2025 Winter

I begin by giving sincere thanks to the many colleagues and friends who have helped to create this edition of Transforming Ministry. I am truly grateful to our authors, especially those who met sharp deadlines; to the members of the magazine’s editorial group who have supported me stoutly, with many offers of help. I especially thank Kevin Wild, our indefatigable Production Manager, who patiently helped me through my technical deficiencies; and finally, I am grateful to the many readers who have sent messages of support and their memories of our late, beloved editor, Richenda. We received too many tributes to publish in this issue. Some will go on our website and all will eventually be passed to Richenda’s family. Richenda’s obituary will be found on pages 16-17.

Our theme of ‘Discipling Others’ features articles which will help to deepen and strengthen lay ministry. For example, the articles by Mark Ireland, Charles Read and Julie Dunston all reflect their considerable experience in ministerial good practice and their distilled Christian wisdom. Their collective expertise provides encouragement, food for thought, and practical guidance on building the kingdom through stronger ministry. Other vibrant and helpful articles on aspects of discipleship have been provided by Andrew Carr, Rona Orme and David Kibble, all members of the editorial group, who stepped in with bright, relevant and interesting thematic articles.

I am pleased that this magazine has also secured a wide range of feature articles. For example, our regular contributor, Richard Appleton considers difficult doctrinal questions in the ‘Resurrected Body’, and there is lively biblical analysis on the Gospel of John from Paul Burnham, whose acute observations deserve close attention. Sally Myers describes the concept of focal ministry and how it may represent the future face of parish outreach. Aym Fulljames describes the difficulties but also the joys of ‘Open Space’ worship within the LGBT+ community in Oxford. Stephanie Hayton describes and recommends the ‘LLM-Reader Hoodie’ as a potential church ‘uniform’.

It is a crucial time for the Church. Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, has just been announced as the new Archbishop of Canterbury. We pray for her ministry, knowing she will face multiple challenges, both within the Church of England, but also the wider Anglican Communion and in the turbulent arena of current politics. It is pertinent, therefore, that the recent ‘Festival of Preaching’, described on pages 18-19, had a focus on ‘speaking truth to power’.    

I end on two personal notes. This month, Patricia Wilkinson takes over as your new Reviews Editor. It has been a privilege for me to serve in this capacity. And finally – more thanks – for I am aware of many readers’ prayers for the future of the magazine in the wake of Richenda’s sad death. In the past few weeks I have personally felt fully assured that the hand of our Lord has indeed been guiding the work of Transforming Ministry.

Dr Peter Clough is a Reader in the Dioceses of Canterbury and Norwich and Acting Editor of Transforming Ministry.