 |
| The Bishop of Monmouth at GB in 2017 (left) and the Bishop of Bangor (right), +Richard's cover for absence, in 2019 Source: Twitter #govbody |
Christian Aid Week 12-18 May 2019
"This year’s Christian Aid Week focuses on standing together to help families weather future storms – #StandTogether."
What a pity Juno's generosity didn't extend to donating the budget for the Compostela jolly to Christian Aid.
ReplyDeleteThe example has been set by those at the top.
Let those unjustly treated in the world be comforted by the knowledge that the Diocese of Llandaff will toast their health with Sangria (not Sang Real) this week. Cheers!
DeleteWhat an indictment of the CinW this Compostela jolly in Christian Aid week is - and initiated by a Bishop too!
ReplyDeleteWherever
How significant that Andy Crap appears to be flaunting his dirty linen in public. Perhaps he is attempting to deflect some uncomfortable questions about deployment of clergy in his Diocese?
ReplyDeleteThe more attentive readers of this esteemed blog may have noticed an advert in the Church Times for a 'Mission Leader' for the 'Bro Cybi Mission Area' (known for centuries as 'The Parish of Holyhead). This is the parish currently served by the 'Archdeacon of Anglesey' (formerly one half of the Archdeaconry of Bangor). 'Is the Archdeacon moving on so swiftly?' I hear you ask. Er... Not quite.
The Archdeaconry of Bangor (which included Anglesey until about 18 months ago) has been served by one archdeacon for over a century. The last two archdeacons of Bangor had significant parish responsibilities (in the case of Meurig Llwyd being Team Rector of the City of Bangor outside the boundaries of the Cathedral, with four churches and three clergy colleagues plus retired clergy to manage; and in the case of Paul Davies, Rector of Benllech and then acting Dean of the Cathedral after Cyanide Sue's prolonged and unexplained absence from work to prepare for her unfair dismissal claim). Two more hard-working and effective archdeacons you could not find, which explains why they both now hold distinguished office in the Church of England, both in dioceses that do not know the meaning of the word 'decline.'
Now that the historic Archdeaconry of Bangor has less than half the numbers of stipendiary clergy it enjoyed in 2000, and far fewer church buildings after Byzantine Barry and his sycophantic successor-but-two closed them down, it has been decided that the archdeaconry is too big for one archdeacon to serve. So Anglesey has been hived-off. The current Archdeacon, Andy Herrick (who has the guitar, the plasma screens, and access to the electronic edition of Mission Praise to match his name) has got bored with running one of the significant former parishes of the Diocese. he has gone crying to his Bishop to be asked to be relieved of his parochial duties. Crap duly obliged so that the Archdeacon could give his full-time attention to four (yes, that's right, FOUR) Misery Areas, with barely more than a dozen stipendiary clergy, covering an area that can be traversed in any direction by car in around half an hour.
Previous posts on this blog have highlighted the top-heavy nature of Bangor Diocese (not to say the bullying culture of control and micromanagement) and lack of joined-up strategic direction. Now, an additional stipend must be found for a priest to pick up the pieces and sort out the trail of divisive devastation caused by Andy Herrick in less than 12 months in (what was once) a major training parish and centre of population.
So, just remember, when Andy Crap is waving someone's soiled undergarments around (as he is gleefully doing in this picture), and asking you to dig deep for the poor and desperate, remember that he will be asking Bangor parishioners to dig even deeper to fund an additional stipend because it all got too much for an Archdeacon with big ideas and small resolve.
A retired bishop recently said to me, "The Bishop of Bangor just LOOKS odd, doesn't he?" To which I replied, "wouldn't you if you'd been living a lie for all your adult life?" Allegedly.
ReplyDelete"Living a lie for ALL your adult life" ? !
DeleteI think not!
He really was a believer early on. He even went to church because he wanted to - not just for the money and the glory.
Come on, Ed. He never really believed any of it, let alone his wife who lapsed pretty quickly after being ordained a deacon. Her priesting hastily arranged once the divorce lawyer had been consulted. Like many lawyers, Andy just thought that faith was a matter of learning the rules and sticking to them. Then he woke up, but didn't have the integrity to come clean. Just another manifestation of his deceptive behaviour. So yes. ALL his adult life. And that's only the theological dimension, if you get my drift.
DeleteThe senior staff in Bangor must be the most sad, lazy, incompetent and pathetic in the whole of the Anglican communion. As one of Andy Crap's former fellow archdeacons in Tyddewi put it ominously after the fixed election of 2008: "It's going to be a disaster, a total, utter disaster. He just hasn't got it."
ReplyDeleteAnd still, after 10 years of arrogance, ignorance and naivete, he still hasn't got it. And it's still a total, utter disaster.
Well, as of 2022, Rev Herrick is retiring!
ReplyDelete