal to do so.

Your occupation is also unlawful because it is a breach of the Faculty Jurisdiction. Consecrated ground has a special status in law, and your use of the churchyard has not been authorised by a Faculty granted by the Judge of the Consistory Court. You are breaking the law of the land. But your actions also potentially cause the parochial church council and me, as vicar, to be held to be acting unlawfully if we do not take prompt action to remedy this breach. You must leave now.

Your occupation of St Mary’s churchyard is disrespectful and inappropriate. This is consecrated land. It has been set apart for centuries for the burial of the dead. This is holy ground, not a protest camp site.

Your occupation of the churchyard is distracting St Mary’s church from its essential work serving the local community. We have baptisms, weddings and funerals in St Mary’s church, and we provide pastoral care and visits to people who are bereaved, sick and in all kinds of need. I have been contacted by a number of parishioners, including the bereaved and brides-to-be, understandably anxious and upset about your occupation of St Mary’s churchyard.

St Mary’s Church takes its responsibilities to the local and wider community very seriously. We provide financial support to other charities, and are committed to giving away a tenth of our income to good causes. In 2011, we gave £8,000 to other charities; and over the last eight years, we have given around £20,000 to the Homeless Action Resource Project in Southend.

Other good causes to which we have provided spiritual and financial support include Fair Havens hospice, Little Havens children’s hospice, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Christian Aid, The Children's Society, the Church Mission Society (projects with teenagers in the Congo), the Fair Trade movement, SOS Domestic Abuse Projects, the Middle East Church Association and the Anglican Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City.

In addition to supporting local education in a variety of ways, we use our own church premises for the benefit of the broadest cross-section of the whole community, and church members are active community volunteers.

The Occupy movement is asking important questions about the sort of society people want to live in. The Church has long been asking such questions, and has engaged constructively with others – but that engagement must be in a framework of mutual respect, not breaking the law. The Church has also been at the forefront of providing practical help and support for those who need it most.

I believe that the law is right to uphold the sanctity of consecrated ground. I believe it is unfair and unreasonable of you to put others at risk of legal censure. I believe it is simply wrong that St Mary’s should be forced by you to divert considerable time and money from our valued work and support for the local community to legal action for your removal.

We have no choice: we must, in law, take appropriate legal action. You do have a choice: to force us to take such action and inevitably divert funds from those in need; or to leave. Please, for everyone’s sake, leave now.

If you choose to remain, the work which has already begun to prepare the application to the Court will be finalised and formal proceedings commenced.

Yours sincerely,

Vicar

"The Occupy movement has been raising important questions about the sort of society people want to live in.

"We will be talking with Occupy over the next few days and do want to listen to what they have to say.

"We ask them to be mindful of the fact that they are in a churchyard and to be sensitive to people's feelings."

Rural crime, relationships between the farming industry and supermarkets, and the public’s perception and understanding of farming were among topics covered during a wide-ranging discussion.

The group also talked about meat production and animal welfare, following the Bishop’s decision to give up meat for Lent. 

The Bishop said: “Lent is the time to give things up. “I’m not becoming a vegetarian but I do want to highlight issues regarding our treatment of animals so as to have plentiful cheap meat, especially when that involves importing meat from countries with far lower animal welfare standards than the UK. 

“My message is - eat less meat and eat meat more responsibly. Buy locally produced food and support local farmers wherever possible. “Without a fast there can’t really be a feast and I’ll be eating roast lamb on Easter Sunday!”

 Robert Stacey said: “We had a frank and very useful discussion with the Bishop over a full English breakfast, including talking about the important role eating meat can play as part of a balanced diet. 

“We hope the Bishop will be enjoying locally-grown fruit and vegetables during Lent, and looking forward to his British lamb at the end of it.” 

The Reverend John Suddards, former Team Rector of Witham, has died in unexpected circumstances at Thornbury in the Diocese of Gloucester where he had served as Vicar since July 2011 .

The Right Reverend Christopher Morgan, Bishop of Colchester, has said:

“I have been very distressed to hear the news of John Suddards’ untimely death.  This great sadness, I know, is shared by the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Archdeacon of Colchester and many colleagues across North Essex in particular.

“For ten years until last June, John was the faithful, good humoured and energetic Team Rector of Witham and Rural Dean of the area too.  Prior to that he spent eight good years as Rector of five Parishes in the upper Colne Valley, and had also served as a curate in Halstead.

“Very many people – myself certainly included – will therefore have been grateful not only for John’s pastoral ministry but also for his human friendship.  He has been cruelly snatched away: may he now rest in peace and rise to glory.”

The Bishop of Chelmsford has appointed the following to be non-residentiary Canons of Chelmsford Cathedral:

The Revd Geoffrey Connor
Team Rector, Epping Team Ministry

The Revd Dr Graham Hamborg
CME Adviser, Bradwell Episcopal Area

The Revd Ian Hilton
Rector, Colchester New Town & The Hythe and Rural Dean of Colchester

The Revd Mike Lodge
Team Rector, Rayleigh Team Ministry and Rural Dean of Rochford

The Revd Barnabas Matloob
Inter-Faith Worker, Newham

The Revd Dr David Titley
Vicar, Clacton St Paul

The Revd Jenny Tomlinson
Parish Development Adviser, Colchester Episcopal Area, and Bishop's Adviser
on Women's Ministry

The Installation Service will be held on Sunday 29 April at 6pm in Chelmsford Cathedral.

Further information

A Canon is an honour given to distinguished people who have made a significant contribution to the life of the Church across the Diocese and beyond. Canons are assigned a seat in the Cathedral, and become members of the Cathedral's College of Canons.

The Archdeacon of West Ham, The Venerable Elwin Cockett,  has said:

“A church is a wonderful place to celebrate the happiest day of your life. But many couples don’t know that they can choose to get married in church.

“Couples are often unaware that the vicar is there to take the stress out of the event and help to design an occasion that reflects their style and story.

“So the Church of England has taken a stand at the UK Wedding Show at ExCeL to make it easy for couples who may be wondering whether a church wedding is for them, to meet vicars and ask questions.

“It doesn’t cost the earth to have a heavenly wedding. All that is legally required to marry in church costs less than £350.”

The UK Wedding Show will take place at ExCeL London E16 1XL on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 February from 10am to 5pm.

The Venerable Elwin Cockett, Archdeacon of West Ham, will join a team of vicars on stand 155 to answer questions from couples on Sunday 5 February at 3pm.

Rt Revd John Wraw, the new Bishop of Bradwell, was commissioned for his ministry in Chelmsford Diocese on 29 January 2012.

Speaking at the Service of Installation and Welcome in Chelmsford Cathedral, Bishop John said: “We need to work for a transformed society where the old are respected and the young valued.

"The people and churches of the Bradwell Area are called not simply to proclaim God’s vision of a renewed world but to live it out in their common life and in their lives as individuals.” 

The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, welcomed Bishop John, adding: “John’s love of the gospel and his natural gifts of enabling and facilitating others are just what we need at the moment as we seek, under God, to be a transforming presence in the world.” 

Bishop John and Mrs Gillian Wraw, Chelmsford Cathedral, 29 January 2012.

Further information: 

The Episcopal Area of Bradwell, within the Diocese of Chelmsford, covers the towns of Basildon, Tilbury Docks, Southend-on-Sea, Maldon, Brentwood and Chelmsford, as well as the rural areas of the Dengie peninsular where a stone chapel was built by St Cedd in 654 AD at Bradwell.

The Area is served by the Archdeacon of Southend, nine rural or area deans, 170 clergy and 105 lay readers.

Some 14,350 people are on church electoral rolls and there are 40 church schools.

Right Reverend John Wraw will be Installed and welcomed as the fifth Bishop of Bradwell on Sunday, 29 January 2012 in Chelmsford Cathedral.

He has moved to Essex from Wiltshire with his wife, Gillian. Bishop John said: “Walking into St Paul’s Cathedral was an intensely humbling and awesome experience. I much valued the gentle support of the Archbishop of Canterbury and an inspiring sermon by the Bishop of Chelmsford, Right Reverend Stephen Cottrell.“I look forward with much anticipation to beginning my ministry in the Bradwell Episcopal Area.

I have already met many committed and gifted lay people and clergy across the Area. “This is an exciting time to be coming to the Diocese of Chelmsford. Together we are called to live out the gracious love and generosity of God in the towns and villages and communities across Essex and East London.”

Read the Bishop of Chelmsford’s sermon.

Contact Press Office:

Telephone 01245 294424 or Pager on 07654 382674.

Further information:

The Installation Service on Sunday 29 January 2012 is the service at which Bishop John will become the Bishop of Bradwell. Admission to the Installation is by ticket only and places have been reserved.

The media are welcome to attend. Enquiries should be made by phone to 01245 294488 please. 

The Episcopal Area of Bradwell, within the Diocese of Chelmsford, covers the towns of Basildon, Tilbury Docks, Southend-on-Sea, Maldon, Brentwood and Chelmsford, as well as the rural areas of the Dengie peninsular where a stone chapel was built by St Cedd in 654 AD at Bradwell.

It is served by the Archdeacon of Southend, nine rural or area deans, 170 clergy and 105 lay readers. Some 14,350 people are on church electoral rolls and there are 40 church schools. 

Bishop John succeeds Right Reverend Dr Laurie Green who served as the fourth Bishop of Bradwell from February 1993 to February 2011. John is married to Gillian and they have four children. John was first ordained in 1985 and served as curate in Bromyard in Herefordshire.

He moved to Sheffield as team vicar on Arbourthorne – a large council estate on the south side of Sheffield.  It was here that John began his involvement in community development and social justice.

He and his family moved to Rotherham in 1992 where he became vicar of a large urban priority area parish near the town centre.  During his nine years in Clifton John helped the church develop its buildings as a family centre, working in partnership with the local further education college and the local Kashmiri community.

He also helped the local churches to develop a family support project. Through his community involvement he was invited to join the board of the Rotherham Strategic Partnership, chairing the Community Involvement and Development Spoke.  This was particularly focused on enabling the voluntary sector and local community groups to engage with the partnership.

John also chaired Voluntary Action Rotherham – the lead voluntary and community sector body in the town. John was appointed Area Dean of Rotherham in 1998 and made an Honorary Canon of Sheffield Cathedral in 2001.

Alongside his parochial responsibilities John chaired the Faith and Justice Committee in the Diocese of Sheffield, taking lead responsibility for engagement with public life, social concerns and wider community links.In 2004 John was appointed Archdeacon of Wilts in the Diocese of Salisbury.

He led on health issues across the diocese and links with public life within Wiltshire.

He was a board member of the County Local Strategic Partnership for four years and when it was re-launched as the Wiltshire Assembly in 2008 was invited to become the first chair.

Sometimes I think of this on a particularly cold night as I dash from the car to the front door and luxuriate in the warmth of a centrally heated house. Or else I see a homeless person on the street, or hear about the fears of the unemployed, or learn of a house re-possessed and a family moving into temporary accommodation.

I have never known this sort of anxiety myself. I have had troubles in life. But I have never really doubted where my next meal was coming from, or where I would sleep at night.

But it was these basic fears that gripped Joseph as he shepherded Mary around Bethlehem, drawn there by the unsympathetic requirements of an unfair tax.  And these thoughts make the Christmas story very real. They mean that this story speaks to the stories of the world; that this God we follow knows about the sorrows and the challenges of human life.

And what a time to be without a home! Mary was about to give birth. This child, born in the outhouse at the back of a pub, is God come down to earth, God coming to share in and direct the world he has made.  And when this happened the angels sang: ‘Peace on earth, goodwill to all people.’

The challenge of the Christmas story is to sing this same song of peace and good will amidst the sorrows, trials, inequalities and injustices of today's world. It means caring about those who are without a job, or without a home. It means trying to build a different world and trying to live by a different set of values. It means remembering those who are worse off, and doing something about it. It means providing jobs and homes and meals. It also means ensuring that people have jobs and homes and meals for life.

None of this will be easy. But the biggest danger of all is starting to believe that nothing can change and that our own contribution makes no difference. It does. Things can change.

And if the Christian faith teaches us anything, it is that one person can make a difference. That person is Christ. He shows us a different way of living. He gives us a different set of values. What he brings is what the world so desperately needs. And he begins that life in solidarity with the poorest of the poor.

We must listen to him. First of all it will be a cry of need. But soon it will be a way of life.

+Stephen

Bishop of Chelmsford

Christmas radio adverts are high fashion

Two amusing 30 second ads are playing on Heart Essex radio this Christmas.

They have a high fashion theme in step with High Street shopping in the run-up to Christmas Day.

Play the ads here:

Fashion Preview

Fashion Nativity

The above adverts require the Flash Player which you can download here.

And look out for the ‘Christmas starts with Christ’ poster on your High Street.

Read Bishop Stephen’s Christmas message

“As usual, I am looking forward to Christmas this year and going to a church service,” says Jo. “I'm not really a churchy person although I do think Jesus was a good bloke. The singing of carols and Christmas churches decorated with nativity scenes and holly are a great attraction for families at Christmas time, particularly for me, because they remind me of my childhood in a small Kent village when it always seemed to be snowing at Christmas.”

By simply entering a postcode, www.christmasnearyou.com will show all the times and places of all nearby Christmas and carol services.
 
“I think many people in this country who are not regular churchgoers do manage to get along to a traditional Christmas service,” says Jo.

“It marks a time of year when we should be thinking particularly about people for whom Christmas is a grim or sad time and how it's not all about presents and consumerism.”
 

Bishop Stephen with HARP chef, Amanda Luxton.

An appeal to donate £10 to enable a homeless person to enjoy a Christmas dinner has been launched by Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford.

Southend's Homeless Action Resource Project aims to provide up to 700 meals for the needy.

The Bishop said: "As Christmas approaches and the nights turn cold, I would like you to think for a moment about those who do not have a home or job, or support of a family and who may well be sleeping on the streets.

"HARP in Southend provides many thousands of hot meals to the homeless every year.

"However, the charity also endeavours to provide a Christmas dinner to the many hundreds of people who do not have the support of a family at any time of the year, least of all at Christmas.

"Therefore, if you could please look at your Christmas budget to find just £10 to donate and provide a Christmas dinner for a homeless person during the course of the 12 days of Christmas, then you will be giving a very special gift of hope."

To donate visit www.harpsouthend.org.uk and click on the Big Give link or text HOME43, followed by £10, to 70070.

Cheques made payable to HARP can be sent to 117 York Road, Southend SS1 2DL.

If the target of £7,000 is exceeded, the rest of the money will be used within HARP wherever the need is greatest.

The new Assistant Dean of St Mellitus College will be Revd Ann Coleman. She will also be the Director of the North Thames Ministerial Training Course (NTMTC).

The Venerable David Lowman, Archdeacon of Southend, commented: "Having known Ann since university days at King's College London and also when she was on the staff of the Ministry Division of the CofE as well as NTMTC, I am personally delighted that she is now to become Assistant Dean of St Mellitus College and Director of NTMTC. She will make a significant contribution to the life of the college as an experienced priest, excellent lecturer and committed pastor."

Ann added: "Training for ministry or studying as an independent student at St Mellitus College is exciting, challenging and deeply rewarding. We celebrate our unity in Christ through our diversity, drawing students and staff from all traditions within the Church. Our life in community is rooted in prayer and worship. At NTMTC students come from urban, rural and suburban contexts and from a whole range of life and work experiences. These offer rich resources for doing our theology and forming us for ministry. We offer our 'generous orthodoxy' as a model which will not only enrich our students but will also empower and release the Church for mission."

Ann Coleman has been on the staff of St Mellitus College for the past three years, and brings a great deal of wisdom in the areas of spirituality, personal formation and ministry, as well as extensive experience in ministerial training in her previous roles as a Diocesan Director of Ordinands, a Moderator of Reader training, Priest Director of Wyedale Hall in Yorkshire, and in parish life. She will begin her role as part of the senior leadership team of the College alongside the Dean, Graham Tomlin, and the other Assistant Dean, Andrew Emerton, in April 2012, when David Hilborn moves onto his new role as Principal of St John's College, Nottingham.

For information about St Mellitus College and NTMTC visit www.stmellitus.org

Café Hub, based in Colbert Avenue between Southchurch and Thorpe Bay, was opened a year ago to provide a warm welcome to all, a listening ear and a chance for people to meet together and find out more about what is on offer both at the church and in the community. 

The vision was for it to be a hub, linking with a host of activities run in the family centre, and it has gone from strength to strength with many local organisations now working with the team to offer far more than a hot drink, biscuits or toasted sandwiches.

Rev Simon Roscoe, the Vicar at Christ Church, commented. “We set up Café Hub as a way of working with other organisations.

“Our families project co-ordinator, Emma Wylie, was tasked to develop joint projects with others for the benefit of all age groups in our local community.

“We are really pleased to be hosting monthly ‘surgeries’ for our three local councillors, to be working with Tara Nye and David Thomas from the Shoebury and Cockleshell Children’s Centres and to have the Southend Portage team helping with our exciting Friday SMaRT sensory play group, set up to meet the needs of children with additional needs, but open to all pre-school children who enjoy sensory play.

“We are looking forward to welcoming more organisations on board including Southend Christian Counselling service who are soon to start work with us. We really can’t say a big enough thank you to all the agencies and individuals who have made this first year so successful and encouraging.”

One of the project’s main aims is to be responsive to the community of which it is a part and so each of the three days on which Café Hub is open between 11.00am and 2.00pm has developed its own distinctive style.

‘Toastie Tuesdays’ are more tranquil than the other days and offer visitors the opportunity to join in craft activities or bring their own and share their skills and chat over a toastie and a cuppa.

Wednesday is lively, with small children occupied during “Family Tot Time”, giving carers a chance to join in the fun and also meet others and relax with a drink and share a snack.

Outreach worker, David Thomas  said: “Shoebury & Cockleshell Children’s centres are working together with Christchurch Café Hub, with the aim of maximizing the delivery of information and services that can support local families with young children. Our goal is to ensure that the families are able to get the best out of community efforts and children’s centres and help create positive outcomes for their families.”

On Fridays, Café Hub offers cooked meals attracting a real mix of age groups and creating a friendly, multi-generational family atmosphere.

Emma says: “It’s brilliant to see the way the community and organisations in our area want to work with us and use our facilities to run joint projects that can make a real difference to families in our area. We are always on the lookout for new volunteers and links and welcome fresh ideas. Year two is going to be very exciting!”

1.  Living a distinctive Christian life in the world.
2. Evangelising  effectively.
3. Holding ourselves mutually accountable over the basics of Christian ministry.
4. Developing a new vision for ministry for a Church serving in a missionary context.

The principles are set out in

Transforming Presence – Strategic priorities for the Diocese of Chelmsford

Resolution passed by Synod on 5 November 2011

That this Synod:

• Welcomes and supports the priorities set out in the paper, Transforming Presence.
• Invites the Diocese to gather on 21 January 2012 to discuss these priorities.
• Asks the Bishop’s Staff, deaneries, benefices, parishes, Diocesan Boards and Councils to engage with the questions for reflection and action set out in this paper and where appropriate, to bring back to Synod specific recommendations to develop these areas of our life.
• Commends the paper for study in all the Diocese.

Transforming Leadership

Synod also welcomed Transforming Leadership – A report and recommendations from the Leadership Review Group  and requested the Bishop of Chelmsford and the Diocesan Chief Executive to begin the necessary processes and consultations across the Diocese to develop these recommendations and prepare an implementation plan to be agreed by the Bishop’s Council.

Read the Bishop of Chelmsford’s Presidential Address to Synod.

Confrontation and violence only breed further hardship and distress and are not the answer to the present circumstances.

We would encourage the families at Dale Farm and the local authorities to move forward in a spirit of dignity and restraint.  In the meantime, we are keeping all those affected by the current and distressing situation very much in our prayers at this difficult time.

Rt Revd Thomas McMahon - Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood

Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell - Anglican Bishop of Chelmsford

19 October 2011

The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, has welcomed the news that Becket Keys, an 11-18 mixed Church of England School for Brentwood, will open in September 2012.

“I am delighted to hear that Becket Keys will open next September,” the Bishop said. “The school will have a Christian ethos and will be supported by Chelmsford Diocese. This is good news for families whose children already attend C of E primary schools in the area. It will also be good news for all of Brentwood; for this new school will serve the whole community, work alongside other excellent schools in the town, and offer a broad curriculum.”

Rob Fox, Director of Education for Chelmsford Diocese, commented: “Becket Keys Church of England School will join the Chelmsford diocesan family of 140 church schools and academies in Essex and East London.  The diocesan education team will offer guidance and support to the school as it develops as a new Church of England secondary school and enable it to have links to other C of E secondary schools in the diocese.”

The proposers of the new school are Andy Scott-Evans, Head of Thomas' CofE Junior, and Iain Gunn,  Head of St. Peter's CofE Primary. The Russell Education Trust (RET) are partners in the Becket Keys proposal.

A spokesman for RET, Richard Elms said, "We have been working with Andy, Iain and the Diocese since April and it is their vision, faith and sheer hard work that is the foundation of this success." He went on, "We are really looking forward to this next year, coupling our experience of working with outstanding secondary schools and of establishing free schools with local expertise, drive and determination; this is a winning combination and we firmly believe that Becket Keys will be an outstandingly successful school from the outset".

The school is to open on the site of the former Sawyers Hall College.  Taking 150 students a year and with a sixth form, Becket Keys will eventually have 1,050 students on roll, making it one of the largest free schools in the country.

They witnessed the unveiling of the track in the Olympic Stadium, and joined top athletes World record holder and Paralympic gold medallist Dan Greaves, British Long Jump record holder Chris Tomlinson and IAAF World Championships silver medallist Hannah England.

Deputy Head teacher, Felicia Lord-Attivor said: “It was a rare opportunity to take our children to the Olympic Stadium.

“Many of the Olympic and Paralympic values are similar to the Christian values we chose to focus on last year and this year; so it was a positive illustration that the children could identify with and see in practice through the athletes.”

The main site for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games is at Stratford in Chelmsford Diocese.

Picture courtesy of LOCOG.

Nicky Houston, HARP property manager (left) with David Essex and Gill Garwood, HARP chief executive.

Star David Essex backs appeal by homeless charity with ‘solid foundation of support from the churches’

David Essex has visited a derelict Southend hotel to show his support for a charity that is close to the hearts of many churches, the Homeless Action Resource Project (HARP).

HARP has taken over the former Darnley Hotel to combine a day centre and night shelter, and is raising the final £400,000 needed for the hotel’s refurbishment.

HARP’s chief executive, Gill Garwood said, “We were absolutely thrilled that David found time in his very busy schedule to visit the Darnley premises we are about to begin work on very soon. We are so very grateful for all the support we receive, especially from the churches in Essex who recognise just how vital our work is for those who are less fortunate.

“To find the funding to continue our work is almost a daily uphill battle and without the solid foundation of support we regularly receive from the churches, and church groups such as Serving the Homeless, we would not be in a position to provide the comprehensive services we are able to offer to the large number of homeless people aged 16 – 60 years old who desperately seek help from HARP every year.”

David Essex praised HARP for turning the lives of thousands of people around and saving lives. “When I was invited to become a patron of HARP I had no hesitation in lending my name to such a worthy charity,” said David, “ especially when I was informed of the amazing work they do for vulnerable and disadvantaged people, particularly the youngsters who arrive there desperate for help who are aged just 16 to 25 years old - that to me is really tragic.”

Rock super-star and EastEnders actor, David Essex OBE supports HARP alongside its other patrons, Dame Helen Mirren and Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford.

HARP is grateful for every donation. Online donations may be made at www.harpsouthend.co.uk.

You can make a donation by text to HOME43 followed by £2 - £5 or £10 to 70070 or by post to HARP, 117 York Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS1 2DL (tel: 01702  615000).

In a new video The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell says you can be sure of a warm welcome at a church near you wherever you are.
 
The video was made for Back to Church Sunday, 25 September 2011.  Back to Church Sunday is when churches welcome people in who have lost touch with us.