From the Press office:
Bishop's Encouragement and Challenge at Diocesan Synod
In his first presidential address to Bradford Diocesan Synod yesterday, Bishop Nick said that the church needs to see its mission and ministry in the wider context and that he wanted to bring together the local with the regional, the national and the international "in order that we get our perspective right."
He emphasised the church's commitment to working for the sake of the common good. He said, "the Church of England invented what is called the Big Society, but should be called, in my view, the Good Society. We founded hospitals and schools, cared for the poor, led communities, supported people through their living and dying."
He encouraged greater confidence in the unique vocation of the Church of England with its presence in every community. "If we have no confidence in God, the Gospel, the church or our changing world, why should anyone else? We must build our confidence to an extent where the rumour about the church is a strong and positive one. And we need to adopt a language of 'thrival', not merely survival."
Bishop Nick praised the work of the Cathedral under the leadership of Dean David Ison and underlined the high regard with which it is now held in both the city and the diocese. He also commended the "excellent administration of this diocese's support work under the guidance of Debbie Child".
In the national context he robustly defended Rowan Williams' New Statesman editorial, saying: "The Archbishop of Canterbury has not only the right, but the obligation to speak into the public discourse on matters that concern the common good". He said the subsequent media furore was "excrutiatingly misplaced" because it followed a report of what the Archbishop had written rather than the original article. But, he said, "we need to engage with the media confidently and find creative ways to shape our stories rather than simply complaining when things don't go our way."
In the international context he said that he was impressed by the diocese's strong support for the link dioceses in Northern Sudan and the swift response to the current crisis there. He said our own concerns should be set against the backdrop of Sudan: "let us see how our own preoccupations look in the shape of such life and death events".
This message has been scanned by MailController.
Comments