Summer Report 2008

Wasn’t the 25th Anniversary Celebration an amazing day!?  I can scarcely believe that everything went off so well.  We had an excellent turn out of members past and present.   It was also good to welcome some founder members.   Many of us were thrilled to see old friends, to make new ones and to enjoy the excellent lunch which Johann had organised, and Wendy’s delicious cake.   Everyone pulled together to set up the hall, greet guests and circulate, make cups of tea, use the dishwasher and clear away.  As Jenny Taylor said – you could see we were once clergy or ministers’ wives!   I am so glad that we were brave and went for the large hall at St Columba’s, which was such a perfect venue for the occasion.  I am grateful for the help we received from the Church Secretary at St Columba’s and also from the Church Caretaker on the day.  The total number of people attending was about 95 – thank you all for making the effort to come. 

It was good that we were able to welcome The Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishop Roy, our President Frank Field, some Bishops Visitors and Associate Members, other guests and representatives of most of the churches with which we are associated through our membership.   It was good to hear from Frank Field how Broken Rites began in 1983,  and it was kind of The Revd John Marsh, The Moderator of the United Reformed Church, to give Broken Rites a small gift which we have already used at our June Committee meeting to help keep us focused on the task in hand. 

Of course people will always respond in different ways to a speaker.   Personally I thought that the Archbishop’s address was brilliant, as well as being both sensitive and compassionate, and I think that Broken Rites members both individually and as an organisation should be very affirmed by what he said.  As the Archbishop spoke extempore, Helen Oxley individually, and Christine McMullen and Barbara Beck collectively, took notes both of his address and the question and answer session, for which I am very grateful.  These summaries were sent to Lambeth Palace for authorisation and the final version can now be found on the Broken Rites website www.brokenrites.org  If you don’t have access to the internet at home I would suggest that you go to your local library and ask the librarian to help you find our website on one of the library computers.    Finally, if you are not happy with that, I am prepared to print out some copies provided members write to me enclosing a self addressed envelope with sufficient stamps to cover the cost of posting about five A4 sheets.