The Walking Welcoming Growing Vol.26 No.4 Newspaper of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark May 2021 Easter parade Poverty trap God’s call A round-up of How parishes are New JPIC head stories from across helping people reflects on her first the Diocese suffering financially months in post See page 5 See pages 6-8 See page 10 Archdeacon of Southwark to be next Bishop of Lynn The Venerable Dr Jane Steen, encouragement to all in the Diocese in Archdeacon of Southwark, was which she will soon be serving.” announced on 28 April as the next Jane’s ministry in the Diocese of Bishop of Lynn. Southwark has spanned 20 years. Having served her title in the Diocese of St The first female bishop in Norfolk, Jane Albans, she became chaplain to Bishop will also be the first suffragan bishop to Tom Butler in 1999, before taking up the be consecrated in Norwich Cathedral in post of Canon Chancellor of Southwark more than a century when the ceremony Cathedral and Director of Ministerial takes place on Wednesday 23 June. Education in 2005. In 2013, she was Bishop Christopher said: “Jane has been appointed Archdeacon of Southwark. Jane Steen visits Whitefriars CofE Primary in King’s Lynn. © Diocese of Norwich a trusted colleague over many years and Jane said of her appointment: “I am has played a major role in deepening honoured and delighted to have been She added: “I feel very blessed to be The Bishop-Designate spent the day discipleship as well as equipping mission called to be the next Bishop of Lynn and calling this area home after several lovely of the announcement touring the Lynn and ministry across the Archdeaconry and I am looking forward to the new ministry holidays, and I will enjoy getting to know Archdeaconry, including visits to a primary wider Diocese of Southwark.” to which God and the Church have called people and places better. I will carry with school in King’s Lynn, King’s Lynn Minster, He added: “I commend Jane and Pip to me. It will be a privilege to minister me many happy memories of the Diocese a small holding near Dereham and a your prayers and have every confidence with the clergy and laity of the Lynn of Southwark and especially from eight coastal parish church lunch club on the that Jane’s future episcopal ministry archdeaconry and to serve the wider life years of ministering in the Southwark North Norfolk coast. Her visit ended with will be a rich source of blessing and of north and west Norfolk.” Archdeaconry.” evensong at Norwich Cathedral. Bishop Christopher shares words of encouragement after Thames death Bishop Christopher has paid tribute Speaking on the Today programme on this, that a person would lay down their to the young man who died in the act 28 April, the Bishop said: “It is very life for their friends”, the Bishop said: of attempting to save a woman from powerful to hear from Jimi’s parents of “Jimi didn’t know the person who was drowning in the Thames in the early their love for their son and their distress. in distress and drowning but he saved hours of 24 April. My heart goes out to them.” her life”. Jimi Olubunmi-Adewole was on his way He added: “In the community, people’s He added that, despite there being a degree home from work when he heard the response has been very moving indeed. of comfort in someone giving their life in woman’s cries for help and jumped into Near the site where the two young men attempting to save another, “nothing takes the Thames at London Bridge to try to jumped in, friends and members of the away the shock of sudden death and the save her. Although the woman and Jimi’s public have been laying flowers.” distress. So there is that respect for what is friend Bernard, who was also attempting Flowers laid at Cathedral Square needed now, a time for healing and coming to help, were picked up by the coastguard, Quoting the passage in St John’s Gospel at Southwark Cathedral, where to terms with the nature of that death.” Jimi was not. He was only 20 years old. which reads, “there is no greater love than prayers are being said for Jimi. More images and local stories online — follow our blog or find us on social media @SouthwarkCofE 2 | The BRIDGE March 2021 A view from NEWS IN BRIEF The Learn about the birds and the bees in your churchyard BRIDGE A week-long citizen-science event running from 6-13 June 2021 aims to encourage church communities, local schools, wildlife groups and visitors to make a note of the animals, birds, insects, or The COVID-19 pandemic Many readers will know of similar fungi in their local churchyards, with the data to be collated exposed inequalities in society work in other parishes: All Saints on the National Biodiversity Network. The project is which we knew existed and about Church in Peckham also has a CAP being run jointly by the National Churches in England and which we had to act. Many of our centre; the parish of St George Wales, Caring for God’s Acre and A Rocha. parishes extended or started the Martyr in Southwark has lately extended its food bank work into Find out more information on the Caring for God’s Acre website: food banks. Some branched a food co-operative with several bit.ly/CountOnNature1 and sign up for a CofE webinar here: bit.ly/CountOnNature2 out into cooking and delivering hundred members; and going back meals. Individuals volunteered to Peckham, the Peckham Pantry Calling all COVID heroes to help shielders with shopping operates out of St Luke’s Church in The Daily Mirror has asked for nominations for the “Thank a Hero” campaign it and medicines. All of this was Chandler Way. will be running in June to thank the grass-roots volunteers who have gone above fantastic. and beyond the call of duty in the past year. If you have a nominee in mind, please These are local initiatives, and we e-mail [email protected] with the subject line of “Mirror But now what? Inequalities in might challenge ourselves in our hero” and a short account of the work the nominee has been undertaking, as well society still exist. If anything, they are churches, asking whether we too as their name, age and where they are from. We will then be able to pass this on to increasing, and we are more acutely could not undertake similar work. It the newspaper. aware of them than ever before. Are might not be possible to do this as we sure that the delivery drivers, an individual church – but perhaps Get ready for the Great Big Green Week hospital porters and cleaners and it could be between two or three From 18-26 September 2021, communities across the country will join together refuse collectors, never mind the parishes, or across an entire deanery. for the Great Big Green Week in advance of the COP26 summit in Glasgow. You nurses and other medical staff, who We could also, as individuals, signpost can find ideas for events, organiser’s guides, resources to get people talking about did so much in different ways for us people to these services and to other climate change and more at: greatbiggreenweek.com during lockdown, do not deserve national ones such as the Churches better remuneration? Do we want to Mutual Credit Union. Could you help a former WREN? live in areas in which some properties I hope that you will be inspired by Janette Crisp, Co-Coordinator of the Dauntless Division, is looking for are affordable only by overseas the examples you read about here investors? ladies who joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service between 1946 and 1981 and will be able to make similar and did their basic training at Training Depot Burghfield/HMTE Burghfield/ We can affect these matters through steps in social mission in your own HMTE Dauntless/HMS Dauntless/Reading. Dauntless Divisional Photos is a our vote, but others can be addressed context. But let us also remember the nationwide project, in collaboration with the Association of Wrens, to gather in church life. We can discuss racism, words of our Lord in this context. divisional photographs and memories from those days but also to reunite ladies attitudes to gender and sexuality in All the responses described here, and with old friends. If you, a relative or even a neighbour wore the uniform, please our churches, intentionally becoming many more, perhaps stem from our e-mail ddpwrens@gmail or call 07765 435295/07719 909844. communities more fully reflecting society’s tendency to serve money gospel values. And we can take above God, for those without money Church of England backs VaccinAID campaign forward the work done so brilliantly too often find themselves as without The Church of England has thrown its support behind during the pandemic by looking value or place in society. May we Unicef’s VaccinAID campaign. The charity hopes to beyond food banks. always remember that our first love must be of our Lord, our first duty to distribute two billion vaccines around the world In this issue of The Bridge (pages God, and that our money is there to through the global COVAX initiative by the end of 6-8), you will find how parishes are be used yes, to maintain ourselves and 2021 and has set up a crowdfunding campaign to raise doing just that.