HIGHLIGHTS of the Church in Wales’ Governing Body Meeting at the City Hall, Cardiff on 1-2 May 2019
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
HIGHLIGHTS of the Church in Wales’ Governing Body meeting at the City Hall, Cardiff on 1-2 May 2019 Being a good shepherd Focus on rural ministry See page 3. Presidential Address Contents Page 1 Be ready and willing to listen, Presidential Address. Archbishop urges Church Page 3 Rural Issues. Be ready and willing to listen, even to things you don’t want to hear, the Page 5 Progress on gender equality. Archbishop of Wales said in his Presidential Address. Listening to each other attentively and respectfully was a key part of our faith and church Page 6 life, enabling us to walk willingly together, especially when faced with Clergy renumeration. diffi cult, divisive and challenging issues. The Archbishop, John Davies, said he hoped his addresses at Governing Page 7 Body would encourage the wider Church, though its members. Buildings for mission. He said, “Listening properly in the context of our corporate faith and the development of our individual faith-journeys can be demanding, and it can Page 7 be unsettling,” he said. “This is because it’s more than simply hearing; that’s Evangelism Fund update. a physiological process, the mere registering, by our brains, of random, external sounds. Page 9 “Listening is the conscious engagement of mind, soul and spirit with what is Private Members’ Motion. heard. And that conscious engagement happens by means of respectful and gracious attentiveness of mind, soul and spirit. The result can, and sometimes Page 11 Cathedral constitution. should, challenge our preconceptions, it might require us to make a change Bishop of Monmouth election. Page 12 Update on same-sex relationships. Standing Committee report. Page 13 Question Time. Page 14 Worship and Collection. Published by the Representative Body of the Church in Wales on behalf of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales, May 2019. No part of this publication maybe reproduced without prior permission from the Publications Manager: The Representative Body of the Church in Wales, 2 Callaghan Square, Cardiff . CF10 5BT All pictures are © of the Representative Body of the Church in Wales. Page 1 | May 2019 | Highlights or lead us to recognise that at least and to receive it must mean, for us, we ought to be ready to consider not being dragooned or forced into a change. And let me assure you unattractive and unwelcome ways of that I have no particular change in behaving, but recognising that the mind – I am simply attempting to gentle and well-tailored guidance state what I fi rmly believe to be a which our Lord gives leads to the key principle of the way in which we fulness of life for us and for others. should conduct ourselves and do our “The cross, of course, far from business as a church.” being an instrument for careful and Listening could mean gentle guidance, was a brutal, cruel “uncomfortably humbling” ourselves, and coarse instrument of both torture he said, warning that there might be and execution. Being instructed items on the meeting’s agenda some to take that up might seem to be Bishops support would rather not hear. an entirely diff erent matter. Yet, Christian Aid appeal “Readiness and willingness to interpreted as an encouragement The Bishop of St Davids, together demonstrate that respectful and to abandon self-interest and with the other bishops present gracious attentiveness of mind, selfi sh desires in favour of humble, at the meeting, joined Christian soul and spirit, to the Father, to generous and loving, service and Aid’s call to support mothers in the Teacher, to the Spirit and to support of others, after the example Sierra Leone. each other, may sometimes mean of Christ, sets the instruction in a This year’s appeal drew attention uncomfortably humbling ourselves radically diff erent, more bearable and to the high maternal death rate in by being attentive to and listening less menacing light.” Sierra Leone where women are 150 to things we don’t like and would Taking up the yoke and the cross times more likely to die in childbirth rather not even hear; things with demanded certain things of us, than they are in the UK – making it which we might disagree profoundly. said Archbishop John, including a the most dangerous place to become There are almost certainly items on willingness to listen to each other. a mum. An estimated 15,000 the agenda of this meeting which “Christ off ers yoke and cross, mothers have died during childbirth some of us will, undoubtedly, view in and Christ commands that they since the Ebola crisis in 2014. such ways. But hear about them we be taken up. He doesn’t suggest, Christian Aid is helping remote must, and be respectfully attentive he commands. So, for today, communities come together to to those who think diff erently, we for tomorrow and for our future, build health clinics, as well as must, shining upon them the light of let me please urge you and training nurses to provide urgent the Father’s wisdom, the light of the encourage you and our whole care in communities and improving Teacher’s love and the light of the church family, to willingly and fully hygiene, so mothers and babies are Spirit’s grace.” commit to that important process more likely to fi ght off diseases. The Archbishop said listening of listening, undertaken in eager Bishop Joanna Penberthy had a respectfully was part of what it attentiveness, and in willing, gracious personal reason for supporting the meant to follow Christ. He referred respectfulness of each other. appeal. She said, “This is a such an to two passages in St Matthew’s “Then, in word and action – important appeal. In the UK we take Gospel: chapter 11, verses 28-29 and, perhaps, especially when we good antenatal care and medical about taking up Christ’s yoke and diff er over diffi cult, divisive and support in childbirth for granted. chapter 16, verse 24, about taking challenging issues – we will be As someone who almost died up Christ’s cross. able to demonstrate that we truly giving birth, I know fi rst-hand how He said, “The calling of Christ understand what it means to take up important it is to have all the right to his followers is to take upon yoke and the cross, willingly walking help and care in place. In supporting themselves a yoke. To embrace a together, even if not always being Christian Aid’s work, we can make a way of living that, far from being a able to agree.” diff erence. Please give today.” galling, injurious burden, is a yoke of For more information on the gentleness, free from the roughness appeal and how to donate, visit: of overbearing, unreasonable To download the text of the caweek.org demands. Being called to take it up Presidential Address visit: churchinwales.org.uk/news Highlights | May 2019 | Page 2 Debate exposes harsh Rural issues reality of country life The struggle of people living centres and agricultural shows. They They needed to do their best to and working in the countryside, were also involved in projects such as ensure that the fi nancial and stategic and the key role of the church in Tir Dewi in St Davids Diocese, which decisions they made supported the helping them, were highlighted lent a listening ear and even practical role of the local church and its building in a presentation on rural life. help to farmers. across the rural communities of The archdeacon- The Bishop of St Davids, Joanna Wales, she said. designate of Cardigan, Penberthy, proposed the motion, Bishop Joanna added that the Canon Eileen Davies saying that she knew fi rst hand both role of the Rural Life Advisors was - a farmer herself and the joys and diffi culties of life in rural three fold: fi rstly to be a presence with Rural Life Advisor for areas and the vital role played by the farming and rural communities St Davids Diocese parishes. However, she warned that by visiting farms and rural business - spoke of how farmers were suff ering affi rming the role of the local church and being present at the marts and from increasing isolation and mental meant fi rstly affi rming the role and at the shows; secondly developing health issues. She urged members presence of the local church building. expertise in the issues faced by rural to support a motion calling for each “Our countryside is beautiful but communities; and thirdly being an diocese to appoint a rural life advisor the harsh realities of farming life can interface between the diocese, local and develop a strategy for engaging be brutal. In many rural communities churches and the rural communities. with rural communities. our church building is the last public Seconding the motion Terri Hatfi eld Canon Davies said rural building still open. But they are (St Davids) said communities had changed drastically expensive to maintain both in money she worked for a over the years and more people and in time and the ministry for which fi rm of accountants were becoming lonely and isolated they are a focus is also expensive to in West Wales and as local facilities such as shops and maintain,” said Bishop Joanna. had noticed that a pubs shut. Often it was only the She called for a commitment to lot of their elderly church as an organisation and as a keep these church buildings in rural farming clients were the last in their building that was left in many rural areas open. family line. villages. “Supporting this motion calls Some were too old or frail to “The backbone of the countryside for an adult work the farm but did not want to is agriculture and this is the industry conversation on move elsewhere, even though their that has the highest rate of suicide.