‘Goodbye’ to Bron and ‘Hello’ to interregnum
An emotional farewell service was held at St Andrew’s Church, Langar on Sunday as we said ‘goodbye’ to Bronwen, our rector for the last 12½ years. Around 100 people packed the church and the sidespeople were kept busy hunting for extra chairs, service booklets and hymn books! The congregation included couples who had been married by Bronwen, young people who had been baptised by her, relatives of those whose funerals she had conducted and many more whose lives she had touched in some way.
Bron was presented with cards from each of the churches in the parish, a framed photograph of herself with Bishop Tony and the proceeds of a collection from across the parish.
The service was followed by a ‘bring and share’ lunch, during which folk had the opportunity to give their own thanks and say their personal farewells. On behalf of everyone in the parish, the PCC would also like to thank Bron for her dedication and leadership over the last 12½ years.
Bronwen is leaving to take up the appointment of Vicar designate of the South East of Retford Benefice (formed by the enlargement of the Rivers Group) and her installation service will be at the church of St John the Baptist, East Markham at 7.30 pm on 22 October. We all wish her God’s blessing in her new mission as she faces the challenges ahead.
Our own parish will now enter a period of interregnum, whilst we go through the process of finding and appointing a new minister. During this period, we hope to maintain ‘service as normal’ with the help of retired clergy and other ministers from the diocese together with our own lay readers and additional lay members of the parish. The coming months will represent a considerable challenge but we view it as a great opportunity to increase the involvement and outreach of parish members in seeking to advance Bishop Paul’s vision of Growing Disciples Wider, Younger, Deeper.
If you were unable to attend the service, you can read read Bron’s farewell letter to the parish by clicking here.