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Having returned from a very
lack lustre clergy chapter meeting when frankly I would have
been better weeding in the Rectory garden, I had to remind
myself of the encounter this week with a wonderful old
Norfolk farmer.
We met in the Market Place
whilst one of the very few people in the town passed by who
is like a, ‘Red rag to a bull’, to me. I have met the lady
on a number of occasions, discussed various issues and
agreed on very little. This farmer realised that I had
difficulty with her, and he said to remember,’ Farm the
plough wide.’ In other words if you know you are going to
hit an obstacle go well round it. I would have to go well
around this lady with a plough, she is small but rather
large......sorry that was an unkind.
As a priest in a busy parish
with over 100 organisations and 9,000 residents it would be
almost impossible not to fall out with someone, but I still
believe in saying what I believe, and not saying what people
want to hear.
Recently the Archbishop of
Canterbury addressed the Methodist Conference and was
criticised in the press because he advocated as the
Methodist Church does, but not in the Anglican Church, that
we should not renew Trident. Ruth Gledhill, the
Religious reporter for the Times newspaper, was no doubt
delighted to get this piece of information so as to see an
even wider schism in the Church of England. But I believe
that the Archbishop should be applauded, because he actually
said what he believed.
With the immanent decision
to vote on women Bishops, Rabbi Alexander Wright wrote to
the Archbishop to give him support saying that, ‘The
creation of women Rabbis has seen many more families coming
back to synagogues.’ Good on her! We believe the same will
happen to the Anglican Church.
I do hope that the General
Synod members have the courage to get on with this vote and
stand by what they really believe. The Church will grow as a
result of it.
Sometimes you have to just
to stand firm and do what you believe. This week has been
one of those weeks for me. We have been grappling with ways
to help the church and the community during the recession.
I have had conflicting ideas from my Church Council but now
I am ready to take a stand You will be able to read my hopes
and prayers for the future in the August Beacon, and there
will be a press launch in Fakenham on 23rd July
Adrian Bell
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