Ministry Areas: a new chapter begins

Five Ministry Areas were inaugurated in January, joining East Vale to be the first six Ministry Areas commissioned by Bishop June. These services have been joyful occasions, allowing us to gather for diocesan events as we begin to recover from lockdown.

Together, we have traveled a long and often challenging road as we sought to change our model for ministry to meet the needs of modern society. We thank our clerics and lay community who have taken on additional work and responsibilities during the pandemic - while also keeping local ministry thriving.

Here, the Archdeacons of Margam and Llandaff, and Paul Booth, Vision Programme Manager, share their reflections on the inaugurations and what's next for Ministry Areas.

Two Ministry Area inaugurations have taken place in the Margam Archdeaconry during January.

In St David’s, Neath, the former parishes of Briton Ferry, Neath and Skewen came together in the evening of 27 January to form the Afan Nedd Ministry Area. All the parishes were represented at the service, to the accompaniment of excellent music from the church organist and Lay Chair, Mark Ritzmann, and a large, combined choir.

The Bishop officiated and preached - a lovely occasion and a delight to be part of it.

On the glorious final day of the month, representatives from the fifteen churches of the Cowbridge Ministry Area gathered at Holy Cross in the town centre for a joyous celebration of Candlemas, and the inauguration.

The Ministry Area Leader, Stephen Adams, presided at the concelebration which included his four colleagues and the Archdeacon of Margam, who preached. Delightfully, some of the youngest members of the congregation spread their toys in front of the nave altar and quietly contributed to the worship in their own way.

The Ven. Mike Komor, Archdeacon of Margam

Finally, there were banners! At the beginning of my third Ministry Area inauguration, representatives from each of the parishes carried their parish banner down the aisle and handed them to me. Long standing and proud identities were laid down as a new one was taken up.

It’s not been an easy process for any of us and everyone’s exhausted but here we were to honour the past, whilst celebrating something new and looking to the future. This is liturgy at its most profound. Clerics and readers were relicensed into teams. Ministry Area Councils were recognised and commissioned.

At the heart of it all was the Lay Chair, signifying the place lay leadership now has in our Ministry Areas. These things give me hope for the future of our diocese. We have created something new and moved into a different, more collaborative space that will eventually generate new forms of ministry and new partnerships.

I don’t know about you, but I think that’s good news for everyone.

The Ven. Rod Green, Archdeacon of Llandaff

Over the next couple of months Ministry Areas will be holding their first vestry meetings and the Ministry Area councils will be formed. This is both an exciting and yet challenging time for all. To enable Ministry Areas to develop successfully, we have put in place a package of support including focused training days for clergy and laity. This will be a time of reflecting on the strengths of the Ministry Areas as well as taking the time to identify the opportunities they have as they seek to build the Kingdom of God in the communities that they serve, together.

Please pray for our Ministry Area leaders and Lay Chairs as they step into this new world.

Paul Booth, Vision Programme Manager

Read more about Ministry Areas.