Rector’s Report to Annual Vestry 2020
St Andrew’s Church, Newlands
“…‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” (Matthew 4:10b; NRSV)
Introduction
The responses of Jesus to the Devil during Jesus’ time of testing in the desert are telling, especially as each temptation touches on three areas of life to which human beings are all sensitive: security, affection and esteem, and power and control. “…’Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him’” (Matthew 4:10b; NRSV) touches deeply on the manner in which we seek to live together as a community of Faith. I am deeply grateful for the commitment of all at St Andrew’s to being open to the bigger picture, to the broader scope of ministry to which the Gospel calls us. Service marks us in so many different ways. That doesn’t mean we always get it right, but it does mean that we take our mission seriously, and that our tag-line Serving each other; serving the world is words that truly direct our action.
Looking Forward
Our Lived Context
There are joys and struggles ahead. As South Africans we face a stagnated economy, a fractured political environment, and social space that remains divided on many levels. In the darkness we search for glimmers of light, and they are there: our President, while often appearing to be indecisive, is committed to seeking consensus, which while not producing instant results has the potential to bear meaningful fruit; our national department of health often seems totally under-resourced but has managed to identify the first instances of the novel Corona Virus in South Africa quickly; we are faced with ongoing load-shedding, but Eskom does at last appear committed to proper maintenance on our power system. As people of Faith we are also people of light, and it is our calling in noting the light to restore hope in our world.
Bishop-Elect of Table Bay
Excitingly, we have a Bishop-elect for Table Bay! It has been an extended journey, but we need to trust that the process has elicited in Archdeacon Joshua Louw of the Waterfront Archdeaconry a person who will give us solid and caring leadership going forward. As St Andrew’s we look forward to welcoming Joshua and his family as our new neighbours in Newlands when they move into the Bishop’s House in April this year.
125 Anniversary
We formally became a Parish in 1895, a year after the present Church building’s foundation stone was laid in March 1894 and according to R. R. Langham-Carter in his booklet St Andrew’s Newlands: The First Century 1894-1994 the Church was consecrated for use on St Andrew’s day in November of the same year, with the first baptism taking place on 2 December. By 1896 there were 10 services a week, and some 450 parishioners on the roll.
Our existence as a worshipping and educational community goes further back to 1854: R. R. Langham-Carter here notes that, “By 1954 open air services were being held in the summer on the old proposed site.” And in relation to our first Church building on the corner of Newlands Ave and Palmboom Road that, “… it looks as if [Bishop] Gray laid the chapel’s foundation stone on 2nd May , 1856 and it was opened on 2nd May in the year following …”.
Anglican worship has taken place in Newlands for at least 166 years. Anglicans have worshipped formally in a chapel/church building for 164 years, in the present St Andrew’s Church for 126 years; and we have been formally been a Parish for 125 years. Are we wanting to celebrate any of this?
Mission and Ministry Fund, and Archdeaconry Development Fund
2019 saw St Andrew’s blessed with unexpected generous and regular additional income. Parish Council debated how this money should be utilised, not wanting our regular expenses to become too reliant on giving from one source. The outcome has been a decision that as of January 2020 a portion will go towards our Dedicated Giving income, another portion towards a development fund for the Archdeaconry, and the bulk into a Mission and Ministry Fund with broad terms of reference to resource different aspects of our mission and ministry as a parish.
Safe and Inclusive Church
Directly as a result of the recommendations of the Anglican Consultative Council’s Safe Church Commission (the ACC is an instrument of the Anglican Communion), the Anglican Church of Southern Africa is introducing new requirements in order to ensure Anglican Churches in Southern Africa are places where adults and children can be safe from any form of abuse. To this end all licensed ministries and informal leadership appointments (e.g. Children’s Church Teachers, Sidespeople, etc.) are required to sign a declaration form, and back this up with Police and Child Protection Register clearances, which will require renewal every two years. While this may seem onerous in a Church context it is a normal expectation in many other fields, such as education and nursing, and brings us into line with the local requirements of the South African Children’s Act 38 of 2005.
Reflecting on 2019
2019 has been a year of consolidation at Parish level, while the Diocesan Elective Assembly provided some distraction, and then disappointment when it failed to elect and the process had to be escalated to the Synod of Bishops. At Archdeaconry level, Archdeacon Keith retired as Archdeacon in October and we wish him and Valencia well in his retirement once his role as Vicar General of the Diocese comes to an end with the consecration of the new Bishop-elect of Table Bay in early May this year.
Treasury
While 2018 saw a change in Honorary Treasurer, 2019 has seen a change in Honorary Auditor. Doug Wallace came to the end of his self-imposed three-year term (we would happily have had him serve longer, his predecessor having served for over 10 years) and indicated he was wanting to stand down. I wish to extend a big thank you to Doug for having had the courage to audit our accounts over a period of change as we computerized our accounting system, trained up our Parish Secretary as our book-keeper, and instituted new procedures to account for these changes. Doug offered solid and considered advice at a variety of critical moments in our transition to the Pastel Accounting package.
My thanks to Cullen Penny (who generously offered to help the Church in any way when I visited him in hospital and he was still fighting off the effects of an anesthetic after an operation to his hip) for accepting appointment as our new Auditor for the 2019 financial year. In his and my defense, I did confirm his offer once he was home and recovering! Each Auditor brings their own unique set of skills to the position, and we look forward to all that Cullen has to offer St Andrew’s over at least the next five or more years.
Children’s Church
A year a go Penny Middelkoop had just stepped into the position of Children’s Church Coordinator, and I am pleased to report that under Penny’s leadership the Children’s Church has gone from strength to strength this last year, as you will hear in the Churchwarden’s report.
Layministers
I reported last year that we had seven layministers-in-training, and am pleased to report that they have completed their training and probation, and are ready to be licensed. They each bring fresh perspective and new energy to the ministry, and have elicited positive response from many of you over the last few months as they have stepped in to their new role in our liturgical and pastoral space.
Sacristans
The work of our sacristans often goes unnoticed, largely because of their proficiency and dedication, yet is key to the proper functioning of our services of Worship. Jill Joslin, after many years of service, indicated towards the end of 2019 that the time had come for her to relinquish her role as head sacristan. Jill’s leadership has been marked by her proficiency and her care, energized by an interest in sacristan work developed in her school days; and she has left big shoes to be filled! There are no easy words to express the value of all Jill has given over such a long period but we salute you, Jill, for your example and perseverance, and we hold all that you have given so generously over the years in the simple words, “Thank you!”.
Margie Thomas has had the courage to step into Jill’s shoes, and we welcome her to this role. Margie brings a different set of skills to the position, and we look forward to her leadership of this vital Parish ministry going forward.
Intentional Discipleship
A small group of Parishioners under Derek Mitchell’s facilitation picked up exploring the training module around this Anglican Communion initiative, and have submitted a report to Parish Council, which we will hopefully pick up in the new Council year. Their report offers helpful insights, and highlights the critical importance of growing our Home Groups as a foundation for Discipleship, and additionally the need to offer opportunities for the wider community to interact meaningfully with the Church.
Diocesan and Interfaith Responsibilities
I was appointed interim Archdeacon of Rondebosch in at the end of October. I was also elected Chairperson of the Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum (WCRLF) at the same time. Both positions are proving demanding with the WCRLF needing revitalization and refocusing, and the Archdeaconry having two Parishes in interregnum. I am discovering that both positions are more than the sum of their parts, but I am enjoying the new levels of responsibility and challenge they both offer, and am thankful for the support and encouragement of our Churchwardens and Council, and the willingness of our assistant and retired clergy for picking up unexpected duties. As I also carry portfolio responsibility at Chapter level for Safe and Inclusive Church I may, however, live to regret not taking up Doug Wallace’s kind offer of lessons in saying “no”!
Thank You
I remain deeply thankful for the support and affirmation I receive from you all as Rector. It often feels undeserved, as I am not aware of doing or being anything particularly special. However, whatever the magical ingredient is, it includes your ongoing willingness to work with me in seeking out God’s purposes for our Parish and our world. Thank you for the wonderful variety of gifting you all bring to God’s mission in and through St Andrew’s!
My particular thanks to all who give particular leadership to the variety of ministry opportunities St Andrew’s provides, from Sacristy to Parish Council and everything in between. My special thanks to the two important women in my life: my wife, Dawn, who brings order and focus and support to my home life, and our Parish Secretary, Bev, who similarly brings order and focus and support to my work life!
Dawn and I are also highly appreciative of your love and care during her father’s illness and subsequent death. Thank you.
MARK R D LONG
Rector
9 March 2020
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