Dear Friends
Women Bishops
You will remember that before the summer holiday the Church Forums and then the PCC had discussions about Women and the Episcopacy. All these were to feed into a meeting of the Deanery Synod (with reps from churches across Reading) on 7th July. We had a main speaker from both ‘sides’ of the debate and many comments and questions from the floor were taken. Then a number of questions were posed and votes were taken which suggested the following positions:
1. there was a clear majority in favour of ordaining women as bishops
2. there was a smaller majority in favour of making provisions for those who are opposed to ordaining women as bishops
3. there was a very small majority against introducing the Code of Practice which would provide the mechanism for the provisions for those who are opposed.
The next step is a formal debate at Diocesan Synod later this year and then to the General Synod next year. If you want to find out how dioceses up and down the country are voting on this issue you can find out more at www.womenandthechurch.org and follow the link.
Two Posts Open
Just a quick reminder that we are currently advertising two posts which we are hoping to fill during September:
1. Parish Secretary—closing date Thursday 15 September
2. REinspired Caversham Project Co-Ordinator—closing date Friday 16 September
I know these deadlines will be upon us by the time this letter gets into the churches, but it’s was worth giving them a final plug. More information about either of them from me.
Harvest Festivals
Each of our churches will be marking Harvest in the next few weeks in worship and in social activity. This is a wonderful opportunity to reacquaint ourselves not only with the bounty and fragility of creation; but also with the bounty of opportunities for meaningful connection we have with one another in a world of fragile relationships. As we grow together as the body of Christ, let us be ever more intentional of healing this wounded world with our open, loving and healing relationships.
A Final Word
The day this letter comes into the churches will be the tenth anniversary of 9-11. So we not only pray for those who died and for those who still live with the aftermath of those terrible events, but we also proclaim the essence of Hope, and though there are times of deep darkness
“the light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall never overcome it”
Dan