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Letter from Revd Peter Walker to St Matthew's about future leadership at our church - November 2011

Dear Friends at St Matthew’s

I want to tell you about some exciting developments in the life and leadership of all our churches, with particular reference to St Matthew’s church.

From the time I first heard about the Heart of England Parishes it has seemed to me that the Ministry Leadership Team was one of the really positive features of life in these parishes. Setting lay people free to exercise significant leadership in the churches is something I believe in very strongly. We also owe a considerable debt of gratitude to the members of the MLT for all of their hard work and amazing contribution to the life of the 5 Alive group.

However, almost from the moment that I arrived it has been clear that the already large MLT would be too big to function effectively if we simply added an appropriate number of leaders from St Laurence’s (5 Alive could not become 6 Alive!). After further prayerful consideration it is also clear to me that St Matthew’s church has been losing out. The MLT have properly been concerned about all the churches so they could not focus on St Matthews, and since Steve left there is no longer a minister regularly in St Matthews able to give that sense of leadership. I am not able to be with you more than once or sometimes twice a month at the main morning service so something else is needed

There have been many discussions with the PCC and MLT and what we are now proposing is, I hope, building on the best of what has gone before but with a new focus.

The MLT will come to an end in its present form in December this year, in its place there will be 2 new groups:

• There will be a Preacher’s Group comprising all those who regularly preach or who hold the Bishop’s Licence in all our 6 churches – this will meet about 6 times a year and will enable us to continue to share in ministry across all of our churches.
• There will also be a St Matthew’s Eldership comprising initially all those former MLT members who regard St Matthew’s as the focus of their ministry and who wish to serve in this way. In a year’s time (when the original MLT would be 5 years old and would be due for re-consideration) we will start a rolling programme of seeking several nominations each year so that we encourage fresh gifts and callings.

Many of our discussions have been around the remit of this Eldership. I believe that they (and the PCC) need authority with accountability so that routine decisions do not all have to come back to me. To this end I have asked Greg Hallett to chair the Eldership group (though I remain ex-officio a member of it) and I  and the PCC together have tasked this eldership with taking forward the Mission Purposes of our church: To Worship God, To Make Disciples and to Transform Salford Priors. (A slightly longer summary of this Mission is on the back of this letter).

Please uphold Greg and the other members of this Eldership in your prayers, we will formally commission them one Sunday morning in the New Year. Please continue to pray too for those who bring God’s word to you week by week

Yours in Christ

Peter Walker

"Come meet a man....." - A poem by Greg Hallett

Come and enjoy Cup Cake Café

on the 1st Saturday of each month in the TOPS Building - Salford Priors.                                  

Access the 2011 Annual Report from the PCC here

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