Electoral Address laity (Georgia Willis)

St Mellitus South West Theological Training Centre to Close in 2028

St Mellitus South West Theological College is to close following a review of theological education in the region by the national St Mellitus Board. The college, which is based at St Matt’s church in Plymouth, is one of the two main ordination training providers for the Diocese of Exeter. The Bishop of Exeter, the Rt. Rev’d Dr Mike Harrison, said “This is a great loss to the south west in terms of training options for…

Barnstaple Church to Hang Ribbons to Honour Survivors of Abuse for Safeguarding Sunday

Barnstaple parish church is planning to mark Safeguarding Sunday on 15 November by tying ribbons to the railings outside the church to honour survivors of abuse, to acknowledge the failings of the church in the past and to celebrate the positive work being done now to ‘look after each other.’ The church has also invited James May, from the Diocese of Exeter’s Safeguarding team to come and speak at the service, which is at 1030am….

Remembrance Sunday Calls Us to Pursue Peace Says Bishop of Exeter

The Bishop of Exeter led prayers at this year’s Remembrance Sunday commemoration on Plymouth Hoe. The Rt. Rev’d Dr Mike Harrison reflected on the importance of remembering the horrors of the past in order to “pursue peace” today. He said “We meet today to remember. To remember those who fell in battle in World War One and World War Two and other conflicts; the Royal Navy, the RAF, the Army, associated regiments and corps. “Those…

Devon Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter is First Female Dean of Exeter Cathedral

The new Dean of Exeter Cathedral is to be Revd Arwen Mary Folkes, Downing Street has announced. Revd Folkes, who is the first woman Dean in the Cathedral’s 970-year history, was born in Barnstaple in North Devon and was baptised in Bideford, before growing up at the Lizard Lighthouse in Cornwall where her father was one of the last live-in lighthouse keepers for Trinity House. She also spent part of her childhood at lighthouses on…

Launchpad Equips Members of Clergy to Explore Pioneering Approaches to Youth Ministry

Members of clergy across Devon have taken part in an innovative programme to help make their churches intergenerational by exploring pioneering approaches to youth ministry. Launchpad is a programme which has been developed by Youthscape, in partnership with South West Youth Ministries (SWYM). The programme aims to support churches with little or no existing engagement with young people aged 10-18 years old. Launchpad does not assume that churches have extensive resources, instead, it recognises real…