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I was delighted when I was appointed to serve in the Shrewsbury Circuit; I have lived in some beautiful places in Britain, and now Shropshire is going to be another one of them. Already I’ve had the chance to walk in the Long Mynd and Stipperstones, and have felt in awe of the majestic landscape. I grew up in Coventry, where many of my friends and family still are, and have lived in places as far apart as St Ives in Cornwall, and Driffield in the East Yorkshire Wolds, where I served my first appointment as a Minister. In 1990 I moved to the York South Circuit, and then in 1998 I moved to the Stourvalley Circuit, which is just next door to Stourbridge. Over the years it has been such a privilege to be part of so many Church communities. I have been moved by people’s depth of faith and commitment to the Christian life, and felt honoured when I have had the opportunity to stand alongside them in both the pain and joy if life. I have also valued greatly those moments when the Church has connected in a real way with the local community, and have found a way of serving the needs of others.
There are many things I enjoy doing in ministry, but one of the things I find close to my heart, is finding creative ways of worshipping God. A lot of the time it can be the simplest of things – finding the still presence of Christ through gazing upon a beautiful picture, or singing a song that has been written with fresh vision and insight. All of us have a God-given creative ability, which the Spirit longs to wake up in our hearts. Our faith is a journey; one in which we grow ever closer to Christ and deeper in our knowledge of him.
I look forward to sharing in the life of Christ with you.
Frances.
At the special Circuit Meeting on 13th July, the vote was overwhelmingly in favour of saying ‘yes’ to being part of the proposed larger circuit. It was an evening of honest exchange, but also of gracious listening. At times there may have been differing views, but there was always a sense that the person behind the view was valued and respected.
One of the distinctive hallmarks of the Church is how we behave towards each other, especially in times of decision making or even of conflict. No one ever really comes to faith by assenting purely to the doctrines of the Church, but rather they come into a relationship with Christ because they are first drawn into the loving fellowship of a local congregation. As with family life, part of that loving fellowship will be about how we deal with change, uncertainty and widely differing opinions. For some people it will be a new experience to be respected and valued while proffering a different viewpoint. The love we hold each other in will always be the distinguishing marks of our Christian faith. St Paul and the other writers of the New Testament epistles knew this only too well. They were constantly exhorting congregations to bear the marks of Christ’s love.
A reorganisation of local circuits will never in itself revitalise the mission of the Church. What will is the manner in which we continue to love and support each other through these times of transition. As we do so, we will reflect the commandment of Jesus to, ‘love one another as I have loved you.’ That is what will commend our loving God to others.
Yours
Frances Biseker.