Parish Priest’s Report for the APCCM – 2010.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is again my very great joy and privilege to address the members of our PCC and of our parish in my annual report.  This is now the 6^th annual report I have presented, my having been in the parish around 5 ½ years.

It has again been a very good year, and rather a lot has happened.  George Bath retired as Church Warden after some 15 (I think) years, and had been a tremendous support to me during that time, for which I am very grateful.  He has been replaced as Church Warden by Tony Cooper, who has made a very industrious and enthusiastic start!  Tony has already made a mark with some big jobs, and is very much aware of things that need doing, and is keen to get on with them.  He does have a tough act to follow in George Bath, but, as they say, so far, so very good!  I am again very grateful to Tony for his support to me.

Lenore continues as Church Warden and has also been a very great support to me in her very hard work for the parish too. 

This year our organist made the local papers!  And – I hasten to add – for good reasons!  Joan Clarke celebrated 60 years on the organ stool – and the Bishop of Bedford came along and made it a very special day for us.  Joan was again celebrating recently when she reached the very great age of 90.  I am so very grateful to her for all that she does; being a Church Organist is no small task, and requires tremendous dedication and commitment.  These, along with enthusiasm and very competent musicianship mean that our music flows well, and enhances the liturgical life of the parish.  We are very fortunate to have Joan, and I thank her for her great support to me, and for all that she gives to the life and worship of the parish.

When I heard that the treasurer wanted to retire this year, I was worried…there was no way I could balance the books myself!  But Christine Bunnage has done a tremendous job of looking after the Church finances for the past 18 (I think) years, and certainly deserved a rest.  I often think that the Treasurer’s job is the most demanding and most difficult job on the PCC, and Christine has performed it superbly and with great dedication over those many years – and again has been a very great support to me.  This year Denise Lock has taken over as Treasurer, and I am very grateful to her for that, and look forward to working with her in the one part of the PCC that I don’t understand at all!!  Denise has made an excellent start, and has been very supportive, and very helpful from day one.

Jayne Tasker has continued brilliantly as Secretary again this year, and has become well acquainted with the computer world!  Thanks to her for all she does, and again for her support to me.

All the PCC officers have shown me great kindness and friendship since I have been here and I am deeply grateful for that.

All those who hold office in the Church help me to do the work I should be doing.  In many parishes the Vicar has to spend all his time at his desk, and gets precious little time for pastoral visiting and pastoral work.  That, however is not my idea of being a parish priest – and I am so thankful that my ministry is able to go above and beyond pen and paper! 

Numbers continue to be fairly stable – of course if everyone came to church every Sunday, we would look a bit more full! But generally our numbers are good, and I do appreciate the fact that some of our congregation do travel some considerable distance to worship here.  I have always maintained the importance of a parish church being a ‘parish’ church; but if people find a spiritual home here and travel to be with us, it can only show that we are providing something very precious and very worthwhile – and that is down to all of us, not just to me.

As always, those privileged to serve at the altar have continued to work hard, and have continued to take very seriously the important work they do, which at times is somewhat complicated!  Many thanks to all 4 of them.

This year we have paid a smaller proportion of the Quota than we have done in past years – mainly due to the large building work we have had done on the lavatory.  We have paid £8,000 and whilst this is a large amount for us to have raised ourselves, it does leave a considerable shortfall on the actual quota we are asked for.  It is likely that the Archdeacon and some of the people from the diocese may want to come and see us at some point to ask for more money.  That is fine, and I am quite happy to see them, but I also recon the best thing they can do is to bring a magic wand with them, as if the money isn’t there in the pockets of the faithful, it simply isn’t there!

This year the Vicar of S Saviour’s retired, and in the partnership between the 4 anglo-catholic parishes in Luton, it looks most likely that the parish of S Saviour may be joined to us.  It is not definite yet, and I am still waiting to hear whether the people of S Saviour’s are willing to accept my offer.  I wait to see what happens, but if I do have this other parish as well, I have made it plain that I shall continue to live here in Sundon.  I will of course keep you posted on that – it might turn out that S Saviour’s don’t want me there, in which case I will not be begging for extra work!

But it has to be remembered that both ourselves and S Saviour’s are neither of us able to pay our quotas in full, and it would make some sense if both parishes were to share their priest.  In an ideal world, each parish would have its own priest full time, but sadly those days diminishing.  I will of course ensure that neither parish is neglected should S Saviour’s be joined to us, but there is, of course, only one of me!

This year next month there will be a general election.  Whilst it is not for me to tell people how to vote, I do think it is important that I do encourage people in our Christian community to actually go and exercise their vote.  I would also say that anyone in the parish who considers themselves part of any Christian community thinks that it is acceptable, or even a Christian act to vote for a party such as the BNP they are very much mistaken, and would have to do some pretty complex theological gymnastics to justify it!  Christianity and racism do not go together, and whilst as I say, it is not for me to tell people who to vote for, I do feel it is within my remit to advise people not to vote for the BNP if they profess to be part of this or any other Christian community.

This year I have seriously broken my word on one thing – I said that I would never have a Sunday off, and again this year, I must apologise that I have done so that on more than one occasion.  My thanks very much go to Fr Reg Rolph who has convered here – and on one occasion had to leave pretty swiftly to get to the RAF afterwards!  And also to Fr Colin Gay who has also helped out here.  Although I had originally said that I would not take Sundays off, the increased taxation on air fares has meant that it makes more sense to go away for longer!  I do, however, miss you all when I am not here!

In the coming years we will need to continue raising money for the fabric of the church – and the Friends of S Mary’s have worked tirelessly to aid this.  So many thanks to them for all that they do, and for all that they continue to do.  We are very fortunate to have such a beautiful church, and we must always remember that we are the current custodians of this beautiful building, which we have been entrusted to maintain for future generations, just has past generations have maintained it for us.  It is a large, expensive and demanding task, but it is worth every minute, every penny, and every moment of effort.

This continues to be a wonderful parish to work in.  I have always wanted to be the parish priest on a housing estate, but I have always wanted a beautiful church as well – here I have both.  Often the constraints of time mean that I drive around more than I walk, but when I am out and about in the parish, it is wonderful to have little chats with so many people I see on the streets here.  There is a wonderful sense of community on Sundon Park, and it is always my very great privilege to remember that I am not only the parish priest for those who come to church, but also for everyone who lives in the parish, even if they never come to church – because no one knows how a quick ‘hello’ from the Vicar in the street may one day pay dividends. 

Our congregation give me much joy, and newcomers are always impressed with how very welcome they feel, and how friendly people here are.  I am always aware of how difficult it can be for new people to come into church for the first time – and if we make them welcome they might not come every week, but they will feel at ease, and be more likely to come from time to time.

This year there have been great rumblings in the Church about women bishops – and many Anglo Catholics are getting very over-excited, threatening to go off to Rome and so on and so forth.  But nothing has happened yet, and when it does (which it will) I have no intention of moving from here.  It has always been my view that people need their priest in a parish, regardless of the issues of the wider church, and if clergy leave their people in droves, who will look after those people?  No large organisation is ideal, and the Church is not without its problems; but as I always maintain, I am very privileged and very blessed to be the priest here, and I have no intention of moving from here!

So, to recap – another good year – another opportunity to say thank you to everyone for all that you do – and of course, do please keep up the good work, support our church officers, support each other, and we will continue to go from strength to strength. 

Fr Yenda M Smejkal

4^th Sunday in Eastertide 2010.

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