Vicar's address at the Annual General Vestry Meeting on Wednesday 2nd April 2008

Well, we’re still here! (I think that’s my sound-bite for this year!) And more importantly, you’re still here! How dependent we are on the likes of you; your support and loyalty is unsurpassed and I am so grateful to you, you have no idea! I’m referring to you as a congregation, yes, but may I make special mention, right at the beginning of this little address, of our loyal and faithful choir. Yet again, the choir has shown such faithfulness and allegiance, even when we all had to face such sadness last year with the loss of Nan Sadler and Maureen Reid, tragedy which has been hard to take in. (We also said farewell to Dorothy Hill and Hubert Murphy; two amazing people) Can you believe our organist Ian Mackrell has been with us a year already? We are very fortunate to have with us an organist of such quality. We took Ciara’s 18^th birthday as a good excuse to go out for an evening to the Crawfordsburn Inn. Ciara and the choir, you deserve it! And Happy Birthday Ciara! Amazingly, much to your delight, I’m sure, I’m still here! I hit a birthday this year which has made me think of age a lot! It’s only a number, I know, but age is a thing with us this year. We (as a parish) are 150 years old! You know well that we have several special events to help mark this year. There is a committee looking after organising such things as the May Ball and the like, but I think Maurice Dowds deserves special mention here. Please keep a track of what’s happening by looking up our timetable of events in the Parish News. (The Archbishop of Armagh is due to be here on 18^th May; it’s the year of three Bishops because our old friend Alan Abernethy, consecrated as Bishop last June is due to preach here at a Full Attendance service on 21^st September). After the visit of the Salvation Army last February, and our own Diocesan Bishop, Harold Miller, during Holy Week, our next big event is the Family Fun Day on 26^th April. As we speak, we are getting our poster board revamped by Andrew Todd, a parishioner and graphic designer in Holywood. We were going to have a radio service broadcast in April, but someone in the BBC forgot to put it in his diary! All our special events are significant of course, but just as significant is our Development Plan for this our 150^th Anniversary Year. The seeds of such a plan were sown when a certain Harvest preacher was in Glencraig who knew of our new house in Holywood and it was he who took it upon himself to tell a certain member of the Vestry to suggest that the Vicar and his family should move in to it! There followed serious discussion about the Vicarage, a plan was put together and we are now where we are!

The whole scheme has taken on a life of its own after having obtained special permission from the Bishop to move away from the Vicarage. I am deeply grateful to the Select Vestry for their understanding in allowing us to move. What salves my conscience is that I have facilitated the Parish to utilise its assets in a way that would be impossible had the Vicarage remained occupied. The Development Plan involves the sale of possibly two sites at the Vicarage and with the proceeds we can build a new modern Vicarage, cancel our debts and support a building project, possibly in Africa. We are still at an early stage and such procedures are again being dealt with by a vestry committee, but I would like to thank particularly our Vicar’s Glebewarden, Richard Holmes. For your information, the move itself was pretty horrendous, as any of you who have moved will know, but it was the ‘settling in’ period which was the most difficult.

Builders were still coming in, the shower had to be redone and there were so many other things, I think I have blanked them from my mind such as Simon’s continuous visitations to our bedroom right throughout the night for weeks on end. But we are now more settled than we have ever been. We have just passed our six month mark, and I am living in my own home for the first time in my life!

Another significant development since this time last year is the procurement of what we call the Parish Car Park! The Court Case was to be heard on June 6^th, our D-Day, and the day before the case was settled I was not relishing a court appearance in my state of mind, so the relief was enormous. As you know (because you have been kept abreast of the situation through Parish News instalments) the car park is ours having paid a ‘nominal’ sum of £10,000 plus fees for the conveyancing of the land which gives us access to the car park from the road. I think at the time, I said that old Mr McMullen who gave us the land in the first place would be turning in his grave at the whole appalling escapade. Our Counsel, our very own Johnny Park and then Senior Counsel, Mark Horner decided not to charge any fee whatsoever. This was incredibly generous. To try and say thank you, we purchased an array of bottles, the like of which I’d be proud of! It was the smallest of gestures compared to what fees we might have incurred. They both wrote kind thank you notes and Mark Horner’s ended with the comment, “I’m glad I wasn’t working for the Methodists”.

Although Clare McBrien was good enough and brave enough to hold a Youth Alpha and to co-ordinate our Summer Madness last year, our youth scene is on hold at the moment, I’m afraid to say. And I am sorry that Youth Church has been put off, although it doesn’t stop them from appearing, I hope at certain services in the future. Exams and the reality of life have got in the way and, hopefully we can revive things again soon. Having said that, our Youth Club on a Saturday night is buzzing! We’re so grateful to Ken Craig, Laurian Duff and the ever faithful Ann Kitson. Laurian continues to lead our Sunday Club and they often come home with the most wonderful creations. Thank you again to her and Philippa Hastings and their helpers! Andrew Scott continues to write the Youth Page in our Parish News.

Soon after the Easter Vestry last year, Jonathan Condell let us know that he would be stepping down as Treasurer next year. We all understand this move completely. He took over the post from Eric Patton some 13 years ago. I cannot express adequately how grateful I am to Jonathan for taking on this role in the first place, but also for the first rate job he has done as Honorary Treasurer of this Parish. The great thing about Jonathan is that he will let you know the facts in no uncertain terms; there’s no beating about the bush, no flowery language (he is a scientist!) and it is exactly what you need as a money person. I’ll never forget the first time he delivered his Treasurer’s Report and it was the first time I felt I had some kind of grasp of our financial situation. Up to then, the message I could only ever hear was if we didn’t have a Vicar, we’d be well off! I have depended on our financial team to let us know when we need stewardship programmes and the like. The instigation of Lenten Challenge to help steer off debt incurred by the Church restoration and the extension and renovation of the Church hall has been an inspired idea prompted by an earlier Lenten Challenge a number of years ago. I am completely confident that Jonathan and the team have kept a close eye on our finances and have handled them superbly. The role of treasurer and secretary in any parish are crucial roles, and I cannot emphasise enough how grateful I am to Jonathan for taking on this role, but also for carrying it out in such a professional manner. In this same vein I can tell you that taking over from Jonathan is Tony Gregg; already someone well known to us and all our financial matters. Again, I cannot thank him enough for willingly taking on this role; the transition will be seamless!

Thankfully, Ken Craig will remain as Gift Aid Secretary. A role he is delighted to have, I believe! And Phil Houston will take on the role of Parish Recorder; our sincerest thanks to him

The other two people who are most important in my life (apart from wife and family!) are Brian Parker and Peter Johnston. I have spoken at length about them I hope in glowing terms before, but I cannot emphasise how much they mean to me! (I am sure in any other job, I’d be asked to leave by now) Both Brian and Peter are making it possible for me to stay and they’re the reason, ‘I’m still here!’ It is easy to forget that Brian had serious surgery the year before last and yet he is, as ever, keen to help me in whatever way he can. We have all got to know him very well over the last number of years and I know you will agree with me that we could not have a finer Non-Stipendiary Clergyman.

Peter has been just brilliant. He has freed me up so much to do the kind of things I really want to do in the parish. I said it last year, but Peter has me so organised that I meet myself coming back! I’m just not used to being on top of things – clergy aren’t very good at that! His role seems to be ever expanding – he is very sensitive to my needs and transports me to hospitals and pubs and the like (only joking). Of course certain ‘bonding sessions’ are essential with one’s colleagues and they can’t be ignored either

There are always a large number of people to which we all owe sincere thanks: Valerie Kinnen for choosing our readers Sunday by Sunday, our Sacristans Ann Miller and also our new sacristan Joan Carmody. Eva is one of the most amazing people in our parish; you all know that, anyway. If she had the energy and the power, she would do anything for Glencraig, which says it all. I am so grateful to Joan for agreeing to take on this role. We thank Pat Oswald for the wonderful flowers and all those who contribute their time and expertise to making the church so beautiful Sunday by Sunday and particularly on those ‘Special Occasions’. We thank the tremendous ministry of the Prayer Line, and Valerie Stevenson who looks after it. And, as always, I want to thank Walter for his consistent loyalty and unerring ways with the Communion chalice. And more behind the scenes, Betty Senior for her wonderful work with Cradle role and sending all those cards to our newly baptised parishioners! It is a role that pays tremendous dividends down the line. Wendy McBrien and Mary Gregg keep a careful eye on all things regarding Safeguarding Trust. And Helen Houston, I am grateful, has taken over the Crèche Role.

Our website continues to be a huge success. I couldn’t now imagine a parish without a website and people continuously contact me through it! I hope you have had the opportunity to look it up recently. And all our thanks are due to Christopher Kinnen for all your hard work and expertise.

We thank people like Maureen Gregory for the BRF notes and, indeed, for all she does on a Wednesday morning, favourite biscuits and everything! Our auditor Peter Johnston! It grieves me to tell you how unwell John Strawbridge is, who no longer is able to be an auditor. From this meeting we send him and Phyllis all our love and our prayers.

We thank those who help with the Parish News distribution, Joan Carmody and Jean Grimshaw, and Billy Mercer, our Parish News Editor. Thanks also to Hazel and her faithful band which provides teas and coffees and lunches, and also her role as Christian aid Coordinator for this area. (Christian Aid Lunch is the Sunday the Archbishop is visiting us, 18^th May) And lastly but certainly not least, I’d like to thank all the members of the Select Vestry and, not least, our truly loyal and diligent Hon. Sec. Billy Mercer.

 

As with every year, we had to say farewell to a Churchwarden last year and welcome a new one, and how thrilled we were that David McIlhagger took on the role as Vicar’s Churchwarden. He has been truly wonderful and has already proved an invaluable member of the Select Vestry. Of course, as Vicar’s Churchwarden, his main role is to look after me! However, it soon materialised that David’s attentions went elsewhere; not that he ever neglected his role as Vicar’s Churchwarden, I don’t mean that for a moment, but that, let’s put it this way, I felt I was no longer number one!! It all became clear when David himself asked to have a word with me in the vestry.

He began in very serious tones. He said, “I could begin by saying that it’s all your fault...” and, of course being me, my mind began to race and my heart began to sink as I thought to myself, what on earth have I gone and done or said. David continued, “I could say that it’s all your fault or I could say that you’ve done something rather wonderful without knowing it”. I began to feel a bit better! And he went on to explain that he and Noreen had been seeing each other. Although, I found out later some had suspected something was going on, I had no idea and I was absolutely thrilled. So you never can tell what might happen when you take on the role of Churchwarden! My mind goes back to my curate days when the Churchwarden in my first curacy was a particular Christine McMurray, and look where that got me! Churchwarden is a precarious role and “is not by any to be enterprised, not taken in hand unadvisedly, lightly or wantonly; but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God”. Sorry, I’m getting carried away here!

Speaking of glamorous Churchwardens, I cannot thank Noreen enough for all she has done as People’s Churchwarden. It’s hard to believe two years have gone by. She always has a smile on her face and she is so gracious and just the kind of person we need in the Church Porch. There has been a tradition of glamorous female Churchwardens right from the very start and I hope we can manage to keep that tradition going, and I think we have!

Long live female Churchwardens; they are a breed apart, I know because, thankfully I married one!

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