The Benefice of Cheddar, Draycott and Rodney Stoke
VACANCY NEWS
The following is the announcement of our new appointment, taken from the February edition of our parish magazine:
A belated
Happy New Year to everyone, and the beginning of a new era for our Benefice with
the arrival of our newly appointed Rector, the Reverend Stuart Burns.
Stuart has
been Rector of the Benefice of Down St Margaret with Hollymount in the Diocese
of Down and Dromore, in the Church of Ireland, for the past seven years, having
been originally ordained in South Africa. In addion he spent six years as a team
vicar responsible for three parishes in the Diocese of Salisbury and so is
equally familiar with the distinctive ways of the Church of England. The
decision to appoint Stuart was unanimous, based on a common feeling that he has
a clear commitment to preaching the Gospel and sharing God’s love, not only with
our existing congregations, but also with the wider community, of all ages.
This has
been a lengthy process, but only because the Parish representatives wanted to be
sure that they commended the right person. However there have been hidden
benefits during this period, not least helping to bring the three parishes
closer together. Thanks are due especially to the Benefice Ministry team, who
have ensured that our worship has conntinued seamlessly from week to week, and
the many others who have worked hard to keep everything moving smoothly forward.
Stuart’s
licensing service will be conducted by Bishop Ruth and Archdeacon Nicola on
Saturday 7 May, at 5pm, followed by refreshments in Cheddar Village Hall (Church
House). We eagerly look forward to welcoming Stuart, and his wife, Lorna, who is
an Early Years head teacher and will follow him here at the end of the school
year. They have two sons, Joshua and Matthew, who are both currently at
university.
I know that
Stuart is excited about coming to be Rector of our Benefice, and I am sure that
he and his family will receive a very warm welcome from everyone. Please hold
Stuart in your prayers, as he prepares to begin a new ministry among us. We wish
him God’s blessing for a long and successful future in his new role.
Jim Reeve