The Holy Trinity News
On the feast of Candlemass and during the Parish Eucharist Canon Andrew blessed six new high altar candles given in memory of Fr Jack Milverton a faithful assistant priest for many years at Holy Trinity church. It was appropriate that they were blessed at Candlemass when we celebrate Christ the light of the world and hear the words of Simeon speak to us through the proclamation of the gospel – A light to enlighten the gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel’.
The six candles on the high altar remind us that the altar is the throne of heaven.
On the Feast of the Epiphany the Reverend Ruth Milverton celebrated the twenty fourth anniversary of her ordination as a priest in the church of God. Canon Andrew announced to the 10am congregation that we were all grateful for Ruth’s continued ministry amongst us and for her loyalty, friendship and pastoral care for us all.
Ruth came to Holy Trinity church in 1983 with her husband Fr Jack Milverton. Fr Jack became a very popular and well-loved member of the clergy at Holy Trinity until his death in 2009.
Reverend Ruth had approached the vicar at that time who was Fr Stephen Venner about studying some theology. The parish sponsored Ruth for a selection conference and she began training for the Deaconess ministry on the South West Ministerial Training course at Salisbury Theological College. In 1986 Ruth was made a deaconess in Salisbury Cathedral. She continued an active ministry in the parish as a deaconess until women could be ordained in the Church of England. In 1995 on the Feast of the Epiphany Ruth was made a Deacon and later a Priest.
Ruth is proud to claim that she was ordained in Holy Trinity and the ordination was officiated by three bishops: Rt Rev David Stancliffe (Salisbury), Rt Rev John Kirkham (Sherborne) and Rt Rev Stephen Venner (Middleton) formally vicar of Holy Trinity. They were assisted by twelve clergy from the Diocese.
Revd Ruth has always been a Non Stipendiary priest assisting the vicar and Holy Trinity and was for some time the NSM officer for the Diocese of Salisbury.
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With all the preparations in place Christmas Eve at Holy Trinity church began with the annual CHRISTINGLE SERVICE of light. Around three hundred people and families gathered to hear the Christmas story and to receive a Christingle. The money raised from this event is donated to the Church of England’s Children’s Society to assist it’s work with families and vulnerable young people.
As the bell rang to call people to worship for Midnight Mass the atmosphere became more formal and the service began with the blessing of the Christmas crib, a reminder that our saviour was born amongst us and in poverty and humility brought God to us and since has changed the course of time for millions of people throughout the world.
Early on Christmas morning the 8am Eucharist continued the Christmas theme and welcomed regulars and visitors to a quiet reflective service.
It was good to see so many families at the 10am Christmas Day Eucharist and joining in those traditional and familiar carols which remind us of the events that lead us to the birth of Jesus.
It has been a pleasure for us all to welcome both regular and new members to our church over the Christmas period and we extend a warm welcome to join us for our worship each week.
Everybody at Holy Trinity church wish you all a very HAPPY & HOLY NEW YEAR.
Read MoreOver two hundred people gathered at Holy Trinity church last Sunday (16th December) to begin the Christmas season. Holy Trinity church choir led the singing of traditional carols and chosen readers traced the story of the birth of Christ from Genesis to the Gospel of St John announcing the Word had become flesh in Jesus Christ.
Thanks are extended to the choir, Deans academy and Julie our soloist as well as Gary at the organ and our new musical Director Alistair Dean.
Afterwards everyone enjoyed Christmas cake and mulled wine served in the organ transept.
A splendid evening was enjoyed by everyone.
The next Bishop of Ramsbury has been announced as The Reverend Dr Andrew Paul Rumsey by Downing Street.
Author of the highly acclaimed ‘Parish – An Anglican theology of place’, he is currently serving as Team Rector of St Mary, Oxted in Surrey.
The Bishop of Ramsbury is an ancient title first used in 909 AD with responsibility mainly for the Wiltshire parishes in the Diocese of Salisbury. The new Bishop will also chair the Diocese’s Mission and Ministry Council.
He is married to Rebecca, who works as an executive coach, and was born in Marlborough where the new Bishop and his family will be living. They have three children, Grace (16), Jonah (14) and Talitha (Tali for short,12).
Dr Rumsey is 50 and comes from a long line of parish clergy. He was educated first at the University of Reading and then at Kings College, London. He trained for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge.
He served his title at Harrow in the Diocese of London and was Vicar of Gipsy Hill in the Diocese of Southwark. In 2011 he was appointed Rector of Oxted and Tandridge in the Diocese of Southwark before becoming Team Rector in 2014.
As well as being an author, whose writing centres on themes of place and local identity, he is also a musician with a longstanding interest in songwriting & popular music.
He said:
“I am honoured and delighted to have been appointed as the new Bishop of Ramsbury.
“At a time of rapid change in our society, the enduring strength of the Church of England is its commitment to local communities, in all parts of the country, I greatly look forward to working alongside Bishop Nicholas and Bishop Karen, and to serving this purpose in the glorious county of Wiltshire.
“We hope to arrive in Marlborough just after Christmas, along with our vintage caravan and tabby cat, Pepper.”
Dr Rumsey is expected to take up his new position in January 2019 after being ordained to the episcopate as the new Suffragan Bishop of Ramsbury by the Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday 25th of January.
He succeeds the Right Reverend Edward Francis Condry, who resigned on the 12th May 2018.
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In a first for the Church of England, the Diocese of Salisbury has been granted Eco Diocese Status.
Andy Atkins, CEO of A Rocha UK the Christian based environmental charity which runs the green award scheme said:
“Salisbury is the first diocese to be awarded Eco Diocese status and it’s our very great pleasure to do so.
“When we launched Eco Church in 2016 we had high hopes and expectations. To have got this far so quickly is humbling, exciting and such a huge encouragement that so many churches in a diocese are working together to care for God’s earth should be an encouragement to us all.”
The Bishop of Salisbury, Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam said:
“I am delighted and very encouraged that the Diocese of Salisbury is the first to win this award. As the lead bishop on the environment for the Church of England I am delighted my own diocese is first and I also hope that others will be close behind us.
“Our target to become an Eco Diocese was to have 50 churches registered and now have 70 with Bronze, Silver and Gold awards. And we have more churches still working towards getting their own award.
“It shows that as a Diocese we recognise that the care for God’s creation is at the heart of ministry and mission. The recent IPCC report on climate change and the WWF report on the destruction of biodiversity means the care of God’s earth is urgent. I hope that becoming an Eco Diocese will encourage us to do more and better.”
The Award looks at a Diocese or Parish’s green ‘credentials’ in five areas: Worship and Teaching; Buildings; Land; Community Engagement and Lifestyle.
To achieve an Eco Diocese Bronze Award, 10% of the Diocese’s 500 local worshipping communities engaged with Eco Church, and 5% obtained an Eco Church Bronze Award.
In addition, the whole Diocese met Eco Church Bronze Award standards for its management of buildings and land. There was also a requirement for ethical investment of diocesan funds and for the inclusion of care for creation in training for ministry.
Parishes that had been involved in Living Churchyard and other ecological projects were encouraged to look at the new scheme, and many held special events working on ways of being more environmentally friendly.
The quest for Eco Diocese status was helped by some good news early in the process, with Hilfield Friary near Dorchester gaining the first Gold award in the country.
Picture credit: Antony McCallum: Who is the uploader, photographer, full copyright owner and proprietor of WyrdLight.com [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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