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ISSUE 95 Parish news from north of Petersfield to the Isle of Wight FEBRUARY 2011 Almost 70 years of This man will help us service at one church to explore big issue My Faith: page 12 Women bishops: page 3 Learning ‘The Christian about our Church in experience the world CLERGY, Readers and lay lead- ers from across our diocese will learn more about the Church’s and the love role in the world at our next diocesan conference. The 2011 conference, the first with Bishop Christopher as our bishop, will take place from of God ran September 19-21 at High Leigh Conference Centre near Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire. Confirmed conference speak- ers include Diederich Santer, a through his TV producer whose credits include Eastenders, and whose father Mark was . He can talk about how faith is portrayed on TV. veins’ Another is Mark Russell, chief executive of the missionary organisation the Church Army, who is an advocate of evangel- ism in the wider Church. The planning team for the conference is led by Canon David Isaac, Head of our Mission and Discipleship section. REST IN PEACE “We usually have a diocesan conference every five years, but HE loved our diocese – wife, Sarah, their four children his veins. He offered a huge Provost of Portsmouth Cathedral we have brought this one for- and we loved him as and the rest of the family. amount of affection to people in and , and the ward by a year, to reflect a new our father in God. Now And tributes have been paid his family and with whom he Very Rev John Hall, dean of era with a new bishop,” he said. to his life and ministry from worked, and he loved people to Westminster Abbey. we pray that he rests “The broad theme is building friends, colleagues and commu- respond in love and friendship. The music Kenneth chose for awareness of the kind of world in peace and rises in nity leaders across the UK. “I shall miss him deeply. He the funeral included Mozart’s in which the Church is called to glory. One of the most poignant was a close personal friend and Sparrow Mass and organ music be missionary. In that sense, we Bishop Kenneth died peace- came from his great friend the Rt we had spoken two or three by Bach and the Danish compos- want input from people who can fully on January 12 after a short Rev . He was times a week since he was first er Dieterich Buxtehude. The Rev tell us what people outside the illness. Friends, colleagues and Bishop of from 1994- diagnosed with leukaemia.” Laurence Whitley, Dean of Church think about us.” worshippers gave thanks for his 2003 and The Funeral Service for the Glasgow, a friend since child- Around 180 clergy, Readers life of faith at his funeral in our from 2003-2009, and preached at Kenneth William Stevenson, hood, read Listen Sweet Dove. and lay members of our diocese cathedral on January 26. Bishop Kenneth’s funeral. Eighth Bishop of Portsmouth, The pastor of a Danish will be invited to attend. His successful earlier treat- “I saw him in hospital before included a Sung Eucharist cele- church in London helped to lead Coaches will be provided from ment for leukaemia had led to a he died and he was very much at brated by Kenneth’s brother-in- parts of the service in Danish, venues across the diocese. deterioration in his overall health peace,” he said. “I’d known him law, the Rt Rev David Tustin, and tributes from his children The conference will also fea- and physical resilience to infec- since he was a curate in former Bishop of Grimsby. James, Elizabeth, Kitty and ture an introduction from tion. In his final days, he asked Lincolnshire in the 1970s. Another brother-in-law, the Alexandra were printed in the Bishop Christopher, a variety of for palliative care only. “In many ways he was a big , the Rt Rev order of service. worship services in different Worshippers across our dio- person. The Christian experience Peter Forster, led prayers with  TRIBUTES TO BISHOP styles, Bible study led by a cese have been praying for his and the love of God ran through Bishop David Stancliffe, former KENNETH: see pages 8-9. prominent scholar, and a confer- ence dinner.