Dear Friends,
As Richard and I leave the Benefice it is a time for reflection and review.
Our time here has been a mixture of great enjoyment and very hard work. We have enjoyed the company and fun of times with friends and hope to keep in touch with them; we have enjoyed becoming familiar with this lovely part of the world and it will always hold a special place in our hearts; we have enjoyed the fields in which we walk our dogs each day and are so grateful for the generous access that is given by local landowners and farmers.
It has been a great privilege to work hard in serving God and the people of this Benefice for a long time in which we have seen many changes. I have done what I can to support Richard and initiate areas of work here alongside running a separate career. However the real work has been done by Richard not just in his visible ministry but in the detail and focus that would be expected of a former lawyer and that has been given to all aspects of Benefice life. He has worked tirelessly with an able team of lay and clergy to enable all the villages to work and worship in their own churches as well as being connected to the hub which holds the Benefice together.
Richard has exercised a ministry to all the different parts of the society which make up the Cotswolds and has brought structure, purpose, vision and teaching to the Benefice. He leaves it with a strong team and the ability to attract quality candidates to replace him.
As he switched out the lights at the end of our Farewell service, I reflected on the end of the time we have spent here and on the fact that as we move into the future and this Benefice looks ahead to a new Rector, we can continue to trust in the promises of the Lord that we serve and love.
Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
As we move away, we will pray for you in the future and send out best wishes and love,
Anita and Richard