Annual Report (For the Year Ending 31St December 2019)

Home , Bridgend Deanery, Merthyr Mawr, Tythegston

The Diocese of Llandaff Bywoliaeth Laleston a Merthyr Mawr gyda Pen-y-Fai

The Benefice of Laleston and Merthyr Mawr with Pen-y-Fai

Annual Report (for the year ending 31st December 2019)

Bywoliaeth Laleston a Merthyr Mawr gyda Pen-y-Fai

The Benefice of Laleston and Merthyr Mawr with Pen-y-Fai

Annual Report for the year ending 31st December 2019

Lent 2019 – and as part of the Diocesan Lenten observances, Bishop June and our three Diocesan Archdeacons announced that 2020 – the 100th anniversary of the formation of The Church in Wales – would also be designated as a “Year of Pilgrimage”.

Of course the very nature of a Pilgrimage is that it is a journey into the unknown.

Pilgrimage may start with some fixed destination in mind, but how the traveller reaches that destination is anything but fixed…. and as such, a Pilgrimage becomes a journey that can take the traveller along many different, unexpected and unanticipated routes.

In many ways, Pilgrimage is all about making oneself vulnerable and open to new experiences and new journeys, being receptive to the path less travelled and rendering oneself dependent on the kindness of others.

As such (and as the Scallop shell symbol of pilgrim routes symbolises), there will be many roads that lead to a single end- point, but Pilgrimages themselves are widely considered to be more about the journey than the destination.

As I write in early February, even though the Year of Pilgrimage has begun, I think it would be fair to say that (both in our Benefice and across the Diocese) we have still yet to truly identify how it is that we can authentically engage with this initiative so that it won’t just be seen as some kind of elaborate – but largely stereotypical - means by which to celebrate our 100th birthday.

In order to do so, we will need to allow our “Year of Pilgrimage” to take us down paths that – perhaps even now – we cannot foresee, but paths that will take us beyond our comfort zones and out into the world; paths that will force us to set aside for a while our usual concerns about buildings and policies, paths that will bring us face-to-face with our fears (and with other people) and require us to think about how we engage with our communities in revitalised, new or different ways, on revitalised, new or different levels, through new and different means …. and to make visible (again) the face of Christ in the parts of the world where we live, work and spend our leisure time.

It is of course a big “ask” of any community or organisation, let alone one that is already busy and active and embroiled in the minutiae of day-to-day “life”, and anything other than a cursory glance through the pages of this Annual Report for 2019, will show beyond any doubt, that our own Benefice (and each of the three churches that make up our worshipping community), certainly lives up to those “busy” and “active” labels.

It is said that we show our nature and where our priorities lie by virtue of the things to which we give our attention …. so perhaps, then, the question that presents itself to us as we journey deeper into this Year of Pilgrimage, is whether or not the things with which we are busy and active – the things to which we give our energies - are indicative of our nature (and where we place our priorities) and do they point, or lead, us towards things of the Gospel that matter deeply to us as 21st century followers of Jesus , and as pilgrims on a journey of faith? ….

As I’ve already mentioned, we are an incredibly busy and active Benefice – and I am especially grateful that it falls largely to the church wardens, the treasurers and the various representatives of the groups associated with our churches, to recount in more detail how 2019 has unfolded for each individual church.

What follows (across the next 30 pages or so) are detailed accounts of the life of our various churches – enough to take your breath away really, but also (hopefully) testament to a group of churches that are growing together whilst maintaining their individual identities and doing so across a wide spectrum of the threads that make for life.

I am grateful to all of the contributors to this Report, not just for the reports they have provided, but for the phenomenal amounts of work, time effort and energy that they invest into leading all of these differing elements of church life through the year.

“Church” does not simply happen, and neither do any of the things that go into the making of it, so from wardens, treasurers, secretaries and PCC/Church Council members, all the way through to organists, musicians, those who look after our buildings and churchyards, website and Facebook managers, Sunday school leaders, baptism, wedding and funeral helpers, group leaders, committee members, charity campaign co-ordinators, linen washers, eucharistic ministers, choristers, bell- ringers, supplies orderers, readers, tea and coffee makers, event organisers…, the list is huge (and there are a significant number of you who fulfil more than one of those roles)….. but to all of you - and to any whose role has escaped me in this moment – I would just like to say a heartfelt and very big “thank you”, because our worship and our witness, and our efforts to be the body of Christ in this part of Bridgend – would be all the poorer without you.

I must – however - pay particular tribute and thanks to the Benefice Leadership Team composed of the wardens (Delyth Parry, Olga Woolfenden, Chris Stone, Lesley Davies and Sue Bennett) plus Penny Williams and Arwyn Morgan who have put a huge amount of work into the year. No-one should underestimate the work and commitment required from your Church Wardens (something which extends to far more than what is observed on a Sunday) … but should you ever want to know about what being a Warden is all about, then we have pulled together a “job description” - as it were – essential reading for any who may be interested in standing for election in our Vestry Meetings. Just let me know and I’ll send you a copy.

Additional thanks are also due from me to those who have helped deliver services throughout the year. This help has come principally from our readers Penny and Arwyn, and from some enormously loved and valued retired clergy in Rev’d Mike Lewis, Rev’d Stephen Pare, Rev’d Pauline Williams, Rev’d Canon David Lewis, Rev’d Anthony (Tony) Turner and Rev’d Canon Edward Evans: without their help the Sunday worship pattern would be very very different indeed. Other worship leaders have made no less a contribution and so my thanks also go to Jenny Morgan and Delyth Parry, to Lesley Davies, Mary Lewis and to Olga Woolfenden. Without the diligence and willingness to step-into-the-breach of all of them, our worship patterns would look very different, and our worship would be so much less varied and nourishing.

Special mention also needs to be made by way of thanking Mary Lewis who in 2019 stepped down from her role as Warden at St Teilo’s – although I suspect Mary hasn’t completely “stepped down”, she’s just had a little more time to put her energies into some other things for which we’re incredibly grateful. Additional and huge thanks go to Ann Butler who stepped down as Branch Leader of the Laleston Mother’s Union – our huge thanks to Ann for all of her work with MU including (but by no means only) her wonderful guiding of the Branch through its 90th birthday celebrations in 2018.

2019 has been a busy and active year. It’s a year where necessity meant that the Benefice not only did a dizzying array of things, but a year when the Benefice became a little more empowered, where significant results were achieved in the development of projects, where worship continued to grow and where – for the first time in a few years – we managed to make retreat and to do it with a difference!

It has been a truly busy and productive year, one for which you should all take great credit. It has given us much food for reflection, and it has also helped to build that springboard from which we can launch ourselves into the tasks that we know lie before us, and also onto the paths unknown that lie in wait and beckon us to walk their way. I trust that 2020 may give us chance to engage with both but that this time of report, review – and celebration - may also be that time to reflect, fall quiet for a while, say thank you for all we’ve been given and to breathe again before pushing on.

So thank you for the journey through 2019 and welcome to the Pilgrimage that is – and will be – 2020. I wonder what we found from 2019 that matters deeply to us… and I wonder what journeys still lie waiting for, beckoning, us …and what lies upon those paths, waiting to be discovered? Happy Travelling !!

Diolch yn fawr iawn I chi gyd, Yours in Christ

Anthony Beer February 2020

1. Description of the Benefice. The Benefice of Laleston & Merthyr Mawr with Pen-y-Fai is situated in Bridgend in the County Borough of Bridgend. It is in the Deanery of Bridgend and the Diocese of Llandaff.

2. Dedications of the churches within the Benefice and their locations.

St David Laleston St Teilo Merthyr Mawr All Saints Pen-y-Fai

3. Object and Constitution

The mission of the Benefice is to advance the Christian religion through local and worldwide activities.

The Benefice comprises three churches in two Parishes – each Parish has its own Parochial Church Council: each individual Church has its own Treasurer and accounts. Joint costs e.g. clergy expenses, parish share are paid proportionately through the Benefice treasurer and Benefice account.

The object of the Parochial Church Council’s (PCC’s) is to ensure that the life and work of the Church within the respective parishes helps to fulfil this mission, both locally and more widely. It is regulated by the Constitution of the Church in Wales.

Both PCC’s hold an Annual Vestry Meeting and ensure that every member of the Council signs a declaration that they will be bound by the Constitution.

The PCC’s are responsible inter alia for promoting the mission of the Church, for the respective parochial budgets and all expenditure thereunder, the care and maintenance of the Church fabric and of the churchyard and for action on any other matter referred to in accordance with the Constitution.

The PCC’s are also the normal channel of communication between the parishioners and the Bishop of the Diocese

4. Names and addresses

Incumbent: Rev’d. Anthony Beer The Vicarage, Rogers Lane, Laleston, CF32 0LB

Bankers: Lloyds Bank PLC, Wyndham Street Bridgend,

Benefice Account

Heading Balance at 1.1.2019 3,317 Summary of 2019 activity Income 50,143 Expenditure 50,292 Overall Loss 150

Balance at 31.12.2019 3,167

The Benefice Account receives a monthly standing order from each of the three churches making up the Benefice. This standing order covers the Parish Share (Quota) & extra benefice expenses and is calculated on a proportionate basis. There is no fundraising or other income stream for this account. Further details on the income and expenditure for this account are available on request to [email protected] . The details in this summary have been independently verified before going to print.

5. General Pattern of Sunday Services in the Benefice

Services in the Benefice of Laleston & Merthyr Mawr with Pen-y-Fai through 2019

Week St. David’s, Laleston All Saints, Pen-y-Fai St. Teilo’s, Merthyr Mawr 10.30 10.30 10.30 1 Morning Prayer Holy Eucharist / Holy Eucharist Morning Prayer (08.30 Holy Eucharist) 2 Benefice Eucharist (Rotates through the Benefice churches) 3 Holy Eucharist/ Holy Eucharist Holy Eucharist/ Morning Prayer Morning Prayer

(08.30 Holy Eucharist) 4 Holy Eucharist Morning Prayer Morning Prayer

(08.30 Holy Eucharist) 5 1100 (am) Shared (Benefice) worship followed by bring and share lunch (Rotates through the Benefice churches)

6. The Parish of All Saints, Pen-y-Fai - description of the way the Parish is organised

The Parish of All Saints, Pen-y-Fai is a single-church parish and has it own Parochial Church Council (PCC), made up of elected representatives from the congregation.

The PCC meets on a regular basis to manage the affairs of All Saints Church, together with a treasurer and a secretary. The Church has its own accounts and deals with specific areas of expenditure eg insurance, repairs, some consumables, thus managing the day-to-day running of the Church. Pro-rata amounts are deposited into the Benefice Account for maintenance of ministry and the Parish Share – this is paid by monthly standing order.

The Treasurer coordinates the Gift Aid Giving in the Benefice and manages the Inland Revenue rebates,

7. Names of all persons who were PCC members during the financial year and any Parochial Office held.

Revd Anthony Beer Priest-in-Charge & Chair Mrs Delyth Parry People's Warden Vacant Vicar’s Warden Mr Adrian Kendall Treasurer Mrs Eirwen Owen Secretary Mrs Penny Williams Co-opted, Licensed Reader Mrs Jennifer Morgan Elected Mr Robert Lyn Baker Elected Mrs Elaine Austin Elected Mr Philip Austin Elected Mrs Geraldine Rees Elected Mrs Sian Lewis Elected Mr David Southwood Elected

Finance

Opening and Closing balances for the three All Saints accounts are detailed below and more detailed (independently examined) accounts will be presented to the Annual Vestry Meeting.

Accounts summaries

All Saints General (Unrestricted) Account Summary Bankers: Santander, Adare Street, Bridgend

Heading Balance at 1.1.2019 24,987* Overall Loss 112

Balance at 31.12.2019 24,875** NB * - This figure takes into account (ie reflects the balance after) cheques issued but not presented at the start of year (and accounting for £315) have been transacted. The actual amount physically in the account was £25,302.

NB ** - This figure takes into account (ie reflects the balance after) cheques issued but not presented by end of year (and accounting for £979) have been transacted. The actual amount physically in the account was £25,854

All Saints General (Unrestricted Deposit) Account Summary Bankers: Santander, Adare Street, Bridgend

Heading Balance at 1.1.2019 26,176 Overall Surplus 158

Balance at 31.12.2019 26, 334

Churchyard Account Bankers: HSBC, Dunraven Place, Bridgend

Heading Balance at 1.1.2019 8,948 Overall Loss 241

Balance at 31.12.2018 8,707

NB: Further detail on these accounts (and those presented to the AVM) will be available on request to [email protected] .

8. Church Report for All Saints, Pen-y-Fai

I would like to begin by thanking everyone who has supported and helped me in my role as warden this past year and since I took over the role. If I start to mention everyone by name, then I am sure to leave someone out – so this is a whole encompassing ‘Thank You’ to everyone. There are many who should be named but I respect their wishes in not naming them – but a special thanks to those people.

In the past year we continued reaching out into the community as we welcomed many visitors to church, many who have never been inside the church even though they live in the area. We have welcomed many through our very successful ‘Pop Up Cafes’ (6 in all have been held). These visitors have been encouraged to look around the church either before or after having a tasty lunch. Thanks to the volunteers from church who not only baked but spent their time either helping in the cafe or answering questions and guiding the visitors around the church.

We have been delighted to build on our links with Pen-y-Fai CiW School, and as part of that, we have frequently welcomed pupils from the school as they have taken services in church (both for the whole school and for parents of different classes who have had chance to lead worship) as well as visiting our cafe. We also hosted our Benefice service for November 2019 in school and would like to thank Clive the school-caretaker for opening up and helping us to have such a lovely morning, worshiping in our community.

We continued together with the parents, to be delighted by the Christmas concerts held by the Schoolhouse Nursery and the parents were grateful for the refreshments offered by the church members. Thank you again to those church-members who gave of their time.

There was a noticeable increase in the congregation on Remembrance Sunday when the local guides, scouts and their parents attended church. There was also a packed church when All Saints played host to the district Scouting and Guiding groups for their Carol Service.

Our outreach to the community has continued with the publication of the Postcard. There has been a steady increase in circulation throughout the year and we were also happy and grateful to receive a Diocesan Grant towards the costs associated with the early production of the Postcard – thank you David for continuing with this outreach work.

Jocelyn and the Knit and Natter group continue to support the local community in Bridgend, with donations of knitted items being sent to Flying Start, The Zone, as well as to other organisations and many other worthy causes. The W.I. continue to use the Community Room for their craft sessions and constitutional meetings and Councillor Altaf Hussain holds his surgery consultation sessions there on a regular basis.

We continue to hold our Morning Prayer in school on the last Tuesday of the month and are regularly joined by some staff members as well as by Mr. Street the headmaster. We feel that as a church we are ‘Telling our Joyful Story’ in many ways. Not only have we been reaching out to the community as I have previously indicated, but in the fact that any things we have done in the past have become more successful and thus needed reorganising.

On the Christmas theme last year’s Christingle was such a great success with the church overflowing with children and parents – it was felt that it needed reorganising. This year the service itself was held on the Sunday afternoon with 2 further Carol Services held on Christmas Eve. These services were organised by Penny and the new pattern made a significant difference to the issue of overcrowding, making the services a far more meaningful and enjoyable experience. Suffice to report that they were a great success and huge thanks to those who came up with the solution to a happy problem!

The ‘Posada’ went ‘walkabout’ once again this year with Mary and Joseph enjoying the added company of a dog, cat and penguin.

We continue as a church to increase our capacity for good, as we continue to support our various charities. This year with the funds raised by the cafe in church, we have been able to support more local charities and we plan to continue in this way in the forthcoming year.

This year as a Benefice we have also continued to grow and flourish. There is a growing support for the joint Benefice services held on the second Sunday of the month as well as for the joint services held on the fifth Sunday when we celebrate with a ‘bring and share’ lunch afterwards. There has been an increase in donations to the food bank as well as to the hygiene bank - thank you Linda for being willing to take these donations and ensure they get where they are needed.

Many of us from the Benefice joined together for 4 days to attend a retreat at Llangasty. We were able to share social and spiritual time together and we all felt that we had taken part in something special. We were introduced to films we might otherwise never have watched – all with a hidden meaning in one way or another. Some were very hard to watch while others brought tears of laughter. We hope to repeat this again this year – a few days in good company and very worthwhile spiritually as well.

We continue to enjoy fellowship with each other in a lighter vein, as we come together for various functions during the year. These continue to be well supported. Thank you all.

We have had a fluctuation in attendance this year – not helped by two months when we had no heating in church. However the Sunday Morning parent/child group continues to thrive under the guidance of Trisha Owen and her daughter Lisa.

Everyone in the congregation looks forward to hear the children report on their activities in the ‘show and tell’ session at the end of the morning service. It is a credit to Trish and Lisa that the group is thriving and that the children all enjoy their time in church – ‘thank you’ to you both.

A growing number of the congregation still participate in the ‘Open the Book’ assembly sessions at various local schools, thanks to the organising skills of Val Trimlett. They are always made to feel welcome and valued by pupils and staff alike. We also join with other churches in the A.D.U.C group to hold our Lenten lunches where again all donations are collected together and given to a local charity.

Our bell ringers still help happy couples celebrate their wedding day and the bells ring out to tell everyone that a happy event is taking place.

During this past year we have celebrated with each other and with the community the wonderful story of the church and the teachings of Jesus. We will continue to celebrate and build God’s Kingdom in any way we can.

Thank you everyone for your support this year and in the past 6 years that I have been warden. Thank you, Delyth. Delyth Parry February 2020

All Saints Sunday Group

All Saints church run a Sunday group for children during the Sunday morning service. The group meet in the community room and is run by Trisha, one of our congregation. Trisha is a retired teacher and is supported by her daughter Lisa. We usually have around 6 – 10 children aged between 5 and 12 though we welcome any age. Trisha bases the activities on ‘Searchlights’ by David Adams which links to the Gospel reading for the day. The children usually listen to an interactive story then do something written or creative linked to what they have learned. We are very lucky that All Saints has a sound system so the Sunday group are able to hear and follow the service. During Eucharist the children go to the altar for a blessing or communion then go to join the congregation for the final prayers and hymns. For family services, for example, on Mothering Sunday we stay in the congregation for the whole service. In addition to encouraging us to come “front and centre” for certain “special” services in the year, Father Anthony always makes time for ‘show and tell’ at the end of each service. The children are called to the front and show the congregation the things they have written / made. They will sometimes sing a song they have learned. The children love this and it makes them feel very special. The children take an active part in many of the special services through the year and are sometimes given the opportunity to lead part of the service for example, the Christingle service at Christmas. Lisa Hogan February 2020

Bell Ringers

The bell ringers had another busy year - included in this was the relaying of a carpet in the ringing chamber. The previous carpet had been damaged towards the end of last year (2018) when we had the flood - in fact it soaked up a lot of water and saved the church / chamber from much greater damage. Our thanks go to Gwyn and Ken who with a lot of effort managed to get the damaged carpets down the stairs and dispose of them.

The new carpet was laid and thanks to all who contributed to clearing and cleaning the ringing chamber before this was done.

The sound of the bells calling people to worship on a Sunday morning is not just very special (and long may it continue) but also one of those ways in which we as a community constantly ring out (or “tell”) our joyful story.

Villagers often remark about how much they enjoy hearing the bells, notably on Monday evenings when the team practice, and how good they find it as a reminder that we are here in the heart of the village.

Thank you to the team as a whole. Delyth Parry February 2020

9. The Parish of Laleston & Merthyr Mawr - description of the way the Parish is organised

The Parish of Laleston & Merthyr Mawr is made up of two churches – St David’s, Laleston and St Teilo’s, Merthyr Mawr.

There is a shared Parochial Church Council which is made-up of elected representatives from both Churches. The PCC meets on a regular basis to consider over-arching concerns but there is no shared account.

Each individual church has its own Church Council that meets regularly to manage the affairs of the respective Churches. Each Council has its own treasurer and secretary. Each church has its own accounts and deals with specific areas of expenditure eg insurance, repairs, some consumables, thus managing the day-to-day running of the Church.

Pro-rata amounts are deposited into the Benefice Account for maintenance of ministry and the Parish Share – these are paid by monthly standing order.

Mr Martin Edey – Benefice Treasurer - coordinates the Gift Aid Giving for St David’s and manages the Inland Revenue rebates. Mr Paul Fenney, Treasurer, performs the same function at St Teilo’s.

Ø St David’s Church also has a number of groups / committees operating under the umbrella of the Church Council

i) St David’s Social Committee Is a constituted group whose aim is to raise funds for the repair and maintenance of the fabric of St David’s Church and St David’s Church Hall.

The Committee has its own Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Accounts and has sole responsibility for the discharge of the funds that they raise. Projects that require funding from the Social Committee are first considered and approved by the Church Council who will then make a separate approach to the Social Committee to ask if the Committee will release funds. The Committee’s constitution does not permit them to get involved in general fundraising (ie to meet running costs) or charitable donations. ii) St David’s Church Hall

St David’s Church has a Church Hall which is regularly used by outside bodies e.g. playgroup, cubs, scouts, brownies, weight-watchers. Bookings of the Hall have been managed by Tiffany & James Morgan and we offer them our grateful thanks for undertaking this role. Payments for hire of the hall go into the general Church Accounts

General maintenance overseen by the Church Hall Restoration Group.

iii) St David’s Church Hall Restoration St David’s Church Hall has – for some years – been identified as being in need of significant refurbishment.

In 2015 a Committee was established with the specific brief to try and raise funds that would enable the refurbishment to take place without depleting or exhausting general church funds. The Committee has overseen the development of the wider project and its division into a number of phases. Phase 1 covers the roof and 2 doors: Phase 2a, the remaining doors and windows: Phases 2b, 3 and 4 cover the remainder including new ceilings, heating, toilets, floors, disability access and internal/external decoration.

The development of a phased approach has broken the project into more achievable parts; significant progress was made during 2017 with Phases 1 and 2a completed. In 2019 further funds were secured through a successful application to The Big Lottery Fund for a People and Places Medium Grant. This means that the remaining phases of refurbishment/redevelopment will be completed during 2020. The group has its own Treasurer and accounts.

10. Names of all persons who were PCC members during the financial year and any Parochial Office held.

Revd Anthony Beer Priest-in-Charge & Chair

Mrs Lesley Davies Vicars Warden, St David’s Mrs Susan Bennett People’s Warden, St David’s Mr Christopher Stone People’s Warden, St Teilo’s Mrs Olga Woolfenden Vicar’s Warden St. Teilo’s, and PCC Secretary Mr Martin Edey Benefice Treasurer, St David’s Mrs Carys Brown Treasurer, St David’s Mr Paul Fenney Treasurer, St Teilo’s Mrs Elaine Beer Elected, St David’s Mrs Christine Brewer Elected, St David’s Mrs Menna David Elected, St David’s Mrs Christina Bach Elected, St David’s Mrs Wendy Edey Elected, St David’s Mr John Hawking Elected, St David’s Ms Elizabeth Thomas Co-opted, St David’s Mrs Val Turner Elected, St Teilo’s Mrs Jan Fenney Elected, St Teilo’s Mr Arwyn Morgan Elected, St Teilo’s Mr Tom Green Elected, St Teilo’s Mrs Ann Morgan Elected, St Teilo’s Mrs Cheryl Green Elected, St Teilo’s Mrs Mary Lewis Elected, St Teilo’s Mr Roger Sellick Elected, St Teilo’s

11. Individual Church Reports

St David’s, Laleston

Well here we are in 2020 and where has the last year gone?

We have had another busy year and have had some new things brought to us. A new Diocesan Vision was introduced at the beginning of Lent which – in addition to naming 2020 as a “Year of Pilgrimage” also put flesh on the bones of the Diocesan five-year initiative “Where faith Matters” – an initiative that involves renewing our hope and committing ourselves to Telling a Joyful Story, Growing the Kingdom of God, and Working together to Build a Capacity for Good.

During Lent, sessions were held in Margam Abbey to listen, question and discuss the details contained within the Vision document – this within our own archdeaconry. The evenings were well attended by our congregations and the refreshments following gave everyone a further opportunity to chat and discuss things.

Our Lenten Reflection services continue to be liked and well attended, certainly better-so than if we ran traditional “bible study” sessions - and they (again) rotated through each of our churches. The Holy Week services were also very much appreciated and well attended, not just in our own church, but across all three Benefice churches. Our own participation in attendance at Devotions at the foot of the Cross was particularly moving. Easter Day services with renewal of Baptismal vows were held in each church and ours was enjoyed by everyone.

Also during this period, on Shrove Tuesday the Mothers Union held their Pancake Tea (which was well enjoyed by everyone) and hosted a service – the only one across the whole of Bridgend Deanery – for the World Day of Prayer (formerly known as the “Women’s World Day of Prayer”). This year’s service was originally written by women in Slovenia and was intended to draw attention to issues within that country, and to help raise funds to provide aid. Also in regard to Mother’s Union, a new Branch Leader has been appointed. We thank Ann Butler for her years {7,I think}, of service, commitment and encouragement, and we welcome Mrs Frances McConnville, who has kindly stepped into the role.

Mothering Sunday was a Benefice Service at St. David’s and was lovely. It was also a “5th” Sunday which gave us all a great opportunity to catch up and chat.

Our Harvest celebrations included an individual service and an additional, Benefice Harvest Songs of Praise which was well supported. Thanks to all who participated in this. The church was beautifully decorated and projected what we imagine Harvest is and should be. Remembrance Day is another emotive occasion, and this was no different. The Church was appropriately bare apart from the ceremonial wreaths which were placed during the service. Rev’d Mike Lewis led a poignant and thankful service.

November was also notable for our 1st (Benefice) confirmation in five years as Menna David was confirmed in St. Theodore’s Church in Kenfig Hill by Bishop June. It was a lovely occasion and she was supported by many of our congregation. Menna had already been baptised, but having been on quite a journey, felt that the time was right to confirm those vows for herself and to take that next step forward on her own journey of faith. For those who came, the service itself was filled with affirmation and meaning, and in its own way invigorated those already confirmed … thank you Menna.

Advent and Christmas Celebrations for 2019 have been inclusive, modern, traditional and varied.

For our own worshipping community, we had a lovely Carols and Lessons Service (complete with Christmas jumpers), and feedback was warm. In addition, however, we have hosted Carol Services for the Trefoil Guild, the Soroptimists, and the Rotary Club with Maes yr Heol School Choir (which packed the church to more than overflowing).

The Father Christmas service which we offer to the community was very well attended this year, and our Fancy Dress (Crib) Nativity Service also saw St David’s filled with people and exuberant joy, and the very last child to be baptised this year in our church, Aaliyah, was one of four real “live” Baby Jesus’ who graced the manger.

Our “new” service for this year was a “modern singalong service of Christmas Carols and Christmas songs. Hosted on Christmas Eve at 4pm, it exceeded all expectations as St David’s was packed tighter than a tin of fish! Absolutely everyone sang their hearts out, and the look of joy on everyone’s face, both adult and child was a vision to behold. Anthony observed that in the days before Christmas, it had been reported that there were now more Foodbank centres in the UK than there were McDonald’s, and as people sang “Feed the World” a collection was made for the Foodbank…. and the response was amazing. Glanrhyd also thanked us for our Christmas collection for their patients.

We also had various other things going on this year. Time for Tea continues to attract a good response and to perform an increasingly important function for those who rarely get a chance to venture into social situations. More recently we have managed to attract some outside visitors, which we hope will continue.These teas, including that in the Vicarage garden, thanks to Elaine have enabled us to support several charities.

We continue to support Bridgend Foodbank and Hygiene Bank with our monthly Benefice collections. This year for Foodbank, we also supported Simon Partridge (from Pen y Fai) in his London Marathon run. Well Done Simon, and we sponsored Anthony “Running for the Loo” in the Great South Run (I’m sure those loos must be a godsend!) and in his quest to “Brave the Shave” for Marie Curie Cancer Care. The response to both (combined) raised well over £2,000 … and Anthony? Well, he looks different and wears woolly hats a lot more….but he says that he likes the new-look!

Other things to have taken place in St David’s this year have included a Bell Ringing Competition in May. This was particularly noteworthy because we have a beautiful set of bells and no-one to ring them, so it was a great joy to hear them being rung out across the village and beyond for several hours.

Socially, the Benefice trip to St Fagans, with its St Teilo’s church service and lunch was greatly enjoyed, and this year we also had an extended Benefice Retreat to Llangasty. Everyone gets something different from retreat, but those who went have talked about experiencing a mixture of calm, release, exhilaration, understanding, and even amazement, as Anthony led a retreat that was orientated around worship, togetherness and watching / chatting about films. Worship was varied but had some consistent themes, whilst the films ranged from the easy-going to the intense, from fairy-tale to harsh reality, and from secular to religious …. The response from those who went was glowing and we look forward to another Retreat in the coming year.

Our Summer Fete was another success. Perhaps not as busy as in previous years, but a lovely fine day, and a good sum of money made. Thank you to everyone who participated in anyway. Apart from these things, we have had lots of other things going on: Cheryl and Tom Green hosted an Italian Night in September and raised a wonderful £300 for Water Aid. We really must do this again. We also had a great night in the Mackworth, with a Quiz night and supper, as well as a Benefice Quiz, Raffle and Supper at the Pheasant.

We also need to say thank you to Carys for organising our Pre Christmas Lunch at the Atlantic Hotel in Porthcawl. It was lovely.

Finally, we must also give thanks for the refurbishment of our Church doors, they truly are magnificent and on the inside, the new curtains are beautiful. Together they have made a delightful difference and we have recently had several visitors who have commented and complimented us on them. Many thanks. Lesley Davies and Susan Bennett February 2020

St David’s Church Social Committee

Funds This year the Social Committee has organised four events. From the monies raised the following payments were made - £3508 for the rebuilding of the Church wall and £250 for the Church floodlighting.

The monies generated by the events organised by the Social Committee play an important role not only in maintaining the financial viability of the Church, but in ensuring that the fabric of the Church is kept in good order and in contributing to the project to renovate the Church Hall.

Events It is again pleasing to note that all the events organised this year have not only proved to be a financial success but also in terms of the fellowship they have promoted across the churches in the Benefice and also in the wider community.

The Burns Night 25th January 2019 This proved to be a great success and the feedback received from the 68 people who attended was very positive. The Reverend Mike Lewis did an outstanding job as MC and quizmaster and “Habib” proved to be an excellent piper and poet. The evening raised £500.50.

The Annual Fete 15 June 2019 The Fete was well attended and again generated a healthy income of almost £3000 which includes a donation of £500 from Laleston Community Council. My thanks goes to the Council for this. Performances by Trelales Primary and Llangewydd Junior School Choirs were a highlight of the afternoon. The Barbecue and Welsh cake stalls sold out in no time. The dog show which had attracted a good number of entrants was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. The Fete is a always successful, socially and financially, but it not only entails a lot of work on the day but also a huge amount of planning and preparation beforehand. I would like to thank the members of the Committee for all their hard work and commitment without which it would have been impossible to proceed.

The Quiz and Social Evening 30th September 2019 Once again the Mackworth Arms was the venue for another very enjoyable evening. The sum of £414 was generated for Social Committee funds.

The Cheese and Wine 8th November 2019 This was a great night as always and we had very little difficulty in selling the tickets with most people seizing the opportunity to start their Christmas shopping ahead of the rush. There a delicious range of cheeses and various chutneys to sample and Peter Ashton of PS Something Special was on hand to offer information and advice. The Reverend Mike Lewis produced an excellent quiz designed to test our knowledge of wines and cheeses generally.

Committee Matters Membership has remained stable again this year. It has been very pleasing to welcome three new members - Mrs Menna David, Mrs Chris Brewer and Mr Damon Owen and I have no doubt that they will be a great asset to the Committee going forward.

I would like to thank Mrs Jane Lewis for the exemplary way in which she fulfils the role of Secretary and in stepping in as Chairman during the run up to the Fete as result of my illness which resulted in considerable work for her. My thanks also goes to Mrs Wendy Edey for her diligence as the Committee’s Treasurer. Without their commitment, enthusiasm and conscientiousness the Committee would not be able to function as effectively as it does. I would also like to place on record my heartfelt thanks to everyone on the Committee for their unfailing support, hard work and enthusiasm throughout the year. When organising events, inevitably, the Committee is mindful of the need to generate funds but members also recognise the importance of creating opportunities for fellowship across the Benefice and the wider community.

Particular thanks too should be extended to the Mackworth Arms and to the Gardening Club for their on-going support for the work of the Committee.

Finally I would like to thank Mr Gerry Bassett for doing such an excellent job of auditing the Committee’s accounts.

The aim of the Committee going forward is to build on our past success and to create further opportunities to develop the work which we do.

Elizabeth Thomas, Chairman February 2020

St David’s Church Renovation/Restoration Committee

The Committee comprised Hopkin Joseph, Martin Edey, Carys Brown, Patrick Stephens, Bernard Jones, Christina Bach, Lesley Davies, Sue Bennett and Elaine Beer.

The Committee continued to look at issues highlighted in the 2017 Quinquennial Report, and to deal with other issues of structural repair that from time to time arose.

Much work was carried out again during the year by Patrick Stephens and Bernard Jones in connection with killing off ivy on the church yard wall and removing over- growth. The majority of the ivy is now dead but additional treatment will be needed on the limited amount still left to kill off.

Bernard supervised roof repair to the nave/tower roof junction which appears to have been successful in preventing further water ingress. He also arranged for repairs and re-fixing of the tower water down pipe which has moved in a storm.

We were very lucky during the year to have an offer from Roy to strip down and re- paint the front gate, side gate, flag pole and re-paint the steps to the road. It was a huge improvement. He was even more helpful later in the summer stripping down the main front door to the church and removing the ironmongery with a very successful staining and re-painting; a huge visual improvement. We owe Roy a great deal of thanks. Elaine finished the front doorway by making new replacement velvet curtains to hang on the inside; again a huge improvement.

We have again been helped by the Quinquennial Architect Michael Plagman (who no longer works for the Davies Sutton Partnership but set up on his own) in providing back-up for the Faculty Applications. Builders’ tender was deemed insufficient by those in authority, and Michael arranged for full designs of the replacement tower louvres (of identical designs of the ones that are there). Then the additional bureaucratic requirements that the church authorities necessitated a method statement – this was prepared by Michael Plagemann as directed by Bernard (but at additional cost). Bernard has provided this additional information but still we have not yet had a Faculty to carry out this work.

The good news on the church yard wall is that David Cooke, one of the best stone masons in the area, re-built the south east corner in August/September and also began work on parts of the western wall coping stone resetting. He is due back again in April to deal with a further section of the wall.

St David’s Church Hall Restoration Committee

The Committee comprised Hopkin Joseph, Martin Edey, Carys Brown, Patrick Stephens, Bernard Jones, Christina Bach, Lesley Davies, Sue Bennett and Elaine Beer.

The major project during the year was the continued work on (at the start of the year) proposed application to the Lottery for grant assistance for the extensive scheme of renovation (planning permission for which was granted in early February 2019). On 18th February 2019 an Open Meeting was held in the church hall at 7.30pm; it was clear there was much support from the community for the scheme, with many constructive suggestions for future use. As a result cost estimates were sought which came in around £120K (including contingency provision). The sub-group led by Carys with huge support from Christina and Elaine, began work on preparing an application to the Lottery for grant assistance, following their discussions with the Lottery in late 2018. It was a huge effort from these three and an application was submitted. All of their work paid off with the very welcome news in early December 2019 that the Lottery had been awarded, provisionally, a grant of £100K towards the project. Hook Mason have been instructed to seek quotations which hopefully will be to hand during February 2020.

A further application was made to BAVO towards the cost of procuring, for the hall, a digital piano (including, pedal unit, stand, cover and stool), six folding tables and a wifi connection. The grant application was approved in the spring, equipment purchased in the autumn. BAVO have now re-confirmed that, subject to a final claim form application being submitted, payment of the full grant will be facilitated.

There is a new round of grant applications managed by BAVO, again out of the Section 106 from the Solar Panel Farm at Court Colman. An application is being worked up with a view to being submitted in February 2020.

W. Hopkin Joseph, Chairman February 2020

Finances St David’s General Accounts Bankers: HSBC, Bridgend

Heading Balance at 1.1.2019 32,438 Summary of 2019 activity Income 41,631 Expenditure 40,622 Overall Surplus 1,009

Balance at 31.12.2019 33,447

St David’s Churchyard Account Bankers: HSBC, Bridgend Heading Balance at 1.1.2018 1,165.21 Summary of 2019 activity Income 622.00 Expenditure 720.00 Overall Loss 98.00

Balance at 31.12.2019 1067.21

St David’s Social Committee Bankers: Lloyds, Bridgend Heading Balance at 1.1.2019 26,467.59 Summary of 2019 activity Income 4597.59 Expenditure 3963.92 Overall Surplus 633.67

Balance at 31.12.2019 27,101.26

St David’s 200 Club Account Bankers: Lloyds, Bridgend Heading Balance at 1.1.2019 8,918.00 Summary of 2019 activity Income 3913.00 Expenditure 2400.00 Overall Surplus 1513.00

Balance at 31.12.2019 10,431.00

St David’s Church Hall Development Fund Bankers: HSBC, Bridgend Heading Balance at 1.1.2019 3,052 Summary of 2019 activity Income 500 Expenditure 3386 Overall Loss 2886

Balance at 31.12.2019 166

St David’s Bells Account – This former, separate, account is now shown as ring-fenced monies within the main St David’s Account

NB: Further detail on the income and expenditure for these accounts is available on request to [email protected] .

St Teilo’s, Merthyr Mawr

The Annual Report has been written in line with the shared aims detailed in the Diocese of Llandaff’s vision document “Where Faith Matters”. They appear under the headings Telling a joyful story, Growing the Kingdom of God and Building our capacity for good.”

Telling a joyful story

St Teilo’s Church, situated in the small estate village of Merthyr Mawr is a Victorian Church built between 1848 and 1852 but erected on a very ancient site. It has been a place of worship for many centuries and hopefully it will be there for many future generations.

The church is open each day and it is encouraging to read in our Visitor’s Book how many people enter the church, whether it is for prayer, to experience the peace, to feel comforted, to view the architecture or to discover the church’s history.

Every Sunday morning at 10.30 am there is a service in the church with the exception of one Sunday in the month when the congregations from the three churches in the Benefice join together for worship and fellowship in one of the churches.

Weddings, baptisms and funerals have taken place during 2019 and it is encouraging that there has always been the presence of some members of the congregation at all these occasional services. This ensures that there is always a welcome and help for anyone attending who might not be familiar with a church setting.

We were delighted in 2019 to congratulate three long-standing members of our congregation who celebrated their 90th birthdays and one couple who celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

The churchyard too continues to be a source of delight to visitors and is well maintained in order to ensure that the carpets of snowdrops, crocus, daffodils and bluebells appear every year and where wildlife thrives. It is also an area of peace and calmness where passers-by can sit. We are grateful to Gavin for his commitment in undertaking the grass cutting and to other volunteers who carry out necessary work as and when the need arises.

During Lent, Compline Services of reflection were held in St Teilo’s Church as well as in the other two churches and the Benefice Maundy Thursday service followed by a vigil was once again held in the tranquillity of St Teilo’s.

Although there has only been “temporary heating” in church since the autumn, the congregation continued to attend services faithfully, warmly clothed and this was very evident in the well-attended and colourful “Christmas Jumper Carol Service”.

Special thanks this year must go to Mary who retired as Warden (for the third time!) at the Annual Vestry Meeting. She has worked tirelessly and innovatively in her role for many years and her support and involvement will still continue.

Growing the Kingdom of God

Members of St Teilo’s Church have continued their involvement in Benefice worship and activities during 2019 and this has also included attending the Diocesan Lenten evenings in Margam Abbey during which the Diocesan Vision was launched.

Throughout the year we have regularly worshipped with St David’s and All Saints churches on the second and fifth Sundays of the month followed by fellowship and refreshments. Other Benefice services have included Women’s World Day of Prayer, Mothering Sunday, Good Friday services, Pentecost, evening Songs of Praise during which members of each congregation chose a favourite hymn, shared the background of the hymn and the story behind their choice. We also joined together for a Harvest Songs of Praise and Advent Carols.

A Benefice visit to St Teilo’s Church, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont at St Fagan’s National History Museum took place in June when Rev’d Mike Lewis led a service in English, Welsh and Latin. In July several members enjoyed a four-day retreat at Llangasty led by Fr. Anthony during which they discussed and reflected on a selection of films, worshipped together, enjoyed fellowship, food and fun on the shores of Llangorse Lake in peaceful surrounds.

We have attended and/or supported social and fundraising events throughout the year such as the Pop-up-Cafes in All Saints and their “Call my Bluff” evening, afternoon tea at Jenny and David Morgan’s home in aid of cancer charities, Laleston Fete and Penyfai’s Fun Day.

St Teilo’s Church was also well supported when it held three days of Bluebell Teas in May in the churchyard at which it was lovely to welcome some of the villagers and visitors from other churches. Apart from the fellowship and fun enjoyed at this event, funds were raised for the Hygiene Bank in the area. Earlier in the year Mary had started a collection box in church for the Hygiene Bank and this idea has been replicated throughout the Benefice.

Tom and Cheryl opened their home in September to host a very enjoyable Italian Evening as a result of which a substantial donation was given to WaterAid and in December a day of “Christmas Cheer” was held in Mary’s home when a generous donation was sent to the Alzheimer’s Society.

We are all aware of the needs of the less fortunate at home and abroad and this year members sponsored Fr. Anthony for his “Brave the Shave” and the Great South Run when he raised money for Marie Curie Cancer Care and Toilet Twinning respectively. Members also sponsored Tom when he took part in a local Rotary 50K bike ride in order to provide running water and toilet facilities for two schools in Tanzania. We also supported a fundraising breakfast hosted by Derek and Liz Thomas at their home in Laleston for St Nicholas Orphanage, Nairobi.

At the back of the church a jar for loose change builds up regularly enabling us to continue to support the work of Ty Cariad in Africa.

Members donate very generously to our local Foodbank at our monthly Benefice services and we have once again supported the REAL Easter Egg campaign, the Glanrhyd Hospital Christmas collection and CRISIS at Christmas.

Once again there were monthly afternoon gatherings in Chris and Mary’s home where a few friends enjoyed chatter and refreshments whilst making new Christmas cards from recycled ones, the sale of which provided funds for the church.

Building our capacity for good

We are fortunate that members of the Church Council - whose meetings are open to all members of the congregation - and the Parochial Church Council for the Parish of Laleston and Merthyr Mawr, supported and advised by Fr. Anthony, are very committed and work well together.

The Benefice Leadership Team consisting of the Church Wardens and Readers under the guidance of Fr. Anthony meets regularly throughout the year. It considers various aspects of church life in the Benefice and events in the Diocese, e.g. services - looking backwards and forwards - learning what has been good or what needs changing, Annual Vestry processes etc. and discussing any issues or concerns that might have arisen in each church.

In addition to the above, the Legacy Project Committee formed in 2018 met on several occasions in 2019 in order to progress the works that will include a servery, toilet facility, efficient heating and more.

During 2019 the committee went through the process of appointing an architect who then produced option drawings and costings, advice was sought for applying for additional funding and we liaised with the DAC. By the end of the year a preferred option was under discussion and there will be further engagement with the local landowner and with the villagers.

It is hoped that by improving the facilities in the church and investing in its future, it will continue to be not only a place of worship, but also a centre that can be used within the community, e.g. a meeting place for the Community Council and villagers. It is hoped that it will attract more visitors and encourage more people to worship there.

Behind the church there is a collection of ancient stones that are frequently viewed by walkers and visitors. It is hoped that eventually improvements to the display can be undertaken that will possibly increase the number of visitors, particularly as we are on the All Wales Footpath.

St Teilo’s Church continues to thrive under the guidance of Fr. Anthony but this year when it was necessary for him to curtail some of his duties, several retired clergy helped out, namely, Rev’d David Boult, Rev’d Canon Edward Evans, Rev’d Canon David Lewis, Rev’d Mike Lewis, Rev’d Stephen Pare, Rev’d Tony Turner and Rev’d Pauline Williams to whom we are very grateful. It was also good that some Morning Prayer services were taken by Jenny from All Saints and Mary and Olga and Penny prepared a joyous Prayer and Praise service on Pentecost Sunday at All Saints Church.

Members of the congregation continue to give their time so willingly in varying ways and to them we are very grateful. These include our lay reader Arwyn, our sacristan Chris who was also elected as People’s Warden at the last AVM, our very enthusiastic guitar accompanist Tom and our organists Natasha and Barbara who

27 are always willing to play whenever they can. Many members are on various rotas such as weekly reading, sides-person’s duties, Eucharistic Assistants, flowers and cleaning, refreshments, washing linen and fabric repairs. Their willingness and commitment are invaluable.

Special mention must be made of Chris, Paul, Roger and Tom who this winter braved the early morning cold to ensure that our temporary heating was in place before our services. We could not have managed without them.

We look forward to another very busy year in 2020 with important decisions to be made in relation to our Legacy Project. With Fr Anthony at the helm we will also continue to encourage friendship and fellowship within the Benefice and within our communities. Olga Woolfenden and Christopher Stone January 2020

Finance

General Account (including restricted Churchyard funds) Bankers: Charity Aid Foundation Heading Balance at 1.1.2019 81,174 Summary of 2019 activity Income 13, 571 Expenditure 74, 423 Overall Surplus/Loss - 60, 852

Balance at 31.12.2019 20, 322

St Teilo’s Community Account Bankers: Barclays Heading Balance at 1.1.2019 85, 081 Summary of 2018 activity Income 160 Expenditure 85, 010 Overall Surplus/Loss - 84, 921

Balance at 31.12.2018 231

St Teilo’s Investment Accounts Bankers: Barclays Heading Balance at 1.1.2019 NIL Summary of 2019 activity Income 96, 142 Expenditure 1, 920 Overall surplus 94, 222

Balance 31.12.2019 94, 222

St Teilo’s Investment Account Bankers: LGT Vestra Heading Balance at 1.1.2019 NIL Summary of 2019 activity Income 51, 177 Expenditure NIL Overall Surplus 51, 177

Balance at 31.12.2019 51, 177

NB: Further detail on the income and expenditure for St Teilo’s accounts is available on request to [email protected] .

12. General Benefice reports

1. Benefice Website & Facebook pages Our presence in the world of the Internet is invaluable in enabling us to speak to the world beyond the walls of our Church buildings and to an often unknown membership who do not visit us but who either have faith and have yet to do anything about it or perhaps just have a love and an interest in the places where we worship.

Between them, Ron Stone, Christine Brewer and Sian Lewis-Williams maintain and update our website and Facebook pages, and they work incredibly hard to keep them fresh and to keep the information that we put into the technological media up to date.

Our first website was set up in the year 2000 for the Parish of Laleston with Merthyr Mawr and Tythegston. A Russian student on work experience with Tom Green produced the first version complete with ‘interesting’ variations in use of the English language!!

In 2004, I took over the website, added some pages and arranged for more frequent updates. I was in the process of writing a completely new version when the Church in Wales offered to provide each Parish or Benefice with a website template. This has enabled us to create and manage our own content such as newsletters, service times, photos, etc. All of this is available using any internet connected device.

The address for our website is: parish.churchinwales.co.uk/L545 or it may be found using one of the search engines such as Google.

Content of our website • Details relating to the three churches in the Benefice, • Contacts information, • A copy of the current newsletter and copies from recent weeks, • Church Hall details including booking information, • A gallery of photos of various events within the Benefice, • Links to other websites. • Service times and forthcoming events. • And lots of other information.

Ron Stone

Find us online at http://parish.churchinwales.org.uk/L545/ or on Facebook at

merthyr mawr, st teilo’s church penyfai all saints church penyfai Laleston st david’s church

2. Mothers’ Union Report

I took over as Laleston Mothers' Union Branch Leader from Ann Butler at the AGM in February 2019.

A Pancake Tea was held on the 5th March when 18 guests enjoyed pancakes and a cup of tea. The proceeds were for MU funds, including the MU Caravan at Porthcawl and Overseas.

Members attended the Deanery Festival which was held in St.Michael's Church Maesteg and the Laleston Banner was proudly carried by Joy.

A Cymanfa Ganu was held in St.David's Church Neath in Sept.to honour the visit to the Diocese of the World Wide President Sheran Harper.

Those of us present enjoyed a wonderful couple of hours singing and friendship.

At the Deanery "Talent Extravaganza" evening held in the Crypt St. Michael's Church Maesteg in Sept. seven Laleston members took part in the entertainment, singing "My Grandfather's Clock". David, June's husband, had made a clock for the occasion which was displayed in front of us.

We have enjoyed various events during the year, such as a Beetle Drive, a Summer lunch and a Christmas lunch.

Our meetings are held in the Church Hall most months at 2.15pm on the 2nd.Tuesday, and on the 4th Wednesday of most months we celebrate communion at the Benefice midweek service – held in St David’s – at 9.30am.

As Deanery Leader I wish to thank the members for their support of the Deanery Services and social events and for their support in Laleston MU.

Frances McConville March 2020

3. Diocesan Conference

Part 1 – Diocesan Conference Business Meeting 15th July 2019

The meeting was preceded by sung Evensong during which David Morris was licensed as the new Diocesan Director of Ordinands (DDO).

The Bishop began the meeting by thanking the choir from All Saints, Barry for providing the music, in the absence of the cathedral choir which was in Canterbury.

1. The Bishop welcomed all new members to the Diocesan Conference.

2. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved with one amendment, which is that the current Parish of Talygarn is now in Pontypridd Deanery.

3. The main item on the agenda was the Finance Report which was described as having three main strands:- (i) Financial The accounts have been audited and registered with Companies House and are available for viewing on the website. Last year's planned deficit budget, the result of a downturn in market trends and the contribution of a significant amount to the Parsonage Board, was less than expected. That same budget raised the parish share by 2% but met with a good response from parishes. There has been a stronger performance on returns this year, just under parity and therefore the DBF are satisfied with performance. In 2020. they are committed to providing extra funding from reserves. (ii) The work of the committee. This year, a number of new appointments have been made in line with the Diocesan Vision ( see item iii). These include a month's overlap between the successor to Rowena Small the Diocesan Secretary pending her retirement, 2 School Support Officers, a DDO, a Rural Life Officer and a Resources Officer. A number of sub-committees deal with different aspects of the Board's work including one that is currently gathering and collating information on the use of buildings. (iii) The Diocesan Vision This will be supported by two main sources of funding - The Evangelism Fund and our own resources. Each of these funds will amount to £3m each spread over the five year period of the vision. It will need to be invested in the right things, namely those which focus on Leading Mission, Training for Mission and Resourcing Mission.

A question from the floor about parishes who are unable to meet their share was re- assured that all help would be given.

4, Question Time. Rev. Chris Reaney had submitted a question about the next Lambeth Conference when it is hoped 1,000 bishops will attend. A new initiative, which sees them arriving a week before the conference and being hosted by various diocese across the country is taking place. It was hoped that our diocese will play its part.

The Bishop thanked Rev. Reaney for raising this matter.

Part 2 – Diocesan Conference – Exploring the “Where Faith Matters” Vision and 2020 The Year of Pilgrimage – Saturday 28th September

Conference commenced with a Presidential Address by Bishop June and was followed by three concurrent sessions: the life of the cathedral; communication and engagement, and, strategy.

In the presidential address, Bishop June emphasised that the Church was the largest voluntary organisation in Wales, with a presence in every constituency. Austerity would have been unbearable in some communities without the presence of the local church. With this is mind Bishop June outlined her ambitions for the Diocese of Llandaff:

• To change how people, see church; how would we like people to see our church life? • To connect with the needs of the Parish; what do our neighbours need? How are we involved in our neighbourhood needs? • To have a conversation about what we give our energy to; what are the things that really matter e.g. o Climate change (every parish to get a bronze award for eco church, can school children help us to think better about this? o Ethical issues in a digital age – data harvesting, what does the Christian faith have to offer? o Social cohesion – how do we take love out into the wider world and demonstrate living well together. We are challenged to bring a new confidence to being daily Christians.

The Year of Pilgrimage – there are different kinds of pilgrimage, making pilgrimage available to all, but irrespective of which approach is taken there are things in common: it’s about a search for meaning – a spiritual experience – people may join in at any point; it’s the journey not the destination that matters. We need to draw in the community to some kind of journey, travel with someone else, walk together, talk together, changing companions along the way.

Bishop June asked us to think about: What does it mean for you to be a pilgrim in our year of pilgrimage?

Concurrent Session 1 – Life of the Cathedral

This was presented by the Dean and incumbent of Llandaff Cathedral, The Very Reverend Gerwyn Capon who indicated that things had changed in terms of transparency, decision making and strategy since the Church in Wales was disestablished in 1920 and had set up its own constitution. A review of the governance of the cathedral was set up at the end of 2017. There is a desire to improve the agility of the cathedral to respond to the needs of church and diocese.

There was a vulnerability regarding the number of clergy in the cathedral; the governing structure was reformed providing resident clergy who could promote outreach. New trustees appointed, a body of 9, half lay and half clergy, with skills and expertise in specific areas. On November 5th there was a Chapter away day specifically looking at values.

Canon Mark Preece, Precentor, had been appointed as lead singer, the 1st with responsibility for music, worship and liturgy, everything that happens liturgically within the building. He is trying to offer varied and accessible worship and is open to suggestions for the diocese.

Canon Chancellor Dr Jan van der Laly was appointed to lead on pastoral and educational work and how these connect around the diocese. She is publishing daily prayers so we can read these and send in prayer requests, she invites us to attend evensong when we send in prayer requests and to let her know that we are there. She is also organising tours around the Cathedral for children, where they get to see behind the scene at the Cathedral including: bell tower, Chapter house and inside the organ Educational visits are linked to curriculum themes and new this year is ‘Pilgrim Journey’ for key stage 2 children (7-11 years). This is an experiential visit, they receive a pilgrim passport and it encourages them to understand their everyday journey with God.

One of the Canons can come out to take services elsewhere on a Sunday, so if we would like that then we need to approach the Dean. On 17.10.20 there will be a Celebration Day at the Cathedral and they want to involve parish choirs to form a mass choir, so put the date in your diary.

Finally, we were asked to consider: What is it that will create an atmosphere of encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ? How will they know that we are people of justice, that we care, that the Cathedral is an icon that is connected to the diocese and the community? Where so we begin with that strategy?

Concurrent session 2 – Communication and Engagement

This session was presented by Matt Batten, Director of Communications and Engagement, who had been in post for 4 months. He emphasised how society has changed and how technology has completely changed the way we communicate. The front door of our church is no longer on the building, its Facebook and/or the web. However, the message remains the same: ‘go into the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation’ Matthew 28:19. Matt encouraged us to follow the Diocese on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; as these media provide a way of getting church to people where they are, when they want it – church online. Matt discussed advocating on behalf of church, not just the clergy sharing stories, but the laity as well. Embracing technology and electronic communicating provides new ways to inspire, it’s not about bums on seats, it’s about going out to where people need us when they need us.

It was confirmed that Croeso will continue, with the next edition being released mid- November in print and digital formats. Matt, via 12 digital apostles, will support parishes and PCCs with training on the use of mobile phones, videos, etc, by coming out to parishes to give practical help. He also offered some pieces of simple advice: to ‘stop the scroll’ always post with a photo; if posting a video then use sub-titles and most people have the sound turned off on their devices.

Matt urged us to become more dynamic in our communications and posed the following questions: What values do we hold most sacred? How would we describe the character of the Diocese?

Concurrent session 3 – Strategy

This session was presented by Sarah Rickets, the Diocesan Vision Lead. She emphasised that the strategic aim in developing a new strategy was that all may encounter and know the love of God; and that the three main objectives were: • Telling a joyful story • Growing the kingdom of God • Building our capacity for good

Following the prioritisation of the objectives presented to last year’s diocesan conference a number of strands of work had emerged: • Outreach • Ministry • Education, children and young people • Support and communication • 2020 • Vision group

After 8 months of working on these strands a common area of need had emerged: • Leaders for mission (all our clergy and Head teachers) • Training for mission • Resources for mission • Projects for mission

Sarah outlined some of the developments to date under two of these areas: Leaders for mission had identified the immense opportunity in this diocese to reach young people; we have 30% of all young people in Wales <30 years of age. Engagement workers and a project lead will be appointed and they will walk alongside parishes. There will be outreach co-ordination, people who know the lingo and where funding sources are, and a Lay Training Officer will harness lay skills. There will be an increased emphasis on vocations to inform young people about careers within the Church, as well as focusing on Leaders’ wellbeing to care for clergy and laity. Projects for mission was to include a Resource Church and a Deaf Church. A Centre for Mission focusing on evangelism.

Life events – making more of occasional services – baptisms, weddings and funerals. Outreach, such as helping people in poverty and debt, the group Christians Against Poverty (CAP). A School Pastor Network, Vocations ‘road shows’, and Year 2020.

Of course, all this activity needs to be funded and the cost of funding the Diocesan Vision is more than £6 million, this is to be achieved by using £3 million of Diocesan funds and applying for a further £3 million from the Evangelism fund. Applications to the Evangelism fund must demonstrate numerical growth amongst age groups under-represented at present, and applications in excess of £3 million must be outstanding to be successful, and the Diocese is applying for £3,468,515.

The conference concluded with the launch of the 2020 Year of Pilgrimage. We are all invited to a new adventure: to encourage, Journey and have fun. To encourage ourselves and then others. To decide whether we are going to journey home or away, and whichever we choose to individually focus on the journey inside. To experience fun by finding the inner child – the child that likes to explore, take risks and study with others. A Personal Pilgrim Preparation Course will be available and celebration days in the Archdeaconries have been arranged for 25/04/20 – Pontypridd (family focus) 04/07/20 – Margam 17/10/20 – Cathedral Church Schools are also involved in this Year of Pilgrimage and will receiving Pilgrim Bears to inspire the development of their pilgrimage ideas and journeys.

Every single parish is to do something and engage in some way with this pilgrimage. Bishop June urged clergy to share their experiences of Santiago within their parishes and we were sent away to ponder the question:

What does it mean for me to be a pilgrim?

Elaine Beer November 2019