Diocesan News April 2017 www.leeds.anglican.org Yorkshire prepares for unique Five bishops go global gathering of bishops to Durham In a unique event for a diocese Dean Jonathan Greener said: Five bishops from the diocese in the Church of England, this “It would be great for as many travelled north in March to month senior bishops and people from the diocese as join the Archbishop of York, leaders from seven countries possible to come along to show Dr John Sentamu, in a four with partnership links to the Diocese of Leeds will meet together for the first time. The church leaders will spend 31 March-9 April in the diocese with five days together on retreat at Parcevall Hall, together day mission to the diocese of with services and Durham, “Talking Jesus”. A opportunities to meet programme of imaginative with parishes and link events included Bishop James supporters. how pleased we are that our Bell at ‘Chase a bishop on visitors have made the effort to a bike’ and the Bishop of The church leaders are come to the UK.” Richmond, Paul Slater, taking Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo, part in a family cricketing Sudan; Bishop Dhiloraj Link events will take place the tournament (pictured, courtesy Canagasabey, Colombo, Sri following weekend, including Keith Blundy). Bishop Jonathan Lanka (pictured with Bishop a forum with the bishops at Gibbs joined Street Pastors Nick); Bishop George Okoth, Leeds Minster on Sunday 9 in Gateshead, while Bishop Mara, Tanzania; Bishop John April from 3.30pm, followed by Toby Howarth was in Stockton Samuel, Faisalabad, Pakistan; Evensong at 5pm. taking part in an art event, Bishop Mark Bourlakas, ‘Painting Jesus’. The former Southwestern Virginia; Bishop Bishop Nick, who writes Bishop of Bolton, Rt Revd Chris Åke Bonnier, Skara, Sweden; about the visit on page two, Edmonson, now an Assistant and Senior Matthias Rein, said, “It will be a unique Bishop in Leeds, took part in a Erfurt, Germany. international conference. We’ll ‘Bishop’s Bingo’ event. be celebrating the strength of The global gathering begins global Christianity - a hugely Durham is the third with a diocesan welcome positive message that runs Archbishop’s mission, with service at Wakefield Cathedral counter to the current narrative previous missions at Blackburn on Sunday 2 April at 3.30pm. of anti-globalisation”. (2016) and Sheffield (2015). I When worlds Shrove Tuesday collide Generosity Bishop Nick Baines WAKEFIELD More than £1k worth of foodstuffs were donated on the steps By the time you read this we of Wakefield Cathedral on will be welcoming the arrival Shrove Tuesday as a response of seven of our link bishops to its Giving Campaign for to the diocese. Last year I Lent to tackle food poverty invited the Archbishop of across the Wakefield District. Sudan, the bishops of Mara Those who brought food, (Tanzania), Colombia (Sri diverse cultures and contexts. Lanka), Faisalabad (Pakistan), We shall explore how our Southwestern Virginia (USA) partnerships across the world and Skara (Sweden), and the (in our own mini Anglican Senior of the Kirchenkreis Communion) might best be Erfurt (Germany) to visit our developed and optimised in diocese and hold a retreat/ the future. conference. In one sense this means The bishops will arrive in time allowing a number of worlds to spend a weekend around to collide. And the run up to the diocese, spend a week Holy Week is not a bad time with our bishops at Parcevall to do this - after all, Holy Hall, then spend the following Week and Easter compel us to weekend around the diocese allow our own secure worlds before going on Monday 10 to be challenged, exposed and April to Canterbury to meet addressed. Put your hopes the Archbishop of Canterbury. for eternity in a messiah who There will be a celebration then gets himself killed, and service at Wakefield Cathedral you might feel something is on Sunday afternoon 2 April not quite right. How are you includng pupils from local and a final event at Leeds supposed to make sense of schools, exchanged their gifts Minster on 9 April in the (and live with) the Prince for free pancakes and wrote afternoon. of Peace being subjected to prayers to hang on a prayer extreme violence? tree. Pictured is Revd Tim The point of all this is to bring Stevens, who demonstrated together bishops with whom The worlds collide. Violence his skills in pancake flipping. we have strong relationships, is met with forgiveness. Earth but who might not know is confronted by heaven. Fear The cathedral had invited local each other. We shall pray, is embarrassed by grace. And people, schools, churches and study, talk and debate with death is diminished by life. local businesses to join in with each other. We will begin by Happy Easter! the campaign. It is continuing learning from one another to collect further donations what it is to be a disciple, a +Nick for distribution throughout church, a bishop in our very Bishop of Leeds Lent. II Leeds based comic book Ripon couple’s explores Lent African dream LEEDS A Leeds artist has RIPON Revd John and Cathie written and illustrated a Rutter from Ripon are using Leeds-based comic book for their retirement to fulfil a long Lent. Si Smith’s comic How held dream of returning to to Disappear Completely has Africa to work with the Church been commissioned by Leeds Mission Society. The couple Church Institute and reflects first met in Nigeria in the 1970s on Christ’s 40 days in the while working with Volun- wilderness as well as some of tary Service Overseas. They the realities of life and faith in returned to Ripon 36 years ago modern-day Leeds. and since then have both been active members of the congre- Si said: “People local to Leeds gation at Holy Trinity Ripon. will recognise some of the They hoped to work at a Bible locations I’ve used, not least college in South Sudan, but the derelict council offices on fierce fighting has meant they the way out of the city to the so if you’ve got the patience, will now be heading to Uganda M621. All of the characters in and the interest you can look at to work at a refugee camp until the comic have been observed it and go, ‘Oh, yeah!’”. How to conditions allow them in. John and drawn around Leeds. I’ve Disappear Completely, a comic said: “It feels right going now. put things in there that people for Leeds and for Lent costs £5 We see this as an adventure can find, there’s hints to things, per copy and is available from and it is an opportunity to re- and there’s references to songs, LCILeeds.org. energise.” Peddling to keep warm Minster role BRADFORD Vicar HUDDERSFIELD A packed of St Stephen’s, West programme of events for all Bowling, Bradford, the the family is planned at Halifax Revd Jimmy Hinton, and Minster thanks to the appoint- Sarah Hinton, Project ment of a new member of the Manager of the Shine team. Former Calderdale head Community Project, are teacher Karen Lomas has been to take on the challenge appointed as the Minster’s Edu- of a marathon tandem cation Officer. Karen was head ride to raise the £60,000 at Savile Park Primary School needed to provide The Shine community for 12 years, and prior to that, their large Victorian church project, based at St Stephen’s deputy head at Luddenden and community centre with Church, runs exercise classes, Dene CE Junior and Infant underfloor heating. The ‘Warm jobs search clubs, arts School. Last summer she retired the Heart’ appeal aims to raise and crafts classes, refugee from teaching to spend time the money in just ninety days welcome groups and much volunteering in Nepal where through a host of sponsored more for more than 250 she taught English, helped in events and activities including, people each week. More an orphanage and shared her concerts, comedy and quiz information can be found at expertise in teacher training. nights and donations. www.warmtheheart.co.uk III News......News.....News.....News.....News.....NewsDiocese of Leeds news Farewells and Green energy Wave of Prayer tributes to saves £100k campaign Bishop James A unique green energy scheme The Archbishops of Canter- pioneered in the Leeds Diocese bury and York will be inviting Special services have been is now attracting attention from churches and worshippers taking place for several the church nationally, having across the diocese to pray months throughout the saved participating churches for the evangelisation of the Yorkshire Dales to bid farewell in the diocese more than nation during the week before to Bishop James Bell who £100,000 to date. Pentecost Sunday. retires at the end of April. At a special communion service in The diocese has been working Thy Kingdom Come has St Margaret’s Church, Hawes, in partnership with Green expanded since last year tributes were paid to the Energy Consulting to offer to include churches of all good value, 100% renewably generated electricity and natural gas to churches. So far, 109 churches have switched either their gas or electricity, or both, with an average annual saving of £775. In addition, the company has reclaimed more than £35,000 in overpaid VAT. Pictured: the Highside Jemima Parker, Environment Longsword Group show their Officer (pictured), said “It’s appreciation. denominations. Bishop Toby has urged everyone to take “approachable, kind, always an early look at the “global smiling” bishop who had “a wave of prayer” campaign. great sense of humour” and “There will be diocesan-wide who would be sadly missed celebrations.