Welcoming Fr
John Reed
News of the eagerly-awaited appointment to the United
Benefice and information about our
incumbent-in-waiting. He was inducted at S Faith's on
the evening of Monday, October 30th, 2017 by the
Bishop of Liverpool.
These pieces (latest first!) record information
supplied by Fr John in the months between his
appointment and his arrival amongst us.
Habemus Vicarius
4. The story so
far
Fr
John fills in the gaps!
My teenage years were spent in a sleepy village to the north
of Cambridge: the parish Church, All Saints Rampton, was
important in my family's life. Dad became a church
warden, and mum was the first woman Reader in Ely Diocese 40
years ago. She later became a Deacon and was in the
first group of women to be priested in Ely Diocese.
Several years ago she became a Canon of Ely Cathedral.
My two younger sisters and I were part of group that sang in
Church. My guitar playing started around this time.
The Church Army came to our parish for a mission; they were
fun to be with but at that point I was sceptical about what
they were saying. The mission team kept in touch
through my parents and had an annual house party for young
people they were in touch with. When I was 17 on the
first of several house parties I made a commitment to follow
Jesus.
For my degree at Sussex University I studied Biological
Sciences, and during summer holidays I went to help with
Church Army Beach Missions at Bridlington and
Porthcawl. I became the music for the Porthcawl Beach
Meetings. During one long summer beach mission I felt
a strong call to ministry in the Church Army; others
confirmed this calling. After graduating, I went on a
selection conference and began training at Wilson Carlile
College in Blackheath the following September. It was a
demanding three years of regular services, study, practical
work and fun. You learned to live in community
on good days and bad days.
In my final year I met Ruth: we became engaged just before
my Commissioning in Southwark Cathedral. The Church
Army’s founder Wilson Carlile had a saying; that we were
there to “go for the worst.” My first job was at St.
Margaret Toxteth, a year after the 1981 riots. Besides
learning a lot about parish ministry, I spent time in
schools and local youth clubs. Ruth finished her
Church Army Training in 1984 and we married at her parish
Church in Southport. She has been the Diocesan
Disability Awareness officer since 1984 and in addition more
recently the vulnerable adults adviser.
In 1987 I moved to The Good Shepherd, West Derby as Youth
Evangelist. I began youth work training by distance learning
with the YMCA College. Alan was born in 1988 and Emma
was born in 1994. During nearly 9 years in Norris
Green I set up a detached youth work project, which was
supported by Liverpool City Council Youth workers.
Years later, meeting with some of the young people I had
worked with in the early years, after they had grumbled
about the behaviour of the current generation of young
people they asked; are you still doing this? The
answer was yes, with the realisation that they now had jobs
and some had families too.
I never set out to be ordained, but an unexpected encounter
with God shortly after Emma’s birth turned my life upside
down. Two years on the Northern Ordination Course followed
and during that time the family moved to Christ Church
Padgate. I was ordained Deacon in Liverpool Cathedral
by Bishop David Sheppard in 1997. My curacy at Padgate
was short lived, as a year later the Rector announced he was
leaving.
In 1999 we moved to St. Margaret and All Hallows
Orford. I stayed there till 2008. It was a busy time
with the church school, working with a local housing
association and restoring the church tower. Disabled
access, wheelchair spaces and toilets were also
installed. There was a huge fund-raising project
around this. In between there were weddings funerals baptism
and lots of services. The church also grappled with
the question of whether women Priests should be allowed to
celebrate in the church. I am pleased to say St.
Margaret’s has joined the rest of the church on this
one. I worked for the Lifelong Learning Department in
Church House on clergy continuing professional development
in the Diocese mainly around study leave and pre-retirement
courses.
I was invited to become a Scout District Chaplain on the
assurance it was only two services a years. Well, it grew to
County Chaplain regular meetings, county dinners and
camps. It was good at the time but involved mainly
working with adults. I led a service at a jamboree for 1,400
cubs.
In 2008 I moved to Golborne as Priest in Charge, on the
promise of a pastoral reorganisation with the two Lowton
parishes. My Scout involvement grew to becoming
Assistant Scout Leader. The church had very close links with
the Scouts and Guides. Regular Family Services led by
different Church groups, work with the Church School, a
Community School and messy church were all important in the
outreach to children and young people. There was a
long-running visiting group, two women’s groups, a breakfast
bar and other social activities. Over time it was
noticeable that elderly people were having to hand on their
responsibilities to others, new people had to be found and
often a change in the activity was required.
The churchyard at Golborne is reputedly the largest in the
diocese, it is still open and church funerals are a regular
occurrence, as are baptisms and weddings. Last year we
replaced 120,000 clay tiles on the roof and renewed the
guttering so the church no longer leaks.
In 1979 there was a mining disaster at Golborne Colliery and
10 men died. They are commemorated in a window in the
church. On major anniversaries the ex-mining community
gather for processions and services, and there are concerts
in between to raise funds for future celebrations.
Recently I was asked to bless some plaques commemorating the
miners who died on the benches in the town square, at an
event attended by local Councillors, the Mayor, and our
local MP.
In December 2010, with the vacancy at St. Luke Lowton, we
joined St. Mary's Lowton in a cluster of 3 parishes, 2
clergy and 6 readers. Services and times had to be
changed; extra meetings, extra Schools, extra funerals,
weddings and baptisms had to be fitted in. In 2013 we
became the Lowton and Golborne team ministry. From the
start we had the help of several retired clergy who live in
the area, and from the start they were part of the ministry
team. Rev. Bill Stalker left in 2014 and after a year the
Rev. Jonathan Stott joined the team.
Over time it was obvious the number of Readers was
diminishing, and to promote ministry from the congregation
with the PCC’s support worship leaders were chosen from the
congregations, after a course called Worship for
Today. With the Bishop's permission we were able to
commission them to minister in St. Thomas and St. Mary’s
within specific worship roles supported by Clergy or Readers
to fulfil the legal requirements of the Diocese.
That’s a quick portrait of my life so far; what is missing
are all the things that happen in between times. There
is the gardening, I have a history of taking very neglected
gardens and enhancing them with ponds, vegetables and
beautiful flowers. The garden at St. Faith's is a
welcome surprise. I enjoy fishing, reading, music;
particularly modern folk music, playing the guitar and
related instruments. Ruth and I enjoy good food, and Socks
the family dog enjoys lots of walks and meeting people.
I am looking forward to sharing the next stage of my
ministry with the people of St. Faith's and St. Mary's on
the journey that God is taking us together.
Fr John
As supplied for Newslink
August 14th, 2017
3. More News for
the Pews
Fr John has been in touch and supplied the photograph at
the top of this page, and also the text below, which tells
the story of his Church Army ministry and uncovers another
connection with St Faith's and the Horsfall
benefactions.
The hidden ministry years of
Crockford's and links with St. Faith's.
After three years training in the church Army college
in Blackheath, I was admitted to the office of Evangelist
and Commissioned in the Church Army. The admitting was
done by Archbishop Robert Runcie in Southwark Cathedral on
the 10th of June 1982. Soon after I began my first
post in Liverpool diocese at St. Margaret Toxteth; a Robert
Horsfall Church and the first high church in
Liverpool. The incumbent was Fr. Colin Oxenforth, who
too began at St. Faith's.
Ruth and I were married in 1984 after she finished her
Church Army Training; In 1987 we moved to the Good Shepherd
West Derby. Our two children Alan and Emma were born
during these years. In 1996 we moved to Padgate, when
I was already training on the Northern Ordination Course.
John Reed
19th July, 2017
2. News for the Pews
The Revd John William Reed was born in 1957. After
graduating from Sussex University in 1979, he trained for
the priesthood on the Northern Ordination Course in 1995 and
was priested in 1998. He served as Curate in Padgate, then
at St Margaret's Orford, Warrington before becoming vicar at
the latter between 2001 and 2008.
From 2008-2013 he was Priest in Charge at St Thomas,
Golborne, Wigan, becoming team vicar when the Lowton and
Golborne group of churches was formed in 2013.
Information courtesy of Crockford's Clerical Directory, as
supplied by Fr Dennis, who also highlighted the many links
with St Faith's worth noting. Fr Dennis Smith trained there
from 1974-1977, followed a good many years later by Revs.
Michael Finlay, Peter Roberts, George Gilford, Denise
McDougall and Martin Jones, all priests whose vocations were
nurtured at St Faith's. Mike Finlay was a curate at Padgate
and was vicar of St Margaret's Orford, where Graham
Atherton, one-time organist at St Faith's, also served his
title. It's a small world.
12 July 2017
1. Habemus Vicarius
Announcement made by Churchwarden Rick Walker at morning
service on Sunday 9th July, 2017
We are delighted to be able to announce that we have
accepted the recommendation of our Patron and the Bishop of
Liverpool, and agreed to the appointment of a Priest in
Charge for the Joint Benefice of St Faith's and St Mary’s.
As you are aware, the process for selecting a new parish
priest is long and wearisome, and in fact it is nearly two
years since Sue Lucas announced that she would be leaving
us, and the process started.
However, after much thought and prayer, the post has been
offered to and accepted by Fr John Reed, who is currently
Associate Rector (Team Vicar) of the Lowton and Golborne
Team. Prior to that he was Priest in Charge of one of those
parishes - that of St Thomas’s Golborne.
Fr John has considerable wide and varied experience, having
worked initially in the Church Army and since ordination in
churches of differing traditions. He will fit well into the
styles of worship in the United Benefice.
He has worked especially with children’s projects, and in
currently an Assistant Cub Leader. Importantly also, he has
dealt with the problems of developing kitchen facilities at
the back of his present church!
He is musical and has great pastoral strengths. With a
gentle personality, he is a good listener and is full of
ideas. We are sure that he will give us the lead that
we need to move the United Benefice forward.
We look forward to welcoming Fr John, his wife Ruth and
their grown up family to St Faith's and St Mary’s in a few
months’ time on a date yet to be decided. This will give
both him and us plenty of time to prepare for the start of
what we are sure will be a happy and joyous time for
everyone.
In his statement regarding the appointment, our Archdeacon,
Pete Spiers, gives his commendation, adding that John
believes strongly in releasing the gifts of all God’s people
and listening to the community to discover their needs and
concerns so that the church can minister more effectively.
Pete confirms that the interview panel had a strong sense
that God was calling John to this role.
Watch this space, the parish magazine and our facebook page
for more details over the coming months, and share with us
the anticipation of working and worshipping alongside our
new priest, Fr John Reed.
9 July, 2017
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