15 years ago today

Today 15 years ago Bishop John Austin of Aston presided over my first service here at St. Mary's Church, Pype Hayes.We, Erin and Meself had no great plans but believed God had directed or whispered to others to guide us here. Daniel and Ruth our children came willingly, well Ruth almost willingly,we sent them to the local schools. At 10 years old Ruth went to the school down the road on the estate at that time was in special measures. Daniel 13 years old went to the local Roman Catholic school. During the last 15 years we have never doubted that we are in the right placed but there have been some very dark and painful times and possibly as many joyful life giving times. Although im not sure of the balance. When I meet strangers they ask how long have I been here and I tell them, they look surprised or a well disguised disappointment. There response at times prods me to ask“have I stayed too long?” Im not sure how to answer that, I came on a 7 year licence and we thought we should not move until Ruth had finished school as she had been to a number of schools because of Gods call upon us. But 15 going on 16years! After 11 years a clergy person once said to me “Nigel they will have no vision and no imagination on your file”. My response was to say I would rather see it more like a commitment to urban mission and my people. So 15 going on 16 years I am unsure if have stayed too long, I don’t know how to measure or judge. I came to a poor insignificant parish I am still the servant of a poor insignificant parish nothing much has changed. I suppose I live in hope something of the Kingdom of God has been lived out by all of us in the parish.

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Response To Bishop North

A while back Bishop Phillip North spoke to New Wine and caused a bit of a reaction one of it was a Tweet to my millions of followers. In response I had a phone call from The Church Times asking for a quote because I serve in a poor parish, I declined and said I would put a more considered response on my blog, so here it is with a link to The Bishops full talk. https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/4-august/news/uk/there-s-a-future-for-the-church-if-evangelicals-put-the-poor-first-bishop-north-tells-new-wine 1. One of the issues the church does not recognise is the exportation of people , talents and money from parishes like mine to middle class parishes which is draining and demanding on leadership. For 10 years I thought I was building a community, then it dawned on me I was building people up to go to other places. 2. Bishop Phillip talks of abandonment of the poor: I think it’s more complicated than that. When ...

Two thoughts

My two thoughts for the morning. As the BBC moves to replace the CofE as the national church of no belief, as parts of the BBC becomes more irrelevant in the new world is it possible The BBC will consume itself with its left wing cynical view? When the issue of faith is shown the back door and told not to come back who will the new priests and priestess pour their cynicism on? Perhaps themselves? For we all need the other voice who we don’t agree with to gain a greater understanding of who and what we are. History tells us every regime needs someone to bully Secondly, will The Church not be better without these platforms of privilege? When we are no longer welcome on the platform of privilege as will happen at some point, will we not need to shape up to redefine what we believe, what we have to share, what we don’t need? Privilege tends to make you slow on your feet, breed chummy inward looking relationships, privilege steals from people the ability to move under the defining cult...

YWAM Nensa

Mercy Air trip to YWAM Nen s a , Mozambique The first mission trip of our ‘ new normal ’ in South Africa happened last week. Azarja , our pilot, flew the team ; which included Bruce, Stephen, Erin and Nigel in the Cessna 310. We traveled from Mercy Air; to Kruger International (to exit SA); to Beira (to enter Mozambique); then on to Marromeu (12 hours total, including long waits for permits and visas – This is Africa!) The drive by car ( in a 4x4) would take about 3 days on some very difficult , non-tarmac roads. Allison and Leanna drove the final 1 1/2 hours from Marromeu to the YWAM base at Nensa . As a rookie African M ission ary, I did initially feel a bit like Michel Palin without the film crew. The common red sand road, so many people walking into the dark , headlamp beams throwing themsel...

not so silent

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