Board members

Our Board’s officers are engaged in various areas of community work and outreach.

The Very Reverend Chris Potter is Chair of the Board.

Rev David Lewis is lead officer for the Board and overseas the different aspects of work.

Rev John Barden Davies as Rural life officer engages with rural and environmental issues and concerns.

Rev Phillip Williams as World Development Officer has done considerable work in developing fair trade in our Diocese.

Rev James Aylward is chair of the Wrexham Asylum and Refugee Support Group

Rev Peter Mackriell is the Chaplain working with Deaf People. He has been working on making our churches and services more inclusive and welcoming. More churches are now having regular signed services.

Rev Aidan Coleman is part time organiser for TCC and works with people on issues of citizenship.

CHURCH AND SOCIETY

New initiative

Resources to support parishes and individuals during recession.

Diocesan Offering 2009

Supported the work of Hafal and Rhyl Samaritans
Further details

David Lewis, Church & Society Officer, writes,

The work of the Church and Society Board, I think is summed up in the words of a poem by a ten year old girl, as part of a series of poems published by Shelter and written by children on the themes of homelessness and poverty.

HUNGRY

I could smell the barbeque.
I could hear the children laughing,
The dog barking.

I turned away,
Hungry for food,
Hungry for laughter.

To me that little poem, written by a ten year old, sums up the work of the Church and Society Board. We are to help bring Christ’s hope and promise of resurrection to those in our world who are marginalized and are hungry for justice and peace, hungry for food and for laughter. And our work as a board has helped bring Christ’s light to people.

In January 2007, £8,000 was given to the Pennant Melangell Centre as part of the Diocesan offering. This Centre offers healing, both spiritually and psychologically to the people of our diocese and beyond.

We have been working in partnership with TCC in the establishment of a hostel for roofless people in Wrexham. A temporary shelter was established this last December and it is hoped a permanent shelter will soon be able to open its doors. The board has been able to give £5,000 to this important work of reaching out to those on the edge of our society.

The Board has been supporting the important work of the Asylum and Refugee Support Group in Wrexham and has given a grant of£3,000 to support its work in drop in centres and offering advice and support.

The board is supporting the work of a community worker on the Parkfield estate in Mold.

The Board, at Bishop John’s request has been instrumental in setting up a CHASE group in the Diocese to look at how we as a church can respond to environmental concerns and the changing world climate.

The board has been engaged in partnership with other Boards to help clergy deal with changing situations in Parish and Diocesan life. A two-day training was held for Area Deans in January, followed by a clergy study day in February. The board is now actively engaged in preparing for a clergy residential to be held in September in Lancaster at which Rev Art Gafke will look at the area of clergy mentoring and support.

To end I would like to return to Leah’s poem. Our ministry as a Board is simply about bringing God to people hungry for laugther, hungry for dignity, hungry for hope.