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February 2010
The Vicarage,
North Ford Road
Dear Friends
Since this is my
last letter as
Vicar, let me
“treat” you to some
of my opinions.
Dartmouth is an
extraordinary town
and extraordinary
parish. For a parish
priest this is its
main attraction.
Parishes in big
towns and cities
have boundaries
carved out by main
roads or other
physical features,
but they often do
not represent a
natural local
community. In
Dartmouth the
opposite is true.
The town and the
parish are the same.
This means that
there is here the
possibility for the
Church to be what
some of us
understand as
Anglican. The Church
of England has
traditionally been
an open Church. At
best it has resisted
the temptation to
become an exclusive
club for people with
the same religious
outlook. Believing
involves a journey.
It is not just a
question of signing
up to a package of
beliefs and never
having to think
about it again. Also
it is open minded
and non judgemental.
This is often
mistaken for
weakness or
vagueness about
moral issues, but
this is to
misunderstand. There
is always a need to
distinguish between
the sin and the
sinner and to hate
the first and love
the second.
We have three very
different church
buildings. Hopefully
in the last few
years all rivalry or
competition between
the churches has
gone. This is not
because we are one
Church anyway, but
because our three
different Churches
should make it
possible for a
greater number of
people to find their
way to faith than
would be the case
with just one
church. People are
different and the
church needs to
respect this. In
Dartmouth we have a
unique way of coping
for and welcoming
all sorts.
The most distinctive
thing about the
Church is its
worship. This is
where its real
nature is to be
seen. The Church of
England has set
forms of service and
in Dartmouth we are
able to offer a full
range of services.
These are not to be
seen as restrictive,
but as liberating.
People come with
varying needs and
expectations, but
all should find
something unique
that helps to lift
their gaze above
their immediate
concerns to become
aware of the
presence of God. It
is vital that Church
people are
disciplined in their
worship if the
Church is to
continue to be able
to provide this.
Proclaiming the
gospel is not easy
these days. The
Anglican way is for
the Church to get
involved in the life
of its local
community. If we
practise what we
preach, we should be
involved anyway. The
Vicar may have a
symbolic role in
this, but only as a
visible reminder of
the involvement and
participation of the
whole Church in the
life of the
community. Of course
we are not all
leaders or
organisers, but we
do not need to be.
There is room for
Christian witness of
all sorts and at all
levels.
Critics of the
Church of England
often think it is
like a big business
with the Archbishop
of Canterbury as
managing director.
It is nothing of the
sort and is really
simply a way of
bringing people to
know God. It caters
as much for the
person in desperate
need as for the
confident person
with lots of ideas.
This may not always
be tidy, but nor is
human life. I
believe the Church
has a unique
position and
opportunity in
Dartmouth and I wish
all its members well
in the future.
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