VICAR'S LETTER FOR MARCH

Dear Friends, On the 30th April last year an open meeting was held at the Parochial Hall. It was attended by members of St Cross and St Mary's church. The reason for meeting was to inform people of the proposed cuts in clergy numbers throughout the Deanery which is made up of some 17 congregations. Fr Clive of St Cross and me saw a serious possibility that our two churches might well be involved in part of this process of reducing numbers. The reasons were obvious: We are close together in the one geographical area; we have similar styles of worship; many of our members are already `integrated` through friendship and even past history of church attendance at each others churches. The meeting had been spurred on by the news that Fr Clive was leaving St Cross. We were aware that a completely different approach would be needed in selecting his successor because that person would eventually become also the priest for St Mary's too – IF the cuts were to affect us. We needed to let the Diocese know that any prospective candidate was aware that he/she would become the priest responsible for BOTH congregations in Middleton, in effect that person would be the Vicar of Middleton eventually.

Well, what Fr. Clive and me envisaged happening has now happened. An appointment has been made; St Cross now has a priest in charge and eventually when I retire in October this year that person will be licensed as priest in charge of both churches. Both St Mary's and St Cross met and interviewed the successful candidate who is Rev Andrew Myers, at present on the staff of St Aiden's, Leeds. He prefers to be called Andy by the way! It is hoped that we will have some time together before I depart and I have known Andy for some time. This process just completed has been very different to the way things have happened in the past. I hope that every member of each church will enter this new era with enthusiasm and hope. There will be new opportunities for increased participation in worship and the operation of a church family of all sorts of folk. There will be a development of working together between the two churches – a way of being together that has its roots in the past. When the legalities have been completed, Middleton will no longer be cut in two by a boundary that has caused all sorts of problems in the past.

Both sets of churchwardens and the two PCC`s are well aware of how we have arrived at this point, and are in a strong position to see that what we have been promised by the Diocese will be honoured. Everyone involved has worked very hard to see that this gets off to a good start and we will be looking to the Diocese for support. All of us are involved and now is the time to put our trust in God, in each other and get down to the task of building a church that will be a place of spiritual strength and encouragement for all in Middleton.

Each one of us is vital to this growth. It matters not if we are elderly and housebound – we can pray, or, young and inexperienced - we have our energy and confidence that God has called us to be part of his family here. Above all both congregations must be hospitable to the stranger because when the stranger is welcomed Christ is brought into the midst. The stranger, the outsider, the guest has got to become our PRIORITY as we turn away from past inward looking habits to a new direction of seeking growth, not only in numbers, but in spiritual depth and gospel understanding of each other.

Best wishes, your friend and priest.