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I expect most of you by now will know that we have appointed the Revd Carol Wilson-Barker to be the next Team Vicar in the parish, with special responsibility for St George's and Badshot Lea. I will not spend time here telling you about Carol; she does that for herself elsewhere in this magazine. But I do want to say how delighted I am that Carol is coming to the parish.
When we began the whole process of seeking a replacement for Dean
Henley, back in October, we of course had no idea what the response
would be. In the event, we had a good number of applicants, of whom
four were selected for interview. All four of these were strong
candidates, and I anticipated that those of us involved in the
selection would be hard put to agree on who we felt was the right one.
But in the event, there was unanimous agreement on Carol, and what is
more, many of our congregations who had met her have subsequently
expressed their approval of our choice. All of this gives me
confidence that we have discerned rightly who it is that God is calling
to us.
Carol plans to move here in time for the second half of the summer
term, and she is to be licensed and installed as Team Vicar at St
George's on Tuesday 3rd July. Put this date in your diary
now! Please pray for her and her family as they prepare for their
move, and this new phase in their life and ministry.
But it's not just a new phase in the life and ministry of Carol and
her family. It's a new phase in our life and ministry as the people of
God in the parish of Hale and Badshot Lea. On the 27th of
this month, we will celebrate Pentecost, that great feast of the Holy
Spirit. We will recall how God poured out his renewing, life-giving
Spirit upon the disciples, empowering them to proclaim Christ crucified
and risen, enabling them to take the Good News to all peoples.
That same Spirit which was at work in those first Christians is at
work today, here. Throughout this last year, I have discerned clear
signs that God's Spirit is indeed moving in this place; despite its
difficulties, I believe our parish is a place of great potential and
hope - potential and hope which, moreover, is slowly but steadily being
realised.
We are welcoming Carol as our Team Vicar at an exciting and
challenging time in our corporate life, and together she, I and all of
you can look forward to a great time ahead in the power of God's
Pentecostal Spirit.
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