Annwyl Gyfeillion

Gregory is famous for adopting the title “the Servant of the Servants of God” as part of the papal nomenclature. While other titles adopted by the Bishops of Rome have a certain hauteur to them – Vicar of Christ or the recently reinstated Patriarch of the West – this title emphasizes a different aspect of pontifical ministry – that the ministry of governance exists to empower and enable the life and vitality of the whole people of God.

It is an important point that can easily be lost in the humdrum nature of day-to-day ministry, or the pressurized diary: that the entire hierarchy exists in order to support our congregations. It is the life and worship of our congregations that will make new disciples, and sustain them for a lifetime of following Jesus. The ministry of the ordained is to give life to the people of God – we are all of us called to be servants of the servants of God. The structure of the Church is an inverted triangle.

I remember some years ago when I was a school chaplain, and falling behind on report writing. The Director of Studies came up to me at break in the staffroom one day and chided me rather aggressively for falling behind on the report writing schedule. “I know,” I responded, “but at the moment I need help, support and encouragement not condemnation to get me back on track.”

Can we ever know how our ministry is truly received? You may find me more of a director of studies occasionally, which is why I need your honest feedback, and why I need the support of your prayers – because the life of the Church is built, in the end, in the local Church, and my ministry is really to support yours. I can do primary evangelism, through my teaching and preaching ministry, but I am at my best when I am helping you to be the sort of priest or deacon that God called you to be. Folk always say that you should begin by preaching to yourself.

The Ministry we share

This last Sunday, we installed a new Archdeacon of Montgomery. We warmly welcome Gerwyn to this diocese, and to his new role, and I hope that you will support him and pray for him as he learns about us. As you know, the archdeaconry has a new configuration, and there’s a lot to learn.

Fundamentally, however, the role of the archdeacon is also about empowering you in your ministry, and enabling you to grow your congregations. We are your servants for Christ’s sake and I hope that we can be effective in that service and ministry. Some years ago, I said that I believed that the archdeacons shared in the bishop’s episcopé, and that we were a single team. “Don’t be surprised”, I said, “if you write to the bishop, and get a reply from the archdeacon.” I hope that the Bishop’s Staff can model a way of doing ministry together which will enable and strengthen you.

In 2024, the focus is on “Growing Faith”. As we turn into the final stretch of this year, may God bless you in your ministries, and enable you to grow faith among your congregations. May your service be blessed also.

Clergy Synod – Mission and Liturgy

The Clergy Synod will be held on Thursday, 19th September, at the Catrin Finch Centre, Wrexham University. The synod is a professional obligation for all stipendiary clergy, to which all NSM clergy with my licence are also welcome to attend. Should there be any reason why clerics wish to have my permission to be absent, they should write to me at Esgobty at the earliest opportunity.

The day will be led by a team from the Standing Liturgical Advisory Committee of the Church in Wales and the Pioneer and Evangelism Network. For a few years now, they have been co-operating in a forum to explore how Liturgy and Mission fit together. The day will run from 0930hr to 1600hr, with suitable breaks and lunch, for us to work together on what makes for effective and high standards in liturgy, which can also speak of the Gospel to casual visitors and those in the community. A copy of the draft timetable is attached.

There will be workshops in the afternoon. One group will be preparing our Closing Worship, and other groups will be formed to address the challenges and opportunities of different contexts of worship, and the appropriate design of liturgy. It is important therefore that you return the accompanying form which enables you to put the workshops in order of preference, so that when the groups are decided, we can do our utmost to fit you to the most appropriate group.

Residential Clergy School – September 2025

It’s time for our triennial residential Clergy School in Autumn 2025. The provisional dates have been set for the week of 15th to 18th September. Watch this space for further details as they emerge, but do put those dates in your diary now, and begin to put in any arrangements that may be necessary to enable you to attend.

Diary and Events

Please read this diary carefully. The diary below has been updated to include all those fixed dates for events that clergy are required to attend as part of their professional commitment, together with those opportunities to build up our common life by supporting significant moments for our colleagues. Please ensure that dates which are a professional requirement are in your diary, even where the exact format may be open to change. Especially important are the plans for the Diocesan Conference, which are outlined in the diary below. Where a clash comes to your attention, please raise it with Esgobty at the earliest opportunity. I am still occasionally getting excuses late in the day from clergy who don’t seem to have planned ahead, and I am much more amenable when approached to discuss any potential clashes …

Please also note the dates of Confirmations in the diary. All candidates are welcome at any of the Confirmations, and this sacramental rite is an important occasion to welcome those who are becoming active in their discipleship. In many ways I believe that the number coming to Confirmation are the real and best indicator of growing the life of the Church.

September
14 September Licensing of Petra Goodband as Associate Priest in the Wrexham Mission Area, and for the new Hub Church in St Giles’ at 1530hr, in St Giles’ Church.

19 September Clergy Synod for all serving clergy, in person, Catrin Finch Centre, Wrexham University campus (further information is enclosed with this Ad Clerum)

22 September Estuary and Mountain MA Confirmation Service, Holy Trinity Greenfield, 1000hrs, and Wrexham MA Confirmation Service, St Margaret’s, 1500hrs

30 September Licensing of Marcus Pipe as Priest in Charge in the Maelor Mission Area at 1900hr in St Dunawd’s, Bangor-on-Dee.
Later in the year

17 October Diocesan Conference online evening session, timing to be decided

19 October Diocesan Conference, in person, all day meeting at Llanfyllin High School 13 November Mission Area Leader Training

17 November Licensing of Dan Morgan and Sam Quilty as Priests-in-Charge in Denbigh Mission Area, and Mike Haslam as Diocesan Director for Transforming Ministry, St Mary’s, Denbigh, 1530hr.

24 November Licensing of Huw Bryant as Priest-in-Charge in Aberconwy Mission Area, St Grwst’s, Llanrwst, 1530hr.

2025
29 January Clergy Synod, details to be confirmed
17 April Chrism Eucharist
31 May LLM Annual Meeting and Service
28 June Diaconal Ordinations, Cathedral, 1000hr
15-18 Septr Residential Clergy School

Hwyl a Helo

I am pleased to announce the following appointments:

Mike Haslam, as Diocesan Director of Transforming Ministry. Mike joins us from the Diocese of Bath and Wells where he has served as Chaplaincy Development Adviser and Acting Mission Development Team Leader. We hope that Mike will join us in November. Mike will be leading the team of diocesan ministry officers, while Pam will change her responsibilities to focus upon work with discernment and the training of ordinands.

Gary Anderton joins us later this year from the Diocese of Manchester to become part-time Assistant Curate in the Offa Mission Area.
We send out good wishes to Sue Huyton as she retires at the end of this month. We will not however be losing her ministry from the diocese as I am pleased to announce Sue has agreed to succeed Pauline Walker as Chaplain of the Retired Clergy Association. Sue will be taking the remainder of this year to settle into the new rhythm of life that retirement brings and will pick up RCA matters early in 2025.

I am sorry to say that we will be losing George Bearwood from the diocese. George will be following Alex to the Diocese of Bangor in the Autumn. We will miss his particular flair and gifts in ministry, not least the Spooky Hat Club.

We were sorry to learn of the death of Adrian Hezel towards the end of August. Adrian retired to Mold and held my PTO until the end of last year. We send our condolences to his wife Pat and to his family and friends.

Renewal of Permissions to Officiate

We are now beginning once again the triennial process of renewing my Permission to Officiate. This affects the majority of clergy holding PTO, whose current certificates expire on December 31st. New PTO Certificates will be issued before Christmas and will be valid from January 1st 2025 until 31 December 2027. Those who have received my PTO earlier this year will already have received certificates for the new date, and are not required to take further action. It would also be helpful if clergy deciding not to renew could write to let me know.

Please find attached a renewal application form for those who wish to continue offering PTO ministry to the diocese. Completed application forms, countersigned by the Mission Area Leader, along with current PTO certificate should be submitted to Esgobty as soon as possible.

As part of the renewal process each applicants DBS and Safeguarding Training record will be checked. If an update is required, this will need to be done before the new PTO can be issued. For this reason, applications should be submitted as soon as possible so that, if necessary, sufficient time is available to renew DBSs or access the autumn Safeguarding programme as this will need to be done before a new PTO certificate can be issued.

I should be grateful for the assistance of mission area leaders and other clergy in reminding priests who hold PTO in their area of their need to renew and providing any assistance they may need.

Spiritual Direction and the Ministry of Deliverance

Following recent reports that have come to my attention, I wish to remind all clergy that these are specialist ministries, and that neither formal spiritual direction nor any deliverance ministry should be undertaken without appropriate authorisation. For Spiritual Direction, this means having taken the diocesan training or equivalent, and having been commissioned as part of the Diocesan College of Spiritual Direction. For further information, please contact the Revd Alexis Smith, who is the current convenor of the college.

For deliverance ministry, or any ministry which seeks to address phenomena of a potential supernatural nature beyond simple house prayers or the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist, particularly if they involve prayers of exorcism, the first port of call is my office, who will log the basic information, and refer the matter to my trained and commissioned deliverance team.

As clergy of the Church in Wales, your ministry is underwritten for legal liability by insurance with Ecclesiastical. However, if you conduct either Spiritual Direction, or attempt any deliverance ministry, without formal authorisation from me, any insurance cover would be invalid, and you would be personally liable should anything go wrong. Beyond this, these are serious ministries, in which there is a danger of spiritual abuse, either intentional or accidental, and appropriate training and authorisation is the right course of action.

Notes and Queries

Archbishop of Wales Fund for Children
Many of you will know of the work of the Archbishop of Wales Fund for Children which has, since the early 2000s, raised money for work amongst children across Wales. The work of the fund has now come to end and all the money which has been raised has been distributed by the trustees. Many of the trustees have given considerable service and the Bench of Bishops is deeply grateful for all of their hard and dedicated work.

It has been the practice of many to send an annual donation to the fund. This was often the proceeds of a collection taken at Christingle services. Since the fund has now closed to new donations, this is no longer possible. The bench has discussed this and recommend that any money raised is either sent to the diocesan office to fund work with children in the diocese or used locally for work with children. It is, of course, a decision to be made with your MAC.

Concise Almanac 2024-25 Year C
We are grateful as ever to Canon Martin Snellgrove for his work each year in providing us with a user-friendly Concise Almanac. Those who appreciate this simplified form of the lectionary will find the edition for the next liturgical year attached.

Eco Church
Congratulations to the Diocesan Office team on receiving the Silver Award in the A Rocha Eco Church scheme. Hopefully this will inspire us all in the Teulu Asaph to redouble our efforts in this important aspect of our mission and enable the diocese to achieve Silver Award status too.

Ember Day leaflet Please pray for those who are starting their vocational training this autumn. Their names are listed in the Ember Day leaflet being sent to you as an attachment with this Ad Clerum. The Ember Days are Wednesday, 25th, Friday 27th, and Saturday 28th September, but please add appropriate intercessions at your Sunday worship as well. It would be good to remember all those in training by name in our prayers. Also, please note and advertise the Vocations Day, details of which appear in the leaflet, taking place on Saturday, 28th September.

The Membership App
The Membership App has been rolled out right across the diocese and we thank those churches that are using it to systematically record weekly attendance for services and related activities. This provides a large and valuable body of information detailing how many people are attending Church and what projects are bearing fruit. This data will support how we make best use of our funds and resources.

For us to get the very best from this system, we need to ensure we get regular weekly returns from all our churches. This is very important. The more complete our figures are, the richer and more useful the data will be in enabling this very powerful tool to support Growth, and plan for the future deployment of ministry across the diocese.

We are now working with the software development team in Cardiff to develop further the reporting facilities in the app. This will make it far easier to summarise and understand what is happening at church, mission area and diocesan level.

For those people who want some help and guidance on how to get started, there is a dedicated Membership page on our Diocesan website. You will find it here: www.stasaphdiocese.org.uk/membership . You can also contact the Diocesan Office directly to have a chat with one of the team who will be happy to help you.

Warm regards and every blessing as life and ministry ramp up for the Autumn. As ever, I am honoured to be your colleague,