July 09 +James CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

Happily I won't be joining them, and want to use this letter to say a huge thank you for all the prayer that has gone into the appointment of the 67th Bishop of Carlisle. Knowing how many people have been praying, and how hard and for how long gives a tremendous sense of encouragement and assurance for which I am profoundly grateful.

Being number 67 also brings with it a real feeling of humility. The first Bishop of Carlisle was Aethelwilf (1133) and it is an extraordinary privilege to serve as part of a long line which includes Hugh of Beaulieu (1219), Marmaduke Lumley (1430), Richard le Scrope (1464), Owen Oglethorpe (1556), Edward Rainbowe (1664), Richard Osbaldeston (1747), Hugh Percy (1827) and of course Sydney Cyril Bulley (1966) who set a splendid (and almost unheard of) precedent by starting as Bishop of Penrith. I almost feel I need to change my name (polite suggestions on a postcard please) to do justice to my distinguished and exotic forebears!

However the over-riding sense is one of continuity. The so-called ‘Apostolic Succession' is all about the faithful preaching and teaching of the apostolic faith, and it is a sobering and exciting thought to realise how the flame of that faith has been passed on through the generations. Bishops of Carlisle have led God's people in mission here for almost 900 years, and they themselves were following in the magnificent footsteps of the Celtic Saints (such as Kentigern) who roamed around Rheged, setting up preaching crosses, for instance at Bewcastle and Irton, and declaring the Gospel of Grace to all who would listen.

I regard that same preaching and teaching as my primary task in Cumbria. So there will be continuity with the distant past as we all try to live out and declare our Christian faith in an age when it has been largely forgotten or ignored.

There will also be continuity with the more recent past, because in this diocese we remain firmly committed to growth: growth in spiritual depth, in care for the community, in mutual support and in numbers. At the moment we are pursuing those with a particular emphasis on Young People; the Countryside, and the development of appropriate Ministry. All the good work currently underway will continue, with guidance and direction from an outstanding Senior Staff team.

But there will also be change. In Chester Diocese I was closely involved with the cathedral whose Benedictine foundation ensured that ‘Continuity and Change' was a constant refrain. I hope it will be in Carlisle Diocese as well.

Part of the change will come in the up-front promotion of discipleship in all our parishes. That means being reminded - and sometimes learning for the first time - what it really means to be a committed follower of Jesus Christ: which includes sharing the good news with our friends and neighbours. Without growth in discipleship - there will be no growth of any kind.

Another part will consist of real engagement with the wider community we exist to serve. I hope to be a Bishop for Cumbria as well as Bishop of the Church in Cumbria.Last - but certainly not least - there will be a change in the way we work with Christians of other denominations. We will grow together - or not at all.

James Newcome