Mission to serve at home and away
The new priest-in-charge at St Martin's, Brighouse, and St John's, Clifton, the Rev Dr Stephen Spencer aims to make the churches warm and welcoming and attractive to younger people. And he hopes to encourage the congregations to support projects in Zimbabwe.
ALTHOUGH it's more than 10 years since the Rev Dr Stephen Spencer returned from working in Zimbabwe he has continued to support projects over there.
And as the new priest-in-charge of St Martin's, Brighouse, and St John's at Clifton he is hoping that he can also persuade the congregations to give their support as well.
"The need is huge," said Father Stephen. "I will tell them about it and if I can drum up a bit more support it will be great. Zimbabwe is a beautiful country and the people themselves are very hospitable, welcoming and gracious."
Father Stephen, 49, lived in Zimbabwe for five years as a parish priest in Bulawayo and as a chaplain and teacher at an Anglican school.
He returned in 1999 but has remained in touch with people and is involved in fund-raising for the school where he worked and for an orphans' project in Bulawayo.
"Things were just beginning to nose dive when I left," said Father Stephen. "It is terribly sad what is happening."
Father Stephen had previously worked in Zimbabwe as a volunteer teacher before he was ordained."I enjoyed it very much but came back to train. I felt I had not given all that I could there so when the opportunity arose to go back I did so."
He was licensed as priest-in-charge of St Martin's and St John's on February 1 by the Bishop of Wakefield, the Rt Rev Stephen Platten, at a service attended by 175 people.
He now aims to put both local churches "more on the map". "I see my role as to help make the churches warm and welcoming where people can come, not just at special times of their life, but also at ordinary times," he said.
"We are here to serve the community as a whole. St Martin's and St John's are there for everyone and places where anyone should feel able to come in and spend time with God."
Father Stephen is hoping to revive a youth group for the younger teenagers and has already starting discussing the best way forward.
"It needs to be something which attracts young people and speaks to them clearly," he said. "You can't expect them to come and sit quietly in church every Sunday. A different approach is called for."
But, he emphasised, all the church's existing work would continue. Both churches also had excellent facilities for meetings and were available for community groups.
Father Stephen is supported in his ministry by the Rev Cynthia Fox, who has been curate in both parishes for several years, and reader Ian Knowles. "My approach is very much a team approach and to provide a series of groups for people in both parishes."
St Martin's regularly has a congregation of 80 to 90 for the Sunday services and at St John's there are around 30.
"For middle-aged and younger adults there are so many demands on their time on Sundays that it is harder to get people to come to church than it used be," he said. "More people now work at weekends and there are lots of activities on Sunday mornings for children so the pressures on churches are greater than they used to be and the fact that the attendances at these two churches have remained steady is a real achievement."
As well as looking after the two local churches Father Stephen will continue to work two days a week for the Yorkshire Ministry Course at the College of the Resurrection in Mirfield, which trains men and women for ministry in the Church of England.
He previously worked there full-time for two years, but has been involved in training for about 10 years, twice combining it with parish work.
"I enjoy teaching very much and helping people prepare for the challenges of ministry," he explained. "Being a priest has always been my main calling, but teaching that is part of the priestly ministry is where my particular gifts lie."
Father Stephen was ordained in 1990 and was a curate in north west London before going to Zimbabwe. On his return he was vicar at Caton, near Lancaster, for almost five years before coming to Yorkshire.
His wife, Sally, teaches English as a second language to adult immigrants in the Leeds area and also taught in Zimbabwe. She is also a local preacher for the Methodist Church after becoming involved in the church through their children's school while living in Caton.
This didn't cause any problems, said Father Stephen. "It is a way in which we can get the churches working more closely together," – mirroring the joint commitment by the Anglican and Methodist Churches to work together and move closer together at a national level.
The couple have two sons, aged 20 and 12, and a 14-year-old daughter.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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