NEWS
Revd Helen D.Cameron elected as Moderator-elect to serve from April 2021
Helen will work alongside Hugh Osgood for the first year and become the Moderator of the Free Churches Group in April 2022. We are very pleased about this appointment and look forward to working with Helen.
The Revd Canon Helen D.Cameron is a Methodist presbyter and Chair of the Northampton District of the Methodist Church. She is a former theological educator at the Queen’s Foundation in Birmingham where she was involved in the formation of Methodist, URC, Anglican, and Pentecostal student ministers and has served as Assistant Secretary of the Methodist Conference. She worked on the implementation of the Safeguarding Past Cases Review Report for the Methodist Church from 2015 and was influential in establishing supervision for ministers and those exercising pastoral ministry. She has written, “Living in the Gaze of God - supervision and ministerial flourishing’ published by SCM in December 2018. She believes that accountability is a key part of flourishing in ministry for both lay and ordained. She enjoys reading novels and theatre. She is married to Iain, a GP, and has three adult children.
“I regard it as a very great privilege to have been elected as the next Moderator of the Free Churches Group and to be able to serve the Free Churches Group in this way. I am a committed ecumenist and for many years lived and taught student ministers in the ecumenical community of the Queens Foundation in Birmingham. What that experience gave me was a foundation to my Christian experience which helped me to know that difference was to be celebrated as a gift of God (rather than a threat) and that Christian unity was a fundamental part of a convincing and confident Christian witness. I know that I am enriched by the breadth of the traditions and the practice of the churches that make up the Free Churches Group and look forward to learning more about and working with all of the member churches. I am a Methodist presbyter who currently serves as Chair of the Northampton District of the Methodist Church and I have served previously as Assistant Secretary of the Methodist Conference. I value the work of the Free Churches Group particularly its work in developing chaplaincy in health care, education and prison communities and believe such ministry is vital in our public expression of faithful witness.
- Helen Dixon Cameron”
Fridays at 3.30pm - tea and chat for healthcare chaplains
As usual, we are pleased to say that Rev Meg Burton (pictured below) invites healthcare chaplains for Tea and Chat!
Every Friday afternoon between 3.30pm and 4.30pm.
Feel free to join for as short or as long a time as you wish.
A chance to 'chew the cud' about your week before going home for the weekend or a chat about anything.
Zoom meeting ID: 870 5327 8978.
Password: 669993
(photo courtesy of Miti at Unsplash)
Rev Meg Burton - SECRETARY FOR HEALTHCARE CHAPLAINCY, FREE CHURCHES
A warm welcome to Emily - the new project manager for The Welcome Directory
The mission of The Welcome Directory is to help faith communities welcome people leaving prison… and we are delighted to welcome Emily to the role of Project Manager. Emily started the job last week and has already been making excellent progress and getting to grips with the vital, varied and dynamic work of The Directory!
Emily joins the Welcome Directory as Project Manager, having worked in the development and humanitarian sectors for 9 years, supporting staff, partners and communities of different faiths overseas. She has experience leading a global team, project managing the logistics operations and building capacity for the geographical portfolios for which she was responsible at Tearfund. More recently, this included procurement proposals and budgets with institutional donors in response to the pandemic.
Emily (pictured below) has volunteered with a homeless project run by local churches and is passionate about positively impacting and engaging communities on issues of social justice. She is excited to be a part of an organisation that strives for second chances and fair opportunities for those leaving prison. Emily is keen to mobilise faith communities in achieving transformation, so that individuals can again have hopes, dreams and most importantly a future.
A personal note from Emily:
“I am so excited to be joining an organisation that sees potential, values people and recognises the role of faith communities. Whilst the world still battles on with Covid19, approximately 6,500 individuals still continue to leave prison each month. Finding places of welcome is just as crucial as before. The Welcome Directory has already registered 126 faith communities and we have an ambitious and yet exciting strategy to expand our directory. That means many more opportunities for prison leavers to find belonging, experience compassion and acceptance. And that’s what I love about the Welcome Directory. It would be great to hear from you: either what your faith community is already doing or if you would like to get involved!”
The Welcome Directory - helping faith communities welcome people leaving prison
Project Manager for The Welcome Directory - welcome Emily!
Exciting news from the Association of Christian Teachers
Over many years, as part of the work we do in the Education team at Free Churches Group, we have worked alongside the Association of Christian Teachers.
We are delighted to share with you all that they have appointed a new Executive Officer to oversee the work they do. Their recent press release says:
“The Association of Christian Teachers (ACT) is pleased to announce the appointment of Lizzie Harewood as their new Executive Officer with immediate effect. Lizzie (pictured below) brings twelve years’ experience of working in both state and independent schools, along with skills in the delivery of social media and creative content writing. She has a passion for the pastoral support of all those in the education sector and also brings experience in this field through her active involvement in local church leadership.”
The news from ACT goes on to say,
“Lizzie will initially be focused on both supporting existing members, and growing the organisation through the development of ACT’s Regional Representatives and links with other Christian partners. Following the attainment of a Law degree, Lizzie has taught both in the UK and overseas, but most recently has been teaching up to A level in the north of England. She is married with two children and enjoys cooking, singing and when time permits, running marathons.”
On behalf of us all at FCG, we hope and pray that Lizzie settles into this new role well
and the work of the ACT goes from strength to strength under her leadership.
Mrs Lizzie Harewood
Commemorating 400 years since the Mayflower set sail!
We are delighted to share with you a film which has been made by one of our member churches - the Congregational Federation - to celebrate 400 years since the Mayflower set sail.
We share the following hoping and praying it will be an encouragement and an inspiration to us all!
Mayflower Fest is a collection of short films in which the Congregational Federation have chosen to mark the 400th Anniversary that the Mayflower sailed from Plymouth in Devon across the Atlantic to the New world in America.
Worship tent
This is a collection of clips from Congregational Churches all over GB with a reflection from Mike Fales Moderator Elect of International Congregational Fellowship
A Children’s tent
This tent tells the story of the Pilgrims reflecting on what it might have been like for the children on board and has lots in interactive activities for children to take part in.
Pilgrims and Promised
Lands tent
Including interviews with Rev Dr Peggy Bendroth, former director of the Congregational Library in Boston and Rev Dr Lottie Jones Hudd about her church in Detroit on the underground railroad escape.
Mayflower Art and Artifacts Tent
'We have a filmed conversation with the artist Rachel Carter who has created two life-size bronzes of a unnamed 'Pilgrim Woman' which will be sited in Doncaster, before moving to Austerfield and Gainsborough.
Missing Voices Tent
Telling the story of the Wampanoag Nation
Songs That Sustain Us Tent
Including the Mayflower hymn “The Lord has yet more light and truth”
Historical Voices Tent
Giving insights to William Bradford, John Robinson and Sara Willett Minter the Midwife to the Pilgrims
Please use these link to enjoy the Mayflower Fest: here and here
