2022 Autumn

This year we mark the centenary of the Central Readers’ Council – and we have some exciting news. Firstly, we now have a new Chair. Imogen Clout, who has been Acting Chair for nearly two years, has accepted the Board’s request that she take on the role. We also have three new Trustees, you can find out more on page 36.

In July, LLMs from all dioceses in England and Wales, along with members of the CRC Council of Reference, were invited to a garden party by the Archbishop of York. There are some pictures on the opposite page, and as well as delightful hospitality we were also encouraged by an inspirational talk by Archbishop Stephen on the importance of lay ministry.

As I write, the archbishops, along with bishops from the whole Anglican Communion are meeting in Lambeth. Our own Peter Clough is there – and shares some initial thoughts on page 39. Both the Lambeth Conference and the CRC Centenary will be revisited in the next issue of this magazine.

Back to this issue – the theme this time is Chaplaincy. The contributions, both in print and on our website, indicate what a varied and fruitful area for ministry this can be. The contribution that can be made by those of us who are not ordained as priests is also clear. In the ministry of walking alongside others it can sometimes be a positive advantage. We hear about prison ministry (Katy Canty and Carol Goddard), Anna chaplaincy (Debbie Thrower), hospice chaplaincy (Jacki Thomas), chaplaincy in universities (Alex Logan), sports chaplaincy (Angy King), and being a chaplain in a cathedral (Jacqueline Tivers and Stephen Record). And that’s just the print version – don’t forget to explore the website for more.
Other articles cover a range of topics – Nel Shallow writes about using Facebook as a prayer resource; John Moss explains the new White Paper on schools, Charles and Valerie Maier share their experience of lay ministry in rural Canada, Angela Scott describes how a love of reading can help us grow spiritually and Raylia Chadwick reflects on ministering later in life. Following this we are delighted to carry an article on St John’s Gospel by David Ford, along with an extract from his wonderful new book. I hope you will find much to inform, much to encourage and much to challenge.

The final issue this year will explore ways of being an inclusive and welcoming Church, considering what this might mean for different groups and in varying contexts. And in 2023 we will take the opportunity to look at how might we grow spiritually and help others do the same; preaching on difficult Bible passages; the role of the LLM while a church is in vacancy; and taking forward lessons learned from the pandemic. There is always room for articles on other relevant topics too – contact me on  editor@transformingministry.co.uk

Richenda