Message from the new Chaplain
Posted on Sunday 26th July, 2009
Sue and I are really looking forward to joining the St Alban’s congregation next month. We are starting to pack boxes, and prepare for the voyage across the North Sea from Bath to Copenhagen.
I consider it to be a real honour to have been chosen to serve you as your Chaplain, and to be called to be part of a church community that is so committed, prayerful and welcoming. I am deeply grateful to churchwardens Katie and Nigel for all their hard work and extra responsibilities they have carried out so efficiently during the vacancy period on your behalf. I also grateful to my new colleagues Ulla and Robert. Thank you too to the church council members and the distinguished team of locum chaplains.
Here is a bit about me and my family…
Sue and I have been married for 27 years and have two daughters Emma (20) and Sarah (17). Emma is studying at The University of York and hopes then to train as a school teacher. She was a chorister at Bath Abbey for 6 years, and now sings at York. Sarah is approaching her 18th birthday and is studying A levels in Bath for another year, before possibly going on to Art College. Sarah left school early due to serious illness, and is now on the mend. Before illness forced her to retire, she was a member of the GB Under-17 Sabre Fencing Team and competed all over Europe.
Sue is a specialist dyslexia teacher and occupational therapist, and will stay in Bath with Sarah for the coming year, visiting Copenhagen once a month and joining me full-time in 2010. Sue and I have both started on a Danish language CD course – but will need your help and encouragement!
I was born in Somerset in 1956 and grew up in Somerset and Kent, with three brothers. I trained first as a Social Worker, and worked in east and south London in the fields of mental health and child protection, before moving to St Christopher’s Hospice in London as Principal Social Worker. I was ordained in 1990, and served a curacy at St Bartholomew’s Sydenham in Southwark Diocese. I then worked as Director of Social Responsibility for Southwark, leading a department of staff and volunteers working in community development, church engagement and mission across south London and east Surrey. In 1997 we moved to Bath, when I became team leader of the Ecumenical Chaplaincy Team at The University of Bath – a university with a strong international and European flavour. During this time I was elected Chair of the Conference of European University Chaplains, and got to know Copenhagen a bit on my travels as our secretariat was based here. In 2004 I moved on to parish ministry as Parish Priest of Charlcombe with Bath St Stephen. Charlcombe is a small rural church that is 1000 years old, whilst St Stephen’s was built in 1840 and serves a broad congregation. I also serve as an elected member of The General Synod of the Church of England, and over the last few years have focused on issues of environmental sustainability.
On 4 July I will be at Glastonbury Abbey with 5000 others to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of the Diocese of Bath and Wells in a wonderful pageant with lots of children and young people. On 5 July I say farewell to my two congregations in Bath and Charlcombe.
On 2 August I will be with you at St Alban’s. Each day I am praying for you all as, together, we listen to God’s vision for his church. At Pentecost, God stirred up his people in amazing and unpredictable ways through sending his Holy Spirit. I pray that this same Holy Spirit will lead us with boldness into the future with confidence, grace and hope.
I look forward to serving you in the name of Christ, as your chaplain and pastor.
With love and prayers, Jonathan
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