CAPTION: Bishop Moira with the community from St Mary's, Dunsford
Discovering Devon’s Deep Wells of Faith on Bishop Moira’s Living Stones Tour
The Bishop of Crediton, the Rt. Rev’d Moira Astin, has begun her Living Stones tour of Devon by visiting the seaside parishes of Shaldon and Teignmouth, the Teign Valley village of Dunsford and the ancient city churches of St Michael’s and All Angels and St Sidwella’s in Exeter.
Her tour is taking place over a series of days throughout the summer and will cover North, East and parts of South Devon, which are the areas of the diocese she covers.
It includes visiting churches, schools, community projects and ancient stone crosses and holy wells.
Bishop Moira travels on the Shaldon ferry
Bishop Moira said “The tour has two aims – to meet people in the area of Devon I look after and to visit places where we can touch history and know that God has been at work there forever and is still at work today.”
“I have a background in church history and what’s special to me is the deep rootedness of Christianity in England.
Bishop Moira said she felt her role was to support people spiritually, but also to help hold communities together. She studied geology at university and is writing a book about early Christianity in Britain.
She has based her tour on the Bible verse “Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:4-5
With photographic artist Anna Grayson in Teignmouth
At St Nicholas church in Ringmore, Shaldon, she toured the churchyard, where volunteer Nia Pearson leads a monthly Churchyard Care Group, which does gardening and maintenance in the churchyard and “always includes cake”. 90% of people who volunteer with the group have no formal connection with the church but have family connections to the place.
Nia said “I have a degree in geography, so the land has always been important to me. This churchyard group is an extension of my life and my faith IS my life. I am using my organising skills and this feels of great value to the community.”
“This is very much a community project based on faith and it’s fun. We have about 20 people coming every month, some of them have family buried here, some find solace in the work. There is a widow who has found great comfort in the fellowship that we have created and the work we are doing, and she feels close to her husband as well.”
Seeing the eco-church gardening project in Dunsford
Bishop Moira travelled across the Teign estuary on the Shaldon Ferry to visit St Michael’s church on Teignmouth seafront where she met up with church member and photographic artist Anna Grayson to judge an art competition in which children from Hazledown Primary School had drawn scenes from the Easter story.
St Michael’s churchwarden and Licensed Lay Minister, Leslie XX, said “One of my main focuses is working with children and families. Of all the churches I have been a member of, St Michael’s is the most friendly. We have been here five years and we felt the warmth of the church as we walked through the door, it is a very warm, welcoming, non-judgemental place. Just come along! It doesn’t matter your age or background, you will be enveloped in warmth and love.”
“Being a churchwarden here allows me to interact with more people and gives me a focus sometimes for what Christ is calling me to do. I think a churchwarden is servant role – supporting the clergy and serving the congregation.”
From St Michael’s Bishop Moira walked to the nearby church of St James’. Its octagonal building was designed in the style of a mosque and it has a spectacular ceiling. While she was there, Bishop Moira met some churchwardens and members of the church cleaning team.
Then it was time to leave the churches of the Haldon Mission Community and drive along the Teign Valley to St Mary’s, church, which has earned a gold Eco-Church award for its churchyard gardening project, which includes raised beds to grow vegetables to share with the local food bank in the church porch. It also has a cafe area in the church which was funded by a legacy and is used throughout the week.
Liz Robin, a PCC member and Anna Friend volunteer, said “I believe in love and I think love begets more love. We have great role models in those who teach us. There is also an enormous amount of love in this community and it radiates out from the church.”
in the afternoon, Bishop Moira visited the community of St Michaels and All Angels church in Heavitree, which has run a weekly children’s and adults’ library in the church for the past 25 years, along with refreshments for the people who come.
The day ended at St Sidwell’s church in central Exeter. Bishop Moira said “It’s great to end the day in the sun at a church named for St Sidwella, the patron saint of Exeter. There was a Holy Well here dedicated to her.
“The story is that she refused to marry the person her father wanted her to, she was murdered and her head fell at the spot where the well was situated. There is now a coffee shop on the site.
“Today I have seen many things which have shown the ancient holy roots of Devon and also I’ve met some wonderful people who through running libraries, doing eco-church, providing food in the porch, running children’s choirs etc – are serving the people of Devon with joy, as well as expressing their faith and deep spirituality.”
The next leg of Bishop Moira’s Living Stones Tour will be on Wednesday 20 May, when she will be travelling from Budleigh Salterton to Ottery St Mary.
