PARISH
OF COCKINGTON
Torquay,
|
Our Vicar’s Address to the Each year a Parish has its high and low points, its joys and sorrows. This has been true since the beginning of
the Church. In the Early Church a low
must have been felt at the martyrdom Peter and Paul, whilst in fact it led to
something for our good – the writing of the First Gospel – that
according to St Mark. I believe that in the lows we are
being led by God to new ways. In
recent years the question of the Parish Hall has been such. The hopes for a hall at St Matthew's
revealed a low for me in the large cost of a building that would not have
been sufficient for our needs. This
however led us on to think about this building here at St Peter's and it is
our real intention to make some headway this year. Money has been another such
problem. Paying the Parochial Share,
though not in full, has been a drain on our resources to the extent that
whilst Cockington and St Peter's have been kept in
good repair, St Matthew's has been neglected.
I am pleased to report that English Heritage has given us a grant for
£70,000 for this work. A low has led
to a high in that all the three buildings will soon be in good repair. The question of Parochial share has
caused me and your Churchwardens much concern. I certainly believe it should be paid in
full but our resources, as you can see, are insufficient to meet this aim. I therefore welcome the Wild's report on
the future of the Clergy in this Diocese.
Share has reached very high levels.
In 14 years it has risen from £8,000 to over £39,000 – almost
500%. Our income has not risen
accordingly. The highest cost for the
Diocese is the cost of the clergy and this needs seriously reviewing. In addition we need to look anew at
Specialist and Sector Ministries – are they necessary? Which is more
essential Parochial Ministry or Specialist Ministry? These are things that your PCC will have to
discuss and come to conclusions that may well not be to everyone's pleasing. The last five years has seen highs
and lows in my personal ministry. My
time as Rural Dean ends on 23rd May, its high has been the linking
of the Parishes of Christchurch Paignton and St
Paul's Preston but against this I, like many of my predecessors have found it
impossible to solve the problem of the Churches of Central Torquay where we
are over-churched and overmanned. I am pleased that so many people
have helped me in my work. I am
extremely grateful for the assistance that Rev Dick and Fr Whelan give me in
the Parish. My son Stephen, who helps
me continuously with the Parish Administration. My wife her support and continued Readership
in the Parish. The Churchwardens for
their continuing advice and reliable support for the thrust of the Church in
this area. I would also like to thank
the PCC Secretary and Treasurer, Mike Janes
(chairman of the Social Committee), Jean Williams, Pam Stephens, David Johns,
Derreck Chalk, Gillian Wood for their behind the
scenes work, my organists and all the others who assist in the work of this
Parish. To the PCC I am grateful for
the help they have given in what has been a year of important decisions. Each year we loose through death
some real characters in the Parish, and this year has been no exception. Beryl Binnington
and Joan North who worked quietly in the background. Pat Parkes was a
real character, whose fun and joy, as well as her
flower arranging skills were a great boost to our lives in the Parish. Last but not least Reg
Williams. He is greatly missed, he liked the background yet so often found himself
in the fore. He worked hard "on his churches" keeping
them in good order, and when a problem arose he would approach me with the
words "I thing you ought to know. . ." and then the 'state of play'
would be laid before me. Reg we miss you greatly, you have left a large void that
is difficult to fill. So a year with highs and lows, but
that is part of the earthly pilgrimage Our Lord has given to us. We are charged to take up our cross and
follow Him. Thus, bearing that load we
walk towards our goal – The Kingdom of Heaven. |