European Anglicans (July 2020)
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European Anglicans (July 2020) Editor: Damian Thwaites, Director of Communications [email protected] Pictures: Images are reproduced courtesy of chaplaincies across the Diocese and unsplash.com Design: Amber Jackson Contact us: [email protected] @ DioceseinEurope Dear Friends, Welcome to this issue of European Anglicans, our online magazine for the Diocese. Our first two issues last year were just beginning to find a sense of balance and content. Another offering had been planned for March … and then Coronavirus lockdown came into effect. During the past three months, our web coverage has prioritised Diocesan guidance and updates on managing Covid-19, health advice from public authorities, resources for prayer and reflection during these times, information on digital resources available Damian Thwaites to support virtual worship, and great stories of chaplaincies’ digital innovations! Given where we are with lockdown now and its very gradual easing across continental Europe, I thought it would be Contents good to focus this European Anglicans specifically on the virtual 03-06 Bishop Robert’s Diocesan Synod Gathering on 23 June, Presidential Address to the sharing perspectives and preaching from June Diocesan Synod Bishop Robert and Bishop David, and Gathering reflections from our Archdeacons on the 07-10 Bishop David’s Sermon impact of Covid-19 in their areas across the Diocese. In addition, you are invited warmly to share your experiences with Reports from 11-20 us for the video we’re planning on life Archdeacons under lockdown in the Diocese. 21-24 Bishop Robert: The I hope you like the content and new look challenges that lie ahead design of this issue, and I welcome your 25-26 Diocese under Lockdown: feedback on it. Video production With good wishes, Damian 02 Presidential Address for Diocesan Synod Gathering 23 June 2020 By The Rt Revd Dr Robert Innes 03 I remember the encounter well. through phone calls, to God and to each other during It was early March, and I was appreciative messages and acts these strange times. I want to meeting an old medical friend of kindness. Jesus is alive, and extend my sincere and for lunch in Brussels. But as so is his church. appreciative thanks to our soon as I met him, he behaved clergy and lay officers, who strangely. He refused to shake have sustained church life in my hand, instead offering me I want to very difficult circumstances. his elbow. He enquired more “ Many of you have shown an than usually about my health. extend my extraordinary ability to adapt to When I told him about my sincere thanks to an on-line way of working, and travel plans, he wanted to know all you have created imaginative whether my visits were streamed or Zoom-based acts essential and whether I couldn’t of worship. Work with children cancel them. Then he began members of our chaplaincies” has continued with on-line explaining to me in great detail and congregations who have gatherings, Godly Play and about the Coronavirus, infection adapted to these changed Minecraft. Members of rates, morbidity rates, and how circumstances with remarkable chaplaincy councils have been much all our lives were going agility, and who have sustained gathering by Zoom. I am to have to change. It was a community life through these especially grateful to locum wake-up call! At that moment I strange times. Many of us live clergy who in some cases have realised the seriousness of the in countries that are not our kept up their pastoral crisis that was coming upon us. maternal home, and that poses and liturgical responsibilities And a week later we were all in additional challenges in terms even after returning ‘home’, lockdown. of making sure we understand and to churchwardens local rules and expectations. It managing their chaplaincies So it is that, since March, for can feel particularly lonely when during a vacancy. I am very the great majority of us, our travel is banned, when you aware that this work is tiring lives have been transformed. can’t visit family or when you and that relationships are We have been physically are confined to your own home. harder to maintain over the isolated from one another, and So I am truly grateful to the ether than face to face. Thank our church buildings have been whole baptised people of God you all so much for your skilled closed. At a personal level, my in each place for the way you and patient service and niece’s church wedding has have adapted and cared and leadership during this first half been cancelled, and the funeral prayed and stayed faithful of 2020. of a priest in our family is taking place at the crem. with max 20 people present. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have been massive on physical wellbeing, mental health, on our elderly, on our children, on our young people. Covid-19 is a social, health and economic crisis across Europe of a magnitude unparalleled in our generation. In these conditions of fear and uncertainty, church life has been especially important. Our buildings have been closed. But the community of the church Licensing of Archdeacon has been meeting virtually and Leslie Nathaniel, October 2019 pastoral care has continued 04 “ 2019 was a very difficult year...and yet, in many respects our Diocese more than survived – it thrived! 2019, when things were The strengthening of our has weathered the storms” so ‘normal’, now seems a long Diocese that these new well is a tribute to a strong and time ago. But we recall that appointments represent has, cohesive senior team, and to 2019 had its own stresses, I believe, been vital for us to office staff who have most particularly the uncertainty meet the challenges of our adapted cheerfully to very of the ‘whether’, ‘when’ and time. During the crisis, both different patterns of working, I ‘how’ of Brexit. Many in our bishops, the Chief Operating am very grateful to all our Diocese faced real fears Officer and Director of diocesan staff for their regarding residence status, Communications have been dedicated efforts to support the health care rights, pensions and meeting weekly. In addition, a mission of the diocese in trying employment. It was a very wider Coronavirus times. difficult year. And yet, in many Co-ordinating Group that respects, our Diocese more includes the archdeacons have But to run an effective Diocese than survived – it thrived! Along also been meeting weekly. costs money. And two-thirds of with Bishop David, I had the Bishop David and I have been that money comes from privilege of visiting many writing every two weeks to our Common Fund contributions chaplaincies over the year and clergy, readers and from our chaplaincies. 2019 it was a joy to see at first hand churchwardens to give you represented the second of the vibrant life of our what advice we can about three years of increases to congregations and to hear operating chaplaincy life Common Fund in line with the stories of people coming to and properly and safely. We have Financial Plan approved by growing in Christian faith. At a held a number of pan-diocesan Diocesan Synod. diocesan level we continued to Zoom events for clergy, strengthen our commitment in readers, churchwardens, most I am delighted, humbled and particular to safeguarding, recently in connection with thankful that, despite the very archidiaconal ministry and Black Lives Matter. These have uncertain wider environment, communications. Andrew been well attended and have chaplaincies contributed 94% of Caspari took up his post as been important in building our the requested Common Fund in Chief Operating Officer and sense of being a part of the 2019. Susan Stelfox as Head of wider diocese. In our Brussels Finance, whilst Grace Fagan office we have had twice This is a huge achievement, and joined us as Safeguarding weekly meetings by Zoom for I am greatly heartened by your Manager. Leslie Nathaniel all staff, and in our London generosity. Moreover, some 20 and David Waller became Office these meetings have chaplaincies made contributions free-standing full-time happened daily. All contributions to the Hardship Archdeacons and Ian Tarrant organisations whether public or Fund, in addition to the was appointed to be our new private sector, charitable sector Common Fund. Please know Dean in Gibraltar. or churches have found these my deep appreciation for your last months deeply challenging. generous gifts, freely given. The fact that our diocese 05 During the crisis, we have all of staff to deliver this project and a draft of the book has felt financial stresses. Those will begin very soon. At the been sent to external readers chaplaincies that rely on income same time, we hope to ranging from academic from plate collections, special contribute to a similar project theologians to lay people in the events, bookings of premises run by Age in Spain and based Church of England to readers and visitors have been in Barcelona. from the wider Anglican particularly badly hit. Because Communion. However, of these stresses, the Diocesan I am going to say more about precisely because of the Board of Finance took the future challenges and future importance of the project, the exceptional decision to give plans a little later. But for now, bishops have felt that the work back £0.5m, made up of an the Archdeacon of Switzerland should not be published until across the board Common Fund will be talking to us shortly and the pandemic situation rebate plus hardship grants will mention the Setting God’s allows us to give it proper to those chaplaincies most in People Free agenda.