At a special Choral Evensong in Celebration of Chaplaincy, four new Eco Chaplains were commissioned by the The Bishop of Lynn, the Rt Revd Dr Jane Steen, on Sunday 16 November.
Lynn Fry, Helen Blake, Meg Forster and Iain Grant have been trained to help parishes embed creation care in their mission and ministry, through worship, witness, teaching, pastoral care, discipleship, witness, buildings and land across the diocese.
The primary purpose of this voluntary role is to encourage and support churches to respond to the climate and ecological crisis, by advocating for environmental action, resourcing others, and helping churches on their Eco Church and net zero journey.
Bishop Jane spoke about the role of chaplaincy being to stand back to allow God to do what he must do. She described chaplains as frontline missioners for many people who may not darken the door of a church; remaining faithful and speaking truth to power – a “bridgehead between a world that needs God and a Church that offers God.”
The four candidates where asked to affirm their calling to this ministry and to encourage their sisters and brother in Christ as they seek to find ways to live and minster more sustainably. They were prayed for:
God of beauty and of bounty,
Bless these your servants in their ministry as Eco Chaplains;
Give them confidence and sensitivity in their mission,
That they may encourage, energise, and perhaps challenge your people
To embrace change, rejoice in their natural surroundings
And recognise the love of God for all creation,
By the power of your Spirit and in the love of Christ.
Amen.
You can watch the livestream from the service here: Norwich Cathedral – Choral Evensong in Celebration of Chaplaincy
The Eco Chaplaincy role is supported by the Diocesan Environment Officer and Net Zero Adviser, the Environment and Net Zero Working Groups, and means being the ‘port of call’ in their area for parishes who would like further help as they take action on climate change. If you’re not sure if they cover your area, do check with Barbara or Ed first. You can find out a little more about each Eco Chaplain below, along with their contact email.
The Revd Lynn Fry
Associate Priest (SSM) in the East Harling benefice, and a Spiritual Director for the Diocese, Lynn will be available to support churches in on their eco journey in the South West of Norfolk. “Working in Papua New Guinea really opened my eyes to the truly wild spaces we still have in the world and the need to support the people who care for them. In our own context, this means caring for every small space of ground we have and consciously making good choices for the well being of all. Sometimes that means putting nature first, God’s gift to us all. As a church, we have the potential to be leaders in this work of environmental justice – a call for us to be prophetic voices in the places we live.“
You can contact Lynn at: lynnandtony@outlook.com
Helen Blake
Helen is part of the Eco Church Team at Crossroads in Earlham and in training for a graduate diploma in chaplaincy with Waverley Abbey. She will be available to support churches in the Greater Norwich area. “Since my childhood I have found hope and inspiration within creation and I have seen God’s abundant provision when we steward this with His guidance, ushering in more of His Kingdom on earth. I feel privileged to be able to commit to this role and stand with the Church of England as an eco-chaplain to foster hope, nurture new life and share good news as together we care for the world God has given us.”
You can contact Helen at: dandhblake@yahoo.co.uk
Meg Foster
A professional artist and recently retired from the NHS, Meg is in training with the Myriad Pathway as a Pastor with Garden Network. “I believe that my call to Eco Chaplaincy has been a journey that has taken years. For as long as I have loved Jesus, so too have I had a deep passion for the creation which we are part of. My childhood was in North Norfolk, spending hours walking and birdwatching on the beaches and cliffs. My husband and I have recently launched an animal assisted therapy project called ‘Sanctuary’ with Garden Church, which is based at St Margaret’s Church, Stratton Strawless.
God’s heart has always been for us to lovingly care for creation as part of our worship, and not to harshly subdue it. One of the parables that Jesus told was about pruning to be even more fruitful; this is the heart of the Father for us and all creation. This is my heart too, to communicate the joy that is to be discovered in even the simplest of acts of caring for our environment and of what it then teaches us about our Glorious Creator God.”
You can contact Meg at: meg@megfoster.co.uk
The Revd Iain Grant
Iain is currently Assistant Curate in the Sheringham Benefice. “The climate crisis is an enormous issue that is only going to get more complicated and more difficult to get through. Yet, it is entirely from my Christian faith that I have hope and believe we can still address the issue and avoid the worst of the impact. It’s vital that the Church takes a leading role in this and is entirely within God’s calling for all of us to be good stewards of creation. As a child, I was brought up in a world of ‘green’ ideas, and I’m sure my mum is very glad that I listened to at least something she tried to teach me!”
You can contact Iain at: reviaingrant@outlook.com
See the full list of all eight Eco Chaplains and their contact details here: Contact the Environment Team – Diocese of Norwich
Have you started your Eco Church journey yet? Register as an Eco Church or find out more at: https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/