May Message

Our benefice has now been 27 months without a priest to lead our five churches. Many of you will know that in January this year an advert was placed for an “Interim Minister” to come and serve our five parishes initially on a three year contract. Sadly no one applied for the post.

We had anticipated that the post might be advertised again in April but we have now heard that is not happening. Instead the Bishop of Lichfield is going to exercise his right to “present” a candidate for us to consider.

Bishop Michael has someone in mind who he believes would be a suitable person to fulfil the role of Interim Minister in our benefice. This person will still have to fill in an application form and go through the interview process in the same way they would have done if they had responded to an advert.

Had the post been advertised in April it is possible there would have been no applicants again. But we now know that there will be one person coming for interview before too long. The interview, which is likely to be held in June, will be a two way discernment process … the candidate will come and look around our five churches and villages and decide if they think God is calling them to come and work here … and a few of us will get to meet and talk to them and decide if we think they are the right person to fill this important role in our community.

Please continue to pray for all those involved in this process so that the right decision is made.

Brian Turner … Churchwarden St Mary’s Knockin.