“I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the full.”
(John 10:10)
When Jesus talks about ‘Life in all its fullness’ he is teaching about the life of God, which overflows with generosity, exceeds expectations and is abundantly more than we can imagine.
It is the abundance of God’s life within us as a Church and as individuals that flows out, giving life to those around us.
‘God who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.’ (2 Corinthians 9:10-12.)
In the Diocese of Gloucester we have been blessed with significant proceeds from the sale of Glebe land, most recently in Leckhampton, Cheltenham, which will directly support ministry and the costs of clergy stipends, pension and housing costs in the parishes and communities of our diocese.
These funds are a significant blessing to us as a diocese, yet as scripture constantly reminds us, as we are blessed by God so we are to be a blessing to others that God’s name might be proclaimed in all the earth, and that the light of Christ might indeed be a blessing to all the nations. It is because of this that the members of the Bishop’s Council, clergy and lay from across our diocese, determined that we should ‘tithe’, that is commit, 10% of our income from Glebe sales to be applied for ministry beyond the diocese.
Previously we have done this to support the work of the Church in its engagement with housing. However, following recent sale of Glebe and conscious of Jesus Christ’s words to us that ‘for whom much is given, much is required’ (Luke 12:48), the Bishop’s Council have agreed to begin a new venture, supporting two curacies in dioceses where they would not otherwise be able to fund curates because of budget constraints.
Following encouraging conversations with the Diocese of Blackburn and the Diocese of Chelmsford, and after prayerful consideration, we have agreed that the tithed gift will be used to provide long term financial support to these dioceses to enable them to each appoint a new curate.
As always when we give a gift, we of course receive, and that will certainly be the case here as we support the development of a new priest in another diocese and so help build up the ministry of the whole Church – who knows, one day they may come and serve in one of our parishes!
Bishop Rachel and Bishop Robert said, “We are privileged in our diocese to have higher amounts of Glebe land and investments than many other dioceses. Funds from these investments are well managed by our officers and our trustees and used to invest in mission and ministry across our diocese. Yet with the sale of a significant piece of land it is right that we financially contribute to the life of our wider Church. In this act, we recognise that all that we have been given belongs to God, and as we bless others we too are blessed as we invest in future ministry within God’s Church.”
The Rt Revd Philip North, Bishop of Blackburn, said. “In the Diocese of Blackburn, we are profoundly moved at this wonderful act of generosity shown by the Diocese of Gloucester, which is such a vivid demonstration of our oneness in Christ and of our mutual love.
“We will use this precious gift to strengthen ministry in one of the most deprived communities in East Lancashire. We also look forward to building a closer friendship with the Diocese of Gloucester and seeking other ways to support each other in prayer and in ministry.”
Expressing gratitude for the gift, the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani said: “We are deeply grateful to our friends in the Diocese of Gloucester for this gift that will be a blessing to our ministry in Chelmsford Diocese. Their generosity is a powerful reminder that we are one body in Christ, and that we are called to be the Church beyond the communities where we worship and serve.
“We give thanks for God’s provision and pray that this gift will help to sow the seeds of a friendship that will benefit mission and ministry across both our dioceses in the future.”
‘Yours Lord is the greatness, the power, the glory, the splendour, and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.
All things come from you and of your own do we give you.’
(A prayer at the preparation of the table based on 1 Chronicles 29:11)
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