Hope for the Millennium

Mention has already been made in the pages of New Directions of the fact that the culmination of our programme of celebration for the Millennium of Our Lord – Christ our Future – is to be a massive Solemn Eucharist in the London Arena, on Saturday, 10th June 2000. And now we are very pleased to announce that the Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend David Hope, has consented to be the Principal Celebrant that day and that the Preacher will be the Right Reverend Richard Chartres, Bishop of London.

We will in the coming weeks conclude our arrangements with the authorities at the Arena with regard to ticketing, whereby the Arena Box Office will be ready and able to take both reservations and bookings for seats. It might be too early now for most readers to put the date down in their diaries, but it is not too early to decide that one will be there. As soon as we are able, we will advertise the price of tickets and the telephone number of the Box Office, so that you will be able to register your commitment this year, rather than waiting (as most of us prefer!) until the last possible moment! And, in turn, we will keep readers up to date on how many seats have been reserved and how many seats have been sold and, together, we will see our commitment to this great celebration growing month by month.

The London Arena that day will have 10,000 seats available! With 2 reserved, that’s just 9,998 to go! Watch this space.

Uninhibited Welcome

Last month’s announcement in this column that Bishop Edwin Barnes was to visit Scotland produced a reaction (as you will have read elsewhere) which exceeded our – and Bishop Edwin’s – wildest dreams! Also alluded to in that piece was our agreement to a gradual process of convergence with Affirming Apostolic Order. It has taken longer than we might have hoped to put that agreement into practice, but last month we finally agreed the texts of letter to all the members of AAO from their Chairman, Fr Eric Lindsay, and ours, Bishop John Broadhurst; the AAO membership list was successfully incorporated into our computer system; and everything was ready to send a copy of January’s New Directions to all the members of AAO. The Director decided that Wednesday, 15th January should be the day that the mailing should be processed and . . .

And the news of Bishop Edwin’s “inhibition” broke that very day! A “happy” coincidence?

Well, only time will tell but, in the meantime, a very warm and uninhibited, if belated, welcome to all our new readers in Scotland. We hope that they will find in the pages of New Directions each month encouragement and inspiration and we look forward to reading news of Forward in Faith in Scotland in this column before too long . . .

Another Welcome

Following on our practice of sending a complimentary copy of New Directions each month to all the bishops of the Church of England, we are from this month sending a copy to all the bishops of the “Porvoo Communion”; it is our hope that these bishops, scattered as they are from Scotland to Sweden, from Ireland to Finland, will find in New Directions much material which will aid them in understanding and appreciating the position of traditionalists not only in England but also throughout the world.

forward!

The Forward in Faith weekly Pew Sheet, forward!, goes from strength to strength. Launched only last Pentecost, it is already in use in no less than 88 parishes, with a weekly print-run of some 8,000 copies. Printed each week in full colour, it is, with its straightforward, orthodox teaching, an invaluable resource for traditionalist parishes everywhere. It is particularly encouraging that something like a quarter of the parishes using it are not formally registered with Forward in Faith, for it demonstrates that the support for all that Forward in Faith stands for is much wider than might be assumed. Has your parish considered using forward! yet? And if not, why? It is a first-rate product and deserves an even wider circulation. Why not send for samples and a price list and order form now! Just pick up the `phone and dial 0171 976 0727 – even if you’re reading this at midnight, call right away and leave a message on our answering machine!

forward plus!

The second issue of Forward in Faith’s quarterly tabloid newspaper forward plus! will be out soon, with an increased print-run of some 26,000 copies. Available in bulk in multiples of 25, it can be ordered by parishes, deaneries, clergy chapters, house groups – anyone who can successfully distribute at least 25 copies. The first issue was greeted with acclaim and the second promises to be even better! Don’t miss out! Pick up that `phone now and place your order. And remember: it’s absolutely free!

From Glory to Glory . . .

Sunday, 19th January saw the long-awaited launch of our monthly service of Evening Prayer & Sermon at Christ the King, Gordon Square. The Regional Dean for London, and Chairman of Forward in Faith London, Fr Malcolm Gray, was the first in a series of preachers whom we know will enliven life in the capital on a Sunday afternoon and we look forward to rapid growth as more and more people hear of what is happening there each month. The service will always take place on the third Sunday of each month (except August) at 4.00 pm, preceded by a short Organ Recital at 3.15 pm. The preacher this month will be Fr Bill Scott, Vicar of S.Mary’s, Bourne Street, SW1 and we look forward to welcoming him and all our other preachers as the year proceeds. Clergy in the Home Counties might consider the possibility of cancelling Evening Prayer in their own church from time to time and coming – along with their people – to Gordon Square, as an act of corporate witness to their parish’s commitment to Forward in Faith and its work. We hope, too, that from time to time Choirs or Music Groups from Forward in Faith Parishes will be willing to come and lead this act of worship – if your choir would like such an opportunity, please write to John Ridgeway-Wood, c/o Forward in Faith at Faith House, and he will be happy to discuss the possibilities with you.

Forward in Faith and E-mail

Readers wishing to contact Forward in Faith or New Directions via E-mail are now able to do so, using the address 106016,2031@compuserve.com

News from Scotland!

A very warm welcome indeed to the first parish of the Scottish Episcopal Church to register with us as a Forward in Faith Parish – S.Michael and All Angels, Inverness and its Rector, Canon Len Black, are to be congratulated on the speed with which they have shown their resolve!