John Atkinson
After almost eighteen years at Christ Church the time has come for me to move on to the new calling I believe God has given me.
Since my ordination in 1981 I have exercised a teaching ministry which has always been focused on equipping members of the congregations for service. There have been two aspects to this ministry. The first is formation, the transforming of character and life so that the individual is able to serve effectively in God’s Kingdom. The second is teaching, knowing and accepting the commands and guidance of the Scriptures for daily life. This is reflected in Paul’s description of the pastoral ministry in Ephesians 4:11 “some to be pastors and teachers.”
I am extremely grateful to the people of St Philips (1984-1990) and Christ Church (1990-2008) who gave me the opportunity to exercise a teaching and counselling ministry while I grew in my own walk with God. Thank you to all those who have worked alongside me, and particularly Duncan, who has supported me like a brother.
It is this experience of formation and teaching that has prepared me for the next step in ministry.
For some time I have been deeply concerned about the quality of training and preparation of those who enter ministry – both ordained and lay. The scarcity of clear and godly leadership in the wider church today is a direct result of years of neglect in the choice of adequate trainers and the lack of dynamic programmes that focus not only on academic “head knowledge” but also on the formation of the individual. This situation cannot be allowed to continue if the church is going to be relevant and effective in the transformation of our society.
During 2008 we were visited by Dr Aldo Fontao, an expert in church leadership development. His research in the Parish confirmed what we already suspected. The most urgent need in the churches of St Johns Parish is leadership development.
As a Parish we have a unique contribution to make both in the Anglican Church and in the wider community. In order to do this we must have, “men and women of faith, rooted in the Word of God and empowered by the Holy Spirit, exercising bold and creative leadership within the churches of the Parish and beyond, as lay and ordained leaders, as well as more widely in various places of influence in the wider community of which we are a part.” (Raising up leaders for the future – Vision statement).
This kind of leadership can be described as, a dynamic relational process in which people, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, partner to achieve a common goal – it is serving others by leading and leading others by serving.
The establishment of a Leadership Institute within the Parish will provide the necessary focus and the resources for the training and formation of leaders.
To this end I will be conducting a needs assessment during 2009 with a view to establishing a training and formation strategy for the Parish.
For Phyllis and me Christ Church is our spiritual home and we will continue to worship at Christ Church as members of the congregation. My time will be spent working in all six congregations in the Parish and playing a Parish rather than a local role. This is an exciting new venture which I believe will serve the congregations of the Parish and the wider church in a new way. I need your prayers and support as I seek to be obedient to God in this calling.
John Atkinson