March 2014 NEED TO KNOW I STORIES I AREA UPDATES I EVENTS NEAR YOU Bishop’s View By Rt Revd David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking THE season of Lent has always been about self- examination in preparation for Easter. This is especially appropriate as we prepare for our Centenary mission weekends. On March 1, our Diocesan Synod is going to be treated to a range of examples of the Fresh Expressions of Church that are taking place around the diocese. Chelmsford was the fifth diocese to receive an independent audit of Fresh Expressions last year and the result shows some encouraging features. The total membership of our Fresh Expressions stands at about 1,830 people across 50 different types of church including the 616 people who started them up.. All churchmanship traditions are represented. Two-thirds meet in secular buildings. Sixty per cent do not meet on Sundays. Fifty-two per cent are led by lay people and forty-eight per cent by clergy. Importantly, of every ten members in our Fresh Expressions half had never attended church before joining up. Our Fresh Expressions include a market stall, a car boot sale church and congregations of young people and elderly. By emphasising new ways of being Iconic start church we are not in any way suggesting we have given up on our long-established parish churches. Far from it, they remain a vital expression of the Christian faith in all all the communities of Essex and East London. An encouraging number of them to centenary are growing and increasing their engagement with the local communities they serve. The Full story: Page 3 www.chelmsford.anglican.org CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 Nicholas Henshall Bradwell is installed as the Pilgrimage is new Dean of moving to new Chelmsford date in July Page 2 Page 12 ■ With your support, the Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2014 will hear children’s cry for help: Page 6 2 THE MONTH March 2014 THE month — Congregation told: "Get out of here - go in the peace of Christ" Cathedral's new Dean installed AT his first service, the can make a contribution same – love in action for new Dean of Chelmsford, in the City of Chelmsford, a world in need, with faith Very Revd Nicholas the Diocese of Chelmsford as the active ingredient.” Henshall told a and in the region, he said. The Dean was congregation in “The core worshipping preaching at a special Chelmsford Cathedral to life of the Christian service of Collation, “Get out of here” in community” is “about Induction and Installation response to the mission meeting God face to face, as Dean of Chelmsford of God - or in church being transformed by conducted by the Bishop language, “Go in the that encounter, and then of Chelmsford, Stephen peace of Christ”. being sent out to live it.” Cottrell on February 2. He explained that a He suggested a new The lesson was read by church “is measured by flag for the cathedral – a the Dean’s wife, Christine the quality of its love in towel: “Towels are what and the gospel was read service for a world in churches and especially by Edward Carter, the need with faith as the cathedrals should fly Canon Theologian. active ingredient.” from their flag poles – The Master of the “I’ve seen that faith as because on the night Choristers, James Davy the active ingredient can before he died at supper conducted the joint genuinely transform with his friends Jesus Cathedral choirs. About NEW DEAN INSTALLED: Left to right: Chancellor of Chelmsford Diocese George Pulman lives, renew communities took a towel and washed 200 people from the QC, Stephen Cottrell - Bishop of Chelmsford, Dean Nicholas Henshall, Registrar of the and change the world.” his disciples' feet, and Dean’s former parish in Diocese Aiden Hargreaves-Smith Chelmsford Cathedral then told them to do the Harrogate attended. Festival celebration By RUTH COLLIN Centenary Festival will including The Phantom of the Charting the Opera and The Wizard of Oz. TICKETS go on sale this include Parry’s Songs of month for the Chelmsford Farewell, Elgar and Saturday’s concert will be a Cathedral Centenary Festival. Mendelssohn. unique experience, as Donald The four-day event, organised Friday’s concert features plays the Cathedral organ live by the Choral Foundation the Brentwood School Big to accompany a short comedy as part of its Centenary Band Alumni and the Cathedral and the 1920 classic, Dr Appeal, features a range of choirs performing Duke Jekyll and Mr Hyde. history of Jasper Thorogood, Director internationally-renowned Ellington’s Sacred Songs. of Chelmsford Cathedral musicians. Duke Ellington described Choral Foundation said: “The The festival will be held this these songs as the most year to mark the Cathedral’s Centenary Festival looks set important thing he had ever to be a celebration of music 100th anniversary and will done and they encompass jazz, that’s not to be missed. raise funds for the Choral classical music, choral music, "We hope the programme the diocese Foundation which supports spirituals, gospel and blues. have proved highly effective, has something for everyone BOOKSHELF were inconceivable even half the work and the development The movies come to and all tastes, from big band a century ago. If you find the of the Cathedral’s choir and Chelmsford Cathedral for the to Brahms, Mendelssohn to Diocesan Chronicle letters of musicians. final concert of the festival CHELMSFORD DIOCESE – the movies. Please do join us Bishop Watts-Ditchfield The festival concerts open which features internationally at the Festival and help us THE FIRST 100 YEARS (1914-23) intimidating, just on Thursday, May 8 with one acclaimed movie accompanist, secure the future of the choral By Michael Fox imagine what he might have of Europe’s most prominent Donald MacKenzie. As house tradition at Chelmsford been like with access to chamber choir, the Joyful organist of the Odeon Cinema Cathedral.” AS one with an interest in Twitter and YouTube. Company of Singers. The Leicester Square, Donald ● Ticket prices start from 20th century history, I almost The origins and story of this choir, directed by Peter MacKenzie is known £12. To find out more or to envy Michael Fox the task of diocese is inextricably linked Broadbent, have performed worldwide for his stylish and buy tickets, please visit www. writing the history of the to London-over-the-Border, and been broadcast worldwide. entertaining accompaniments chelmsfordcathedral.org.uk/ diocese as it turns 100. and it is remarkable how the Their programme at the to silent movie classics festival or call 0333 666 3366. On the other hand, there is diocese has responded to the the challenge not only of unique challenges to serve ● compressing 100 years of this place and its growing Please confirm that written consent history into what is both a people. has been obtained from parents / slim and readable volume, Fox recounts the story of guardians of children under age 16 for and the looming presence of our response to Faith in the publication of photos publicising church Gordon Hewitt’s extensive City, the development of the activities in The Month. economic context of the time The Month, incorporating East ● history covering the first 70 set the backdrop for the latter Church Urban Fund and the Window and NB, is the free The inclusion of an advertisement years of the diocese. As Tom chapters which explore recent appeal by Bishop Waine circulation newspaper of the Church should not be taken as implying Lehrer might have put it, to history in more detail. (1986-96) raising £2m to of England in Essex and East endorsement of the objects of the “plagiarise and call it The two recurrent themes support deprived communities London (Diocese of Chelmsford). advertiser by the diocese. research” must surely have throughout the book are a in East London and www.chelmsford.anglican.org/ been tempting. diocese adapting to elsewhere. A quarter of a themonth Well, Archdeacons are extraordinary population century on it is fascinating to advertising made for such challenges. growth, and never quite see the fruits of this. Michael Fox was Archdeacon having enough money. All historical accounts are editorial of Harlow for three years and The pre-occupations of partial, in both senses, and For information about advertising in Archdeacon of West Ham while one might dispute some Bishop Allison (1951-61); The Month, please contact: for eleven, and has been a ‘every member ministry’, of Fox’s observations, the Editor: Jon Longman servant of, and it seems a decent stipend levels, and book is the better for Editorial and photographs for Glenda Charitos, Cornerstone Vision, student of, this diocese for his curate and clergy numbers, them. Fox presents with The Month should be sent to: 28 Old Park Road, Peverell, whole life. are familiar topics of diocesan commendable honesty [email protected] Plymouth, Devon PL3 4PY. Those who have not read discussion today, albeit the some of those events in our or Jon Longman, The Month, 1 Tel: 01752 225623. Fax: 01752 673441. Hewitt will not feel they have language has changed. In diocesan story when we have Bouchiers Place, Messing, Colchester e-mail: [email protected] missed out. Fox ably fact a number of familiar proved all too human in our CO5 9TY. Tel: 01621 819443. Mobile: summarises the pre-history issues recur throughout our pursuit of the divine. 07860 769906 of the diocese and the diocesan history. John Ball, Chief Executive, ● Digital photographs for publication: distribution challenges of the first half The response, however has Chelmsford Diocese Take pictures at largest size, resolution century, and whereas Hewitt changed through the century, ● The book is available, and compression.