Lynn Martin

I serve as the pastor/teacher of Community Congregational United Church of Christ in Pinckney, Michigan USA. For the last 10 years I have grown to love this group of people as we study, learn, and serve together. Pinckney is a small village of 2500 people 50 miles west of Detroit, the city known for making automobiles. Serving in a small town is a great experience as I am involved in many community events. Time spent with ecumenical colleagues is wonderful and time to meet with our local government, schools, library, and service agencies takes up a lot of time during any week. My interests are literacy, recycling, hunger, homelessness, and addiction.

Before arriving in Pinckney I was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and a graduate of two of their schools, Capital University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Religion and Trinity Lutheran Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. I have served on the Committee for Ministry of our association and worked with those seeking to be licensed, commissioned, or ordained in the UCC. I have also served on our association Executive Council. What a joy to be able to see how the "larger" church works.

My hobbies include reading, gardening, traveling, kayaking, and taking long walks in cooler weather. I am also a huge fan of Major League Baseball and American College Football. I am single and live with my dog, Tanner and three outdoor cats Nose, Trio, and China. May peace be yours as we prepare for such an exciting opportunity to join together. 

Sekhopi Malebo

is a young man of 55 years. A husband to Keitumetse and a Father to Uhuru, my eldest son and Kopano, my second born son. My Last Born was my Daughter Nnete. She is deceased. He is well known as a Christian Political activist that was send to the Constitutional Assembly to write the new South African(SA) Constitution in 1994 at the birth of the democratic SA. On the conclusion of that task he was appointed a Free State (FS)Province Minister of Public transport, Roads and Public works. He served for two terms and than became an entrepreneur.

He was a youth worker and Director of Ikageng Lutheran Youth Centre in Bloemfontein, Free State that became the launching pad for various community struggles during the liberation struggle for a new democratic and just SA. The centre was the source of inspiration and a fortress for the struggle against apartheid and oppression.

In the early 1980's Malebo worked as a youth worker in the Cape Orange Diocese (COD) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Southern Africa (ELCSA). As a representative of that Diocese on the South African Council of Churches (SACC) youth Desk he Chaired the youth section for two terms. In that capacity he liaised and coordinated youth work with National and Local resistance movements in SA. As a under ground operative of the resistance struggle he became the elected leader post the unbanning of the liberation movements in 1990. In his Parish of Bloemfontein North, he is the Chairperson of St Johannes Congregation and Synod delegate of the Parish.

In his Circuit of FS he is the Diocesan council delegate. He represent the COD at both Church Council (CC) and General Assembly (GA) He serves as the executive member of both the COD and CC. He earns his bread as a entrepreneur. A devoted and Committed layperson who is very active in the development and Diaconate ministry of ELCSA. He studied development and is a specialist in programme and Project Management with post graduate degrees. He is widely read in Christian literature and Theology. Firm believer that the only conscious of our society and the world remains the Church.

Rev. Remigijus Šemeklis

I am serving as a pastor at Lithuanian Evangelical-Lutheran Church. That‘s my main job and vocation. As a pastor, I have four parishes. All of them are located at the Western part of Lithuania, known as Klaipėda district (or Memelgebiet). Before 1923, this region was part of Eastern Prussia. It is an area where Lithuanian and German traditions intertwined with each other. Lithuanian Evangelical-Lutheran Church slowly recovering from persecutions and various restrictions during the Soviet times. Now it is clear that to regain Chruch buildings or to renovate some of them, even to restore Church structure is much easier that to restore the spiritual life and community life.

We rejoice that our Church currently consists of appr. 20 000 members, 58 parishes and 30 pastors (8 of them are serving abroad) and several essential Church institutions. The basic theological education I received at Klaipėda university, Department of Evangelical Theology. At that time most of the lectures were given by visiting professors from Germany or USA. After graduation, I continued my studies at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN (USA). I received my Master of Arts degree in Theology there. Immediately after that, I came back to Lithuania and I was ordained as a pastor. At the same time I received an invitation to give lectures to the theology students at Klaipėda university.

While working at Klaipėda university, I gained an additional Master‘s degree in History. I work as a religion teacher at school. It takes a few hours during the week and it is rewarded with low pay, but it helps me to maintain a strong connection both to my parish members and to the local community. I was twice elected as a member of the Consistory and I am a board member of the Lithuanian Evangelical Church Music Association. I am ecumenically minded and I like to contemplate on the experience of other Christians and even Churches in order to understand what are the best solutions for our time Christianity when we face various present challenges. I have two main hobbies.

One of them is closely related to my vocation. It‘s a Church music. I attend choir rehearsals and gladly take part in the summer singing seminars organized by Evangelical Church Music Association. My other hobby is a beekeeping. I love spending my free time in my apiary. I am married and I have three daughters. The oldest is only five years old. My wife is an organist and Church musician. As the children grow, she gradually try to resume her work as youth and children‘s choir leader.

Urmas Viilma                                 

Archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. He studied theology at the EELC Theological Institute which he graduated in 1998. Urmas Viilma was ordained deacon on May 2nd, 1993, and priest on September 15th, 1998. He has served Pärnu-Jaagupi congregation and Tallinn Cathedral congregation. He worked at the Church Property Administration joint stock company as its director and from 2008 to 2014 as chairman of the board. He has been a member of the EELC Consistory from 2005, from then until 2008 as the Assessor for Children and Youth Work, from 2008 until 2014 as the Chancellor of the Consistory.

From 1991 until 2014, Urmas Viilma was a school teacher. He taught religious studies first at Pärnu-Jaagupi and later at Saue Gymnasium. For many years, he served also as a school chaplain. His ties with school, school culture and knowledge of educational landscape gave rise to the establishment of the Tallinn Cathedral School in 2011 together with the Tallinn Cathedral Congregation and the EELC Consistory. On November 26th, 2014, the XXIX General Synod of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church elected Urmas Viilma as the new archbishop. He was consecrated as archbishop on February 2nd, 2015, at the Tallinn Cathedral Church. Urmas Viilma speaks Estonian, English and Finnish. Urmas Viilma is married to Egle Viilma and they have a daughter Birgitta-Simi (born 2005).

The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC) was established as an independent free people’s church in 1917. The structure of the EELC is episcopal-synodical. The EELC has 167 congregations, they constitute 12 deaneries. The highest legislative organ of the EELC is the General Synod with up to 60 members, among them all the deans and elected delegates from all deaneries (3/4 ordained members, 1/4 lay members). The government of the EELC is called Consistory and it consists of 10 members: archbishop, 4 bishops, 4 elected assessors and chancellor. There are approximately 180 000 baptized members in the reunited EELC. Out of them, about 160 000 live in Estonia (32 000 of them are the paying members, i.e. those who make their yearly voluntary contribution).

There are altogether 208 ordained ministers (including 42 female ministers), at present about 170 of them are active as ministers. There are about 1 700 workers in the church (incl. the clergy). 2/3 of them are volunteers and 1/3 employees. In Estonia, the church is separated from the state. Thus the church receives no regular support from the state (except the support for the restoration of church buildings of architectural value) and is herself responsible for her finances.

Estonia is situated in Northern Europe. The independence of Estonia was restored in 1991. Today the population of Estonia amounts to 1.3 million, approximately one million are Estonians, the rest are mainly Russian-speaking people. The EELC and the Orthodox Church (primarily Russian-speaking people) are the two largest churches in Estonia. According to the census in 2011, there are more Orthodox than Lutherans in Estonia. In addition, there are Roman Catholics and various free-churches with about 60 000 members altogether. We can say that approximately one fourth of the whole Estonian population is Christian.

Sara Edward Msengi

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ. I am happy to greet you in the name of lord Jesus Christ who is our Saviour. Thanks to give me a opportunity write a shot texts. My name is Sara Edward Msengi. I’m a Pastor of ELCT Central Diocese in Singida Tanzania. Also I’m a first Woman district Pastor in our diocese from church which started on 1911. Now I saving in Iambi District and also a Pastor of St. Wanzelya Parish. I’m not marriage.

Fro grace of God, I’m a Pastor of ELCT Central Diocese for nine years up to now. I experienced in rural churches that I have admistered for all year of my servant. I thanks God to give me a wisdom and power to be a leader in His church. Central Diocese is among of seven first church in Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. The missionary from Germany (LEPZIG) came at Ruruma December 1911 up to 1917. And the first missionaries were Eduard Iltameier and Friedrich worthe. After that Eduard Iltameier and Friedrich Worthe they came Arno Everth and Noe Minja who was a missionary from Kilimanjaro on 1914 June.

The work of God in Everngelist gone on with Agustan Luthen Mission. The church growing from there to synod. From synod to Diocese. And 2011 the church of Central Diocese was celebrate Jubilee from first mission Lepzig came to Ruruma. The theme of Jubilee was says “GOD IS GOOD – ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD” psalms 106. From there 1911 the church of God were growing, now we have 89 Parishes, and Nine District. Also we have two Secondary Schools namely Iambi and Ihanja as well as Iambi Nursing School. We have also one Hospital and seven Dispensaries and Bible Institute. I am proudly to born in Tanzania.

The peaceful country and rich of with several Natural resources like mineral include Alminium, Diamonds and Tanzanite are found in Tanzania only located in Merelani. And mountains like Kilimanjaro is the most prominent mountain in Africa. The word Kilimanjaro is combination of Swahili word Kilima meaning “Mountain” and the Kichagga word Njaro, loosely translated as “Whiteness” giving the name white mountain. Also there have national parks such as Manyara National Park, Mikumi, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, Arusha National Park, Mkomanzi, Ruaha National Park.

Also there have rivers, ocean and natural gas in Mtwara Region. In Tanzania we have two national languages such as Swahili and English. In my side I am very competent in Swahili. Dear Brothers and Sisters I would like to welcome in Tanzania my beautiful country.

Eva-Liisa Luhamets

I work as an International and Public Relations Assistant at the Consistory of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. I receieved BA in Social Work from University of Tartu in 2005 and MA in Humanitarian Action from the Ruhr-University Bochum in 2011. Previously I’ve worked on topics like HIV, drug addiction, poverty and issues concerning refugees. I speak Estonian, English, Spanish, French and Finnish. The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC) was established as an independent free people’s church in 1917.

The structure of the EELC is episcopal-synodical. The EELC has 167 congregations, they constitute 12 deaneries. The highest legislative organ of the EELC is the General Synod with up to 60 members, among them all the deans and elected delegates from all deaneries (3/4 ordained members, 1/4 lay members). The government of the EELC is called Consistory and it consists of 10 members: archbishop, 4 bishops, 4 elected assessors and chancellor. There are approximately 180 000 baptized members in the reunited EELC. Out of them, about 160 000 live in Estonia (32 000 of them are the paying members, i.e. those who make their yearly voluntary contribution).

There are altogether 208 ordained ministers (including 42 female ministers), at present about 170 of them are active as ministers. There are about 1 700 workers in the church (incl. the clergy). 2/3 of them are volunteers and 1/3 employees. In Estonia, the church is separated from the state. Thus the church receives no regular support from the state (except the support for the restoration of church buildings of architectural value) and is herself responsible for her finances. Estonia is situated in Northern Europe. The independence of Estonia was restored in 1991. Today the population of Estonia amounts to 1.3 million, approximately one million are Estonians, the rest are mainly Russian-speaking people.

The EELC and the Orthodox Church (primarily Russian-speaking people) are the two largest churches in Estonia. According to the census in 2011, there are more Orthodox than Lutherans in Estonia. In addition, there are Roman Catholics and various free-churches with about 60 000 members altogether. We can say that approximately one fourth of the whole Estonian population is Christian. Motivation to join the Consultation: As the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church would like to contribute more actively in assisting and welcoming the refugees, I would be happy to hear about other churches experiences in this field.

Kate Boardman

I’ve been ordained just three years after an academic career in the north-east of England. Currently I am serving two Anglican parishes in the Diocese of Durham, in South Shields, on the coast just south of Newcastle. One pretty village church and one modern brick building, both have congregations which care about loving and serving neighbours in need.

The Diocese of Durham has a beautiful cathedral and university city, but much of the region outside the city is suffering from deprivation after the loss of jobs in mining and in ship-building. However it is a wonderful place to live and to work and the church has a role to play in helping to regenerate the area. For myself I am passionate about social justice, volunteering for homeless projects in my spare time and worrying about a future for all in Europe and beyond. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent our churches at the consultation, and look forward to learning a lot.

Bárbara Luise Hiltel Venturini

My name is Bárbara Luise Hiltel Venturini, I’m 21 years old, I’m a Portuguese teacher and master’s degree student in Language Studies. I am a member of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB). I live in the south of Brazil, at Londrina city in the north of Paraná State.

I am the leader of young people groups in our Synod Paranapanema and I take part in this same age-group in my community and region. I'm very happy because of our consultation approaches and I'm sure that the discussion and learning about justice will be a precious time for all of us.

Slawomir Sikora

My name is Slawomir Sikora. I am a pastor in the Lutheran church in Poland. I live in Szczecin in western Poland near the German border. I am a member of the working group for the partnership between North Church in Germany and the Wrocław Diocese and the Diocese of Pomorsko - Wielkopolska in Poland. I am responsible for the ecumenical movement in Szczecin. My wife is a deacon in Lutheran Church. We live together 18 years and since the beginning of time, serve in the Church.

Even before the start of theological studies we were engaged in work among children and in evangelistic activities. Despite the passing years continue to service among children and youth is important to us. In Szczecin, there are more than 400 evangelicals from which 60 are children and youth. My wife is responsible for youth work in our diocese, and I'm a lecturer for evangelization carried out in various cities in Poland. We have two wonderful children: Hania is 5 years old , and Matthew 10. 5 years ago I started to run, to improve physical and mental health.

I completed 5 marathons, organize charitable ecumenical racing for 5 kilometers in Szczecin, in December 2014, I released my book of poetry "Thoughts on the run". I hope for new inspiration from my sisters and brothers of the Lutheran Partnership Churches.

Elizabeth L. Sammons

Elizabeth grew up in a small town in Ohio, an agricultural state between New York and Chicago. She loved foreign languages, so she lived in Switzerland as an exchange student for a year after high school. She learned much about the diversity of Christian faith while in Europe. She was one of the first exchange students who is blind. Afterwards, she continued learning several languages and studied journalism at university.

In 1990, Elizabeth became a guide on the U.S. Information Agency’s citizens exchange exhibit to the then Soviet Union. She continued for the next decade as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English in Hungary, a manager of a news advocacy group in Kazakhstan, and a teacher, interpreter, marketer and cross-disability advocate in Novosibirsk, Siberia. For the last 10 years, she has worked with a state agency in Ohio that helps people with disabilities find employment. Elizabeth is married and has one daughter, now in university.

She still uses her interpreting skills with church and academic groups visiting Ohio. She served on the Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church council 2006-2009 and was president for one year. She is one of the Southern Ohio Synod’s international partnership leaders. She was also an active member on the Ohio Governor's Council of People with Disabilities 2003-2009. She has completed her first novel, “With Best Intent.” Her literary blog is at windowsofthought.wordpress.com.

Rev. Joseph Chellappa Packiaraj

Date of Birth : 11.01.1957

Place of birth : Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India Present

Service : Pastor in Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church & Visiting Professor in United Theological College, Bangalore to teach in the Department of Religion and Culture

Educational Qualification : B. Sc., M. A., M. Ed.,

Professional Qualification : B. D., M.Th., Ph. D.- to complete in Tamil Nadu Thanjavur University to submit the Dissertation on " A critical Analogy of German Pietism and Tamil Bhakthi"

Additional Qualification : D.C. A. ( Dip in Comp. Application) and D. D.( Doctor of Divinity -Hon.)

Writings : Both Published and nupublished in national and International level Semianars and Consultations.

Family : Blessed with Twin daughters.

Other interests : Art forms like Music, Creative Writings like poetry and articles in Tamil and English, Organizing Seminars, Consultations and Social Gathering Meetings, Making Creative Christian Liturgies and Spiritual- Convention- Talks and Bible Studies, Entertaing Children, the Youth, Women, Senior Citizens according to their need in the Social and Spiritual awareness.

Aim in Church Ministry : Though I am a Lutheran Pastor I would like to minister God in Wider Ecumenism

Revd Prebendary Terence B Bloor

I was ordained in 2002 after spending 20 years in the field of electrical engineering with the international concern, ALSTOM. My speciality was the project management of electrical installations associated with power stations, oil / gas platforms and petrochemical plants. Having found faith whilst worshipping with a Pentecostal church, I moved into the Church of England when I was about 25 years old.

Presently I'm serving as a parish priest in a suburban parish called Basford which is in Newcastle-under-Lyme. For the first 7 years of my time in Basford I also worked as a chaplain (one and a half days per week) at our local mental health hospital. I serve Newcastle Deanery (Probstei) as its Area Dean. The deanery comprises 21 parishes and has 23 clergy. Recently, I've started to work occasionally at Lichfield cathedral as a chaplain. This allows me to meet the many visitors who come to see the 12th Century building and to make myself available for pastoral work as well as presiding at the midday Holy Communion service.

Since 2004 I have been very involved with Lichfield's partnership with Landeskirche Mecklenburgs (formerly) and nowadays with the Nordkirche. I have visited parishes of the Nordkirche many, many times and have enjoyed the Kirchentag on two occasions. My last time in Germany other than for a post-Easter retreat at the Haus der Stille (Bellin - close to Güstrow), this year, was in connection with sabbatical studies. My chosen theme was 'forgiveness and reconciliation'; my reading and related visits took me to Berlin, Dresden and Güstrow, having returned from New York where I attended the 9/11 commemorations and worked a little with Trinity Church, Wall Street.

My interest in justice (hence wishing to be a part of this conference) is due to its theological relationship with the themes of forgiveness and reconciliation. Righteousness, being a quality for which God looks amongst his people, is very closely linked to justice. I recall that Oskar Schindler was described by the Jews as 'a righteous man' - in other words, his actions were seen as just and right in the sight of God. What fuelled his action was that which lays the necessary foundation for forgiveness and reconciliation. The Torah gives the basis for a fair and just society which models the values of God's kingdom.

As Christians, this is what we are called to establish on earth in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Of course, justice must extend to the whole of created order which Christ is reconciling to the Father. My hope is that the conference will help each of us to better understand the total scope of this call to a just society and that we might be equipped to return home with renewed vigour to work for it.

William (Bill) J. Rauch

English: I am William Rauch (nickname: Bill) and I am a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Actually I am a retired pastor, but I continue to serve the Southern Ohio Synod as the chairman of its “North Church” Committee.

Our synod (= Sprengel) is in partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany and I was present in the Ratzeburg Cathedral on Pentecost, May 27, 2012, for the founding ceremony for the North Church. I am interested in the theme of the consultation, “Walking together the Way of Justice,” because it is an issue that all of us Christians in all countries must be discussing and addressing.

Deutsch: ich heisse William Rauch (Spitzname: Bill) und ich bin Pastor der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche in Amerika. Eigentlich bin ich Pastor im Ruhestand, aber ich diene noch der südlichen Ohio-Synode als Vorsitzender des „Nordkirche-Komitees.“ Unsere Synode (= Sprengel) ist in Partnerschaft mit der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche in Nord-Deutschland.

Als Vorsitzender habe ich Mecklenburg und andere Teile der Nordkirche mehrmals besucht, und ich war anwesend am Pfingstsonntag, dem 27. Mai 2012, im Ratzeburger Dom für die Gründung Zeremonie der Nordkirche. Ich interessiere mich für das Thema dieser Konsulation, „Gemeinsam den Weg der Gerechtigkeit gehen,“ weil alle von uns Christen in jedem Land diese Fragen der Gerechtigkeit besprechen und beheben müssen.

Keith Lumsdon

I am Keith Lumsdon and 70tomorrow! I am married vwith 2 children and three grandchildren I have worked for durham diocese for 44 years I trained first as a teacher

I have had German twin connections since 1976 Wuppertal and calau and luckenwalde Now duisburg rheinhausen and treplin never Frankfurt Oder I am coordinator for the diocese and on retirement will continue this I am british Kirchentag representative for north England and have only missed 2 kirche tags since 1987

I work with our community and recently set up an ecumenical foodbank I work with our 4 grounds chile and do music in 2 of them and teach German or French to 7-11 year olds My town is ferryhill ex mining village and 11000 population I spent 3 months sabbatical in Berlin and wrote small booklet " what part the church played in the fall of the wall

I am looking forward to being in Pomerania and griefs wale never having been there

Sonia Skupch

My name is Sonia Skupch. I am an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Chuch of Río de la Plata, a united Lutheran-Reformed Church in the Rio de la Plata region. The church serves in three countries: Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

I studied theology at the Instituto Superior Evangélico de Estudios Teológicos (ISEDET) in Buenos Aires. During those years at ISEDET, I participated in an exchange program with the Faculty of Theology at the University of Leipzig, Germany. After graduating from ISEDET, I served as vicar in a circuit of five rural parishes in the Argentine Patagonia. I was ordained there and at the same time it was my first pastorate. Once I finished with my first appointment, I was called to serve as a pastor in the city of Paraná in the province of Entre Ríos.

Since 2011 up to the present day, I am serving as the General Secretary of the Evangelical Church of Río de la Plata and Ecumenical Officer at the Headquarters of the Church in Buenos Aires. I am 39 years old, married with two children. Micaela is 10 and Lucas is 7 years old. My husband Carlos Amarillo serves as a pastor in the province of Buenos Aires.

Severa Moris Massawe

My name is Severa Moris Massawe, with a famous name "Mama Munisi". I am Tanzanian woman age 53 years old. I am married with 4 children's, 2boys,2girls and 2 grandchildren, female and boy. I'am a Lutheran church member at Mwanga Parish in Pare Diocese. Professionally I am a public Health Nurse working at Mwanga Health Centre. I am residing in Mwanga which is a rural District in Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. The District headquarter located 55 kilometers South of Moshi town on the Dar es salaam,Arusha highway.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) Mwanga Parish situated at Mwanga District town 58 km from Same Diocese office to Moshi. At ELCT Mwanga Parish I am chairperson at partnership churches committee, church elder in church committee and Orphan committee chairperson. My country is Tanzania which is among of the five East African countries, with a population of 44,928,923,male 21,861,990 and female 23,058,932.according to 2012 census, and growth rate is 2.9%.Over 100 different languages are spoken in Tanzania, making it the most linguistically country in East Africa.

Swahili and English are Tanzanian's official languages. Most Tanzanian's are now a days Christians and Muslims and there is a good relationship between the two religious in different aspects. Also for many years estimates have been repeated that about a third of the population each follows Islam, Christianity and traditional religions. Motivation to join the consultation is to discus different issues, experiences, successes challenges and how to over come them.

Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs

Vicar of Pattingham with Patshull Wolverhampton Area Adviser for Ministry Development Rural Dean of Trysull.

I have served in the diocese of Lichfield since my Ordination in 1997. Before training for the priesthood I worked as a professional linguist (I speak French and Russian) and then as a Recruitment and Management Consultant for a number of years. I have been involved in the church from my teenage years, but did not experience a vocation to ordained ministry until I was around 40 years old.

I grew up in the suburbs of London, but since Ordination I have worked in a town-centre church and in several rural parishes. My role now involves a split post, - half-time in the parish and half-time working for the Diocese as Ministry Development Adviser. I am also in my second term as a Rural Dean - which means that I have some oversight of around 16 other parishes and their clergy, working closely with the Archdeacon and Bishop. For 8 years I held the post of Dean of Women's Ministry for the Diocese and I continue to have an interest in this area. I have just completed 10 years as a representative to General Synod for the Lichfield Diocese.

General Synod is the national governing body of the Church of England which meets twice or three times per year. I was made a prebendary (or canon) of Lichfield Cathedral in 2012. I love my calling to be a parish priest, but I also enjoy having a wider perspective on the Church and this is what I am hoping to enhance by taking part in the Partner Churches Consultation in September.

My current parish is a relatively affluent community of around 3,000 people situated around 8 miles from the Centre of Wolverhampton - a large city with people of many different faiths and ethnic backgrounds. Pattingham itself is much more traditional and monocultural however. We retain a strong link with the farming community, but most of my congregation are professionals or have retired from the professions- teachers, doctors, engineers, scientists, accountants etc. The church is an active and vibrant community with a strong musical tradition.

We are the only place of worship in the village and so have members from a range of church backgrounds and traditions. Social attitudes are generally inclusive and welcoming.