Modelling Community

It is a considerable challenge attempting to grow a community that maintains its health and vitality.

The formation of identity builds confidence but also tends to encourage boundary fixing and squabbles about membership.

The necessary organisation tends to apportion responsibilities that see pockets of power and influence developing.

The foibles of human personality do not appear to handle corporate life well.

There needs to be a comprehensive allegiance to certain principles.

- That identity, tradition and history must not create excluding boundaries.

- That involvement remains open to all.

- That power is never a personal possession, only a loan on behalf of a group, to be expended on the group's behalf, with the group's permission and for the advantage of all, within the group and without.

- A commitment to regarding every person as equal

- A vigilance against  authoritarianism or attempts to coerce conformity or unwittingly collude with its emergence

- High standards in personal integrity and corporate professional conduct

Like all living things, communities undergo continual change and require careful and sensitive tending, challenging, pruning and cultivating.

Good community encourages all to play their part in achieving a healthy shared life that brings well being to the members and to all around.

FIRST WOMAN BISHOP CONSECRATED FOR NORTHUMBRIA

The largest gathering of the Open Episcopal Church took place near Berwick upon Tweed in June for its annual Congress and witnessed the consecration of Bishop Lesley Dennis at Lady Waterford Hall and the ordination of three priests on Holy Island.

An ordinand from America had travelled to attend the Congress which marked the spreading of our ministry this year to Thailand, Germany and the States.

Bishop Helen Hamilton will travel to America this autumn to conduct further ordinations.

The church has more ordinands than ever before and is enjoying a period of substantial growth.