Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Exciting Things - I drove our new car!
We've just got one of these:
or very similar.It's very exciting. A proper grownup's car with automatic bits and bobs and all luxurious inside. Since we got it I have been desperate to drive it. This is surprising because until now I've not enjoyed my driving lessons or wanted to drive at all. But the new car has changed all that. Last night Tom drove us to a quiet car park and I had some fun driving round in circles and figure of eights. Then we went on a quiet bit of road I drive along during my driving lessons. I managed to get the hang of the clutch and the brake and didn't hit anything. It's much much wider than the Fiesta I'm learning in so that will take some getting used to. Other than that I'm very very pleased!
or very similar.It's very exciting. A proper grownup's car with automatic bits and bobs and all luxurious inside. Since we got it I have been desperate to drive it. This is surprising because until now I've not enjoyed my driving lessons or wanted to drive at all. But the new car has changed all that. Last night Tom drove us to a quiet car park and I had some fun driving round in circles and figure of eights. Then we went on a quiet bit of road I drive along during my driving lessons. I managed to get the hang of the clutch and the brake and didn't hit anything. It's much much wider than the Fiesta I'm learning in so that will take some getting used to. Other than that I'm very very pleased!
Exciting Things - I drove our new car!
We've just got one of these:
or very similar.It's very exciting. A proper grownup's car with automatic bits and bobs and all luxurious inside. Since we got it I have been desperate to drive it. This is surprising because until now I've not enjoyed my driving lessons or wanted to drive at all. But the new car has changed all that. Last night Tom drove us to a quiet car park and I had some fun driving round in circles and figure of eights. Then we went on a quiet bit of road I drive along during my driving lessons. I managed to get the hang of the clutch and the brake and didn't hit anything. It's much much wider than the Fiesta I'm learning in so that will take some getting used to. Other than that I'm very very pleased!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Nothing but sex please, we???re vicars . . . | Richard Morrison - Times Online
Sex, sex, sex. Do church leaders think of nothing else? Well, of course they do. One of the smaller injustices of our time is that, with the media dominated by a secular and often sneering agenda, almost nothing is written or broadcast about the Church as a force for social fairness, as a comfort to the lonely and counsellor to the distressed, as one of the institutions still binding local communities together, and as a catalyst and a channel for charitable gifts and deeds. It is all of those things, as even fair-minded atheists admit. Yet we rarely hear about it.
But whose fault is that? If the Church had appointed the well known City PR firm of Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer & Old Nick to handle its public image, it couldn???t have made a better job of bringing Christianity into disrepute than the clerics have managed by themselves. And all because they seem obsessed to the point of clinical neurosis about knowing (and making a huge fuss about) who???s doing what to whom in the bedroom.
The latest row ??? into which the Archbishop of Canterbury has stumbled like a blind man into a bog ??? is over the ???lesbian bishop??? elected by the American Episcopal Church (the equivalent of the Church of England). According to Ruth Gledhill, The Times???s reliable Religion Correspondent, this single appointment places the future of the entire Anglican Communion ???in jeopardy???. Such is the froth of hysteria about sexuality in the upper echelons of the Church that this astonishing claim seems quite plausible.
I???m not a theologian. I may be overlooking something in the recorded sayings of Jesus Christ. But as far as I can recall, the founder of the Church said nothing whatsoever about sexuality ??? either his own or anyone else???s. We don???t know whether he was gay or straight; celibate, monogamous or promiscuous. Nor what he expected his followers to be ??? if he expected anything. Mercifully, perhaps, the gospel writers ??? compiling their chronicles 30 years or more after Christ???s death ??? lacked the ruthless digging skills and insatiable prurience of today???s biographers. Had Kitty Kelley rather than St Mark been around in 1st-century Judaea, the story might have been racier. But as things stand, there is no justification in the pronouncements of Christ for anyone in the Church to pontificate (I use the word advisedly) about harmless activities that go on in private between consenting adults ??? even if some of those adults are the Church???s own clerics.
What Christ did apparently say (and, as a soundbite, it???s as potent as anything from the silver tongue of Barack Obama) is: ???Let him without sin cast the first stone???. Let???s recall the context. A bunch of zealots were about to stone to death a woman for adultery (they would pick on the woman, naturally). Christ was asked if he would approve this punishment, since it was laid down in the law of Moses. It was a trick question, of course. He neatly sidestepped it. Instead he turned the moral searchlight on the zealots. Such was the force of his argument, we are told, that the persecutors decided to slink off and leave the woman alone.
To me, that???s a clear indication of what Christianity should not be: spiteful and punitive, especially in the field of sex. That???s not a licence for licentiousness (after all, Christ told the woman to ???go and sin no more??? ??? quite a challenge!). But it does send a signal that the Church, and society at large, has no business prying into private lives, unless there are compelling signs (child abuse, domestic violence) that someone is being harmed.
Yet the impression gathered by the outside world is that prying into people???s sexuality, and discussing it endlessly, is what the Church???s leading lights do all day. Never mind their core business of saving souls. To judge from some of their public statements, it???s as if the evils of the modern world ??? genocidal wars, Third World exploitation, grinding poverty, abandoned children and old people ??? are minor issues compared to the vital matter of whether the new deputy bishop of Los Angeles cuddles her girlfriend at home.
That irritates me. The Church of England into which I was baptised, half a century ago, had many faults. But it was ???a broad church???. Spoken or unspoken, its guiding tenet was that theology shouldn???t get in the way of decency and tolerance. It tried to accommodate people who varied hugely in spirituality and lifestyle. To that end it was unwilling ??? admirably unwilling ??? to issue Vatican-like diktats and proscriptions about doctrine or morals. If the phrase ???live and let live??? wasn???t actually written into its creed, it was certainly its modus vivendi. You didn???t judge the person sitting next to you in the pews. You embraced them (albeit in an embarrassed, British sort of way). Why? Because if Christians didn???t embrace each other, how on earth would they convince the rest of the world to do the same?
That tolerance seems to have vanished. The endless sex???n???gender slanging-match tearing the Church apart has revealed real hatred ??? to say nothing of appalling discourtesy and Machiavellian scheming ??? among the very people, the senior clerics, who should be setting an example.
They need to get a grip. Down in the grass roots there are thousands of priests and lay people ??? Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox and Nonconformist, some ebulliently evangelical, some staunchly High-Church ??? doing great work among the dispossessed and the distraught. If that were the image of unstinting service that the Church presented to the world ??? an image of an organisation galvanising the consciences and positive energies of the quarter of the globe???s population that professes to be Christian ??? it would be harder for the rest of humanity to dismiss it as pointless, perverse and prudish.
I can???t help wondering, as a humble churchgoer, why my spiritual mentors do get their garters in such a twist about sex. Whether it???s the Catholics insisting on priestly celibacy (in spite of the mountain of evidence demonstrating what ghastly perversions can grow out of such unnatural repression); or the hardline Anglican evangelicals determined to drive out homosexuals, rather as ancient communities drove out lepers; or the diehard misogynists fighting tooth and nail to stop the ???monstrous regiment??? of women from rising in the clerical ranks ??? one has to to ask: what exactly are the reactionaries afraid of? That their own intellectual inadequacies will be exposed, and their ???God-given??? authority diminished, by an influx of bright priests of different genders and sexual orientations? Or that, in a more inclusive, forward-looking church, they will be exposed as the bigots they are, rather than glorified as spiritual leaders?
The tragedy for the Church is that it is missing a huge opportunity. There are millions of young people out there who are disaffected from mainstream politics but equally dissatisfied with the mindless consumerism and callous selfishness of modern life. You can see that from the numbers flocking to espouse green causes, or to work for charities this Christmas. With so many youngsters thinking deeply about what???s right and wrong for the world, this should be a golden age for Christianity ??? the most revolutionary of religions. But while the Church renders itself a laughing-stock over sex, it hasn???t got a hope of converting the young. At the moment some leading clerics come across as befrocked weirdos with one-track minds. And I???m not talking about their belief in God.
My thoughts exactly. God is love, and we are to love the world as He loves us. Everything else is besides the point.
Nothing but sex please, we’re vicars . . . | Richard Morrison - Times Online
Sex, sex, sex. Do church leaders think of nothing else? Well, of course they do. One of the smaller injustices of our time is that, with the media dominated by a secular and often sneering agenda, almost nothing is written or broadcast about the Church as a force for social fairness, as a comfort to the lonely and counsellor to the distressed, as one of the institutions still binding local communities together, and as a catalyst and a channel for charitable gifts and deeds. It is all of those things, as even fair-minded atheists admit. Yet we rarely hear about it.
But whose fault is that? If the Church had appointed the well known City PR firm of Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer & Old Nick to handle its public image, it couldn’t have made a better job of bringing Christianity into disrepute than the clerics have managed by themselves. And all because they seem obsessed to the point of clinical neurosis about knowing (and making a huge fuss about) who’s doing what to whom in the bedroom.
The latest row — into which the Archbishop of Canterbury has stumbled like a blind man into a bog — is over the “lesbian bishop” elected by the American Episcopal Church (the equivalent of the Church of England). According to Ruth Gledhill, The Times’s reliable Religion Correspondent, this single appointment places the future of the entire Anglican Communion “in jeopardy”. Such is the froth of hysteria about sexuality in the upper echelons of the Church that this astonishing claim seems quite plausible.
I’m not a theologian. I may be overlooking something in the recorded sayings of Jesus Christ. But as far as I can recall, the founder of the Church said nothing whatsoever about sexuality — either his own or anyone else’s. We don’t know whether he was gay or straight; celibate, monogamous or promiscuous. Nor what he expected his followers to be — if he expected anything. Mercifully, perhaps, the gospel writers — compiling their chronicles 30 years or more after Christ’s death — lacked the ruthless digging skills and insatiable prurience of today’s biographers. Had Kitty Kelley rather than St Mark been around in 1st-century Judaea, the story might have been racier. But as things stand, there is no justification in the pronouncements of Christ for anyone in the Church to pontificate (I use the word advisedly) about harmless activities that go on in private between consenting adults — even if some of those adults are the Church’s own clerics.
What Christ did apparently say (and, as a soundbite, it’s as potent as anything from the silver tongue of Barack Obama) is: “Let him without sin cast the first stone”. Let’s recall the context. A bunch of zealots were about to stone to death a woman for adultery (they would pick on the woman, naturally). Christ was asked if he would approve this punishment, since it was laid down in the law of Moses. It was a trick question, of course. He neatly sidestepped it. Instead he turned the moral searchlight on the zealots. Such was the force of his argument, we are told, that the persecutors decided to slink off and leave the woman alone.
To me, that’s a clear indication of what Christianity should not be: spiteful and punitive, especially in the field of sex. That’s not a licence for licentiousness (after all, Christ told the woman to “go and sin no more” — quite a challenge!). But it does send a signal that the Church, and society at large, has no business prying into private lives, unless there are compelling signs (child abuse, domestic violence) that someone is being harmed.
Yet the impression gathered by the outside world is that prying into people’s sexuality, and discussing it endlessly, is what the Church’s leading lights do all day. Never mind their core business of saving souls. To judge from some of their public statements, it’s as if the evils of the modern world — genocidal wars, Third World exploitation, grinding poverty, abandoned children and old people — are minor issues compared to the vital matter of whether the new deputy bishop of Los Angeles cuddles her girlfriend at home.
That irritates me. The Church of England into which I was baptised, half a century ago, had many faults. But it was “a broad church”. Spoken or unspoken, its guiding tenet was that theology shouldn’t get in the way of decency and tolerance. It tried to accommodate people who varied hugely in spirituality and lifestyle. To that end it was unwilling — admirably unwilling — to issue Vatican-like diktats and proscriptions about doctrine or morals. If the phrase “live and let live” wasn’t actually written into its creed, it was certainly its modus vivendi. You didn’t judge the person sitting next to you in the pews. You embraced them (albeit in an embarrassed, British sort of way). Why? Because if Christians didn’t embrace each other, how on earth would they convince the rest of the world to do the same?
That tolerance seems to have vanished. The endless sex’n’gender slanging-match tearing the Church apart has revealed real hatred — to say nothing of appalling discourtesy and Machiavellian scheming — among the very people, the senior clerics, who should be setting an example.
They need to get a grip. Down in the grass roots there are thousands of priests and lay people — Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox and Nonconformist, some ebulliently evangelical, some staunchly High-Church — doing great work among the dispossessed and the distraught. If that were the image of unstinting service that the Church presented to the world — an image of an organisation galvanising the consciences and positive energies of the quarter of the globe’s population that professes to be Christian — it would be harder for the rest of humanity to dismiss it as pointless, perverse and prudish.
I can’t help wondering, as a humble churchgoer, why my spiritual mentors do get their garters in such a twist about sex. Whether it’s the Catholics insisting on priestly celibacy (in spite of the mountain of evidence demonstrating what ghastly perversions can grow out of such unnatural repression); or the hardline Anglican evangelicals determined to drive out homosexuals, rather as ancient communities drove out lepers; or the diehard misogynists fighting tooth and nail to stop the “monstrous regiment” of women from rising in the clerical ranks — one has to to ask: what exactly are the reactionaries afraid of? That their own intellectual inadequacies will be exposed, and their “God-given” authority diminished, by an influx of bright priests of different genders and sexual orientations? Or that, in a more inclusive, forward-looking church, they will be exposed as the bigots they are, rather than glorified as spiritual leaders?
The tragedy for the Church is that it is missing a huge opportunity. There are millions of young people out there who are disaffected from mainstream politics but equally dissatisfied with the mindless consumerism and callous selfishness of modern life. You can see that from the numbers flocking to espouse green causes, or to work for charities this Christmas. With so many youngsters thinking deeply about what’s right and wrong for the world, this should be a golden age for Christianity — the most revolutionary of religions. But while the Church renders itself a laughing-stock over sex, it hasn’t got a hope of converting the young. At the moment some leading clerics come across as befrocked weirdos with one-track minds. And I’m not talking about their belief in God.
My thoughts exactly. God is love, and we are to love the world as He loves us. Everything else is besides the point.
Monday, December 07, 2009
#savesotonchaplaincy - Linked In joy
I posted the following on the Uni of Southampton Alumni Linked In groupSouthampton Students and Alumni are working hard to raise money and find funding for the Chaplaincy at the University of Southampton after the CofE withdrew funding. Read more at www.savesotonchaplaincy.co.uk ??I got this response from one member of the group:Dear Alex et alI have very strong memories of the strong link I had with David Simpson who was Chaplain when I was at University, and I would support the campaign if your campaign was more informative.I find it impossible to believe that the Reverend David Stevens will be made redundant and homeless. The almost inevitable solution is that he will be given a different placement, where his wellbeing will be looked after by the Synod.How true is it that every other University has an Anglican Chaplain? However consider that ultimately it is not the University which is Anglican.In your article, you state that links and relationships will be severed. Why does not having a chaplain sever these, and whom are they with? The University has a strong relationship with the Parish of St Michael's in the City Centre which will not deteriorate with the lack of a chaplain.There is no explanation behind the Synod's decision. Why did they make the decision? What is their rationale? I find it hard to believe they have simply cut the post without doing any research on the matter, and without explaining the reason.What is the exact relationship between the University and the Diocese of Winchester, and how has or will the University respond to this decision?Does the Diocese or the University own the chaplaincy? From memory, it is owned by the University and they are unlikely to remove the space if it is being used by other chaplains and indeed by student societies.I realise that you obviously feel strongly about the need for a chaplain, as do I, but I feel that there is a lot more to the issue that you are either ignoring or unaware of. If you can update your campaign appropriately then I will consider supporting, providing there is a clear explanation of the problem and the solution.RegardsMatthew Reeve
Computer Science 2003 Here is my reply:Hi Matthew,Thank you for your comments. Here are my replies:1. The budget was passed on 28th Nov, removing the funding for Rev.Steven's post. He will be made redundant if no alternative funding has been found. He was told to start looking for another job, but as far as I am aware, has recieved no advice on placements that might be suitable by the diocese.He will be allowed to continue to live in the house until he decides to leave or the post of Anglican Chaplain is made redundant.2. Every University has access to an Anglican Chaplain. Not all universities have the luxury of a full time Chaplain, and some like Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan share a Chaplain. This is one idea proposed for Southampton, that the University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University could share a Chaplain3.The relationship with St. Michaels in the city centre is mainly founded around the University choirs and the music department. They do not offer pastoral support for students on campus, or offer to help with Wednesday communion services, carol services or when students are going through personal crisis in the middle of the night.4. The synod voted to cut the post because of a ??1.6 million deficit caused by parishes in the diocese not being able to or refusing to pay their Parish Share upon which the diocesan budget is funded. Sector Ministry, of which Chaplaincy is a part was cut because it is easier to cut than removing parish priests who have cure of souls. A lot of administrative posts in the diocese are being cut or merged as well for much the same reason.5. The University of Southampton has traditionally refused to fund a Chaplain or Chaplaincy at the University since it's earliest days as an institution. This is why the Rev. Stevens is known officially as the Chaplain TO the University of Southampton rather than the Chaplain OF the University of Southampton. The University is being approached to help fund the Chaplaincy by both students and the diocese.6. The University owns the Chaplaincy, and the Ecumenical Chaplaincy rents the building from the University. Without the funding from the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church and the Free Church Chaplaincy Council will not be able to meet the rent and the running costs of the building, the community and their staff.The University has tried to raise the rent in recent years, has move the Chaplaincy from University Crescent to University Road so they could build on the land, and requisitioned the Chaplaincy Garden to build a Car Park.Since the Rev. Stevens and the Chaplains started working at the Chaplaincy in 2005 an active community of students have been using the Chaplaincy alongside the regular society user groups. This welcoming and inclusive community has been recognised by the Student Support services as a safe space on campus, referring users of the mentoring, counseling and disability services to pop in for a cup of tea.The week the diocesan synod voted, the Chaplain could be found in Chaplaincy at 12am talking to a student who had wondered into the SUSU distressed. The security guards of this secular institution found the chaplain having seen in him the Stag's Head and asked him to help this student.That is why this service is important, needs to be on campus, not based out of a local church and needs to be full time.
Computer Science 2003 Here is my reply:Hi Matthew,Thank you for your comments. Here are my replies:1. The budget was passed on 28th Nov, removing the funding for Rev.Steven's post. He will be made redundant if no alternative funding has been found. He was told to start looking for another job, but as far as I am aware, has recieved no advice on placements that might be suitable by the diocese.He will be allowed to continue to live in the house until he decides to leave or the post of Anglican Chaplain is made redundant.2. Every University has access to an Anglican Chaplain. Not all universities have the luxury of a full time Chaplain, and some like Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan share a Chaplain. This is one idea proposed for Southampton, that the University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University could share a Chaplain3.The relationship with St. Michaels in the city centre is mainly founded around the University choirs and the music department. They do not offer pastoral support for students on campus, or offer to help with Wednesday communion services, carol services or when students are going through personal crisis in the middle of the night.4. The synod voted to cut the post because of a ??1.6 million deficit caused by parishes in the diocese not being able to or refusing to pay their Parish Share upon which the diocesan budget is funded. Sector Ministry, of which Chaplaincy is a part was cut because it is easier to cut than removing parish priests who have cure of souls. A lot of administrative posts in the diocese are being cut or merged as well for much the same reason.5. The University of Southampton has traditionally refused to fund a Chaplain or Chaplaincy at the University since it's earliest days as an institution. This is why the Rev. Stevens is known officially as the Chaplain TO the University of Southampton rather than the Chaplain OF the University of Southampton. The University is being approached to help fund the Chaplaincy by both students and the diocese.6. The University owns the Chaplaincy, and the Ecumenical Chaplaincy rents the building from the University. Without the funding from the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church and the Free Church Chaplaincy Council will not be able to meet the rent and the running costs of the building, the community and their staff.The University has tried to raise the rent in recent years, has move the Chaplaincy from University Crescent to University Road so they could build on the land, and requisitioned the Chaplaincy Garden to build a Car Park.Since the Rev. Stevens and the Chaplains started working at the Chaplaincy in 2005 an active community of students have been using the Chaplaincy alongside the regular society user groups. This welcoming and inclusive community has been recognised by the Student Support services as a safe space on campus, referring users of the mentoring, counseling and disability services to pop in for a cup of tea.The week the diocesan synod voted, the Chaplain could be found in Chaplaincy at 12am talking to a student who had wondered into the SUSU distressed. The security guards of this secular institution found the chaplain having seen in him the Stag's Head and asked him to help this student.That is why this service is important, needs to be on campus, not based out of a local church and needs to be full time.
#savesotonchaplaincy - Linked In joy
I posted the following on the Uni of Southampton Alumni Linked In groupSouthampton Students and Alumni are working hard to raise money and find funding for the Chaplaincy at the University of Southampton after the CofE withdrew funding. Read more at www.savesotonchaplaincy.co.uk »I got this response from one member of the group:Dear Alex et alI have very strong memories of the strong link I had with David Simpson who was Chaplain when I was at University, and I would support the campaign if your campaign was more informative.I find it impossible to believe that the Reverend David Stevens will be made redundant and homeless. The almost inevitable solution is that he will be given a different placement, where his wellbeing will be looked after by the Synod.How true is it that every other University has an Anglican Chaplain? However consider that ultimately it is not the University which is Anglican.In your article, you state that links and relationships will be severed. Why does not having a chaplain sever these, and whom are they with? The University has a strong relationship with the Parish of St Michael's in the City Centre which will not deteriorate with the lack of a chaplain.There is no explanation behind the Synod's decision. Why did they make the decision? What is their rationale? I find it hard to believe they have simply cut the post without doing any research on the matter, and without explaining the reason.What is the exact relationship between the University and the Diocese of Winchester, and how has or will the University respond to this decision?Does the Diocese or the University own the chaplaincy? From memory, it is owned by the University and they are unlikely to remove the space if it is being used by other chaplains and indeed by student societies.I realise that you obviously feel strongly about the need for a chaplain, as do I, but I feel that there is a lot more to the issue that you are either ignoring or unaware of. If you can update your campaign appropriately then I will consider supporting, providing there is a clear explanation of the problem and the solution.RegardsMatthew Reeve
Computer Science 2003 Here is my reply:Hi Matthew,Thank you for your comments. Here are my replies:1. The budget was passed on 28th Nov, removing the funding for Rev.Steven's post. He will be made redundant if no alternative funding has been found. He was told to start looking for another job, but as far as I am aware, has recieved no advice on placements that might be suitable by the diocese.He will be allowed to continue to live in the house until he decides to leave or the post of Anglican Chaplain is made redundant.2. Every University has access to an Anglican Chaplain. Not all universities have the luxury of a full time Chaplain, and some like Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan share a Chaplain. This is one idea proposed for Southampton, that the University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University could share a Chaplain3.The relationship with St. Michaels in the city centre is mainly founded around the University choirs and the music department. They do not offer pastoral support for students on campus, or offer to help with Wednesday communion services, carol services or when students are going through personal crisis in the middle of the night.4. The synod voted to cut the post because of a £1.6 million deficit caused by parishes in the diocese not being able to or refusing to pay their Parish Share upon which the diocesan budget is funded. Sector Ministry, of which Chaplaincy is a part was cut because it is easier to cut than removing parish priests who have cure of souls. A lot of administrative posts in the diocese are being cut or merged as well for much the same reason.5. The University of Southampton has traditionally refused to fund a Chaplain or Chaplaincy at the University since it's earliest days as an institution. This is why the Rev. Stevens is known officially as the Chaplain TO the University of Southampton rather than the Chaplain OF the University of Southampton. The University is being approached to help fund the Chaplaincy by both students and the diocese.6. The University owns the Chaplaincy, and the Ecumenical Chaplaincy rents the building from the University. Without the funding from the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church and the Free Church Chaplaincy Council will not be able to meet the rent and the running costs of the building, the community and their staff.The University has tried to raise the rent in recent years, has move the Chaplaincy from University Crescent to University Road so they could build on the land, and requisitioned the Chaplaincy Garden to build a Car Park.Since the Rev. Stevens and the Chaplains started working at the Chaplaincy in 2005 an active community of students have been using the Chaplaincy alongside the regular society user groups. This welcoming and inclusive community has been recognised by the Student Support services as a safe space on campus, referring users of the mentoring, counseling and disability services to pop in for a cup of tea.The week the diocesan synod voted, the Chaplain could be found in Chaplaincy at 12am talking to a student who had wondered into the SUSU distressed. The security guards of this secular institution found the chaplain having seen in him the Stag's Head and asked him to help this student.That is why this service is important, needs to be on campus, not based out of a local church and needs to be full time.
Computer Science 2003 Here is my reply:Hi Matthew,Thank you for your comments. Here are my replies:1. The budget was passed on 28th Nov, removing the funding for Rev.Steven's post. He will be made redundant if no alternative funding has been found. He was told to start looking for another job, but as far as I am aware, has recieved no advice on placements that might be suitable by the diocese.He will be allowed to continue to live in the house until he decides to leave or the post of Anglican Chaplain is made redundant.2. Every University has access to an Anglican Chaplain. Not all universities have the luxury of a full time Chaplain, and some like Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan share a Chaplain. This is one idea proposed for Southampton, that the University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University could share a Chaplain3.The relationship with St. Michaels in the city centre is mainly founded around the University choirs and the music department. They do not offer pastoral support for students on campus, or offer to help with Wednesday communion services, carol services or when students are going through personal crisis in the middle of the night.4. The synod voted to cut the post because of a £1.6 million deficit caused by parishes in the diocese not being able to or refusing to pay their Parish Share upon which the diocesan budget is funded. Sector Ministry, of which Chaplaincy is a part was cut because it is easier to cut than removing parish priests who have cure of souls. A lot of administrative posts in the diocese are being cut or merged as well for much the same reason.5. The University of Southampton has traditionally refused to fund a Chaplain or Chaplaincy at the University since it's earliest days as an institution. This is why the Rev. Stevens is known officially as the Chaplain TO the University of Southampton rather than the Chaplain OF the University of Southampton. The University is being approached to help fund the Chaplaincy by both students and the diocese.6. The University owns the Chaplaincy, and the Ecumenical Chaplaincy rents the building from the University. Without the funding from the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church and the Free Church Chaplaincy Council will not be able to meet the rent and the running costs of the building, the community and their staff.The University has tried to raise the rent in recent years, has move the Chaplaincy from University Crescent to University Road so they could build on the land, and requisitioned the Chaplaincy Garden to build a Car Park.Since the Rev. Stevens and the Chaplains started working at the Chaplaincy in 2005 an active community of students have been using the Chaplaincy alongside the regular society user groups. This welcoming and inclusive community has been recognised by the Student Support services as a safe space on campus, referring users of the mentoring, counseling and disability services to pop in for a cup of tea.The week the diocesan synod voted, the Chaplain could be found in Chaplaincy at 12am talking to a student who had wondered into the SUSU distressed. The security guards of this secular institution found the chaplain having seen in him the Stag's Head and asked him to help this student.That is why this service is important, needs to be on campus, not based out of a local church and needs to be full time.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
#savesotonchap The next stages
The diocese voted to remove funding for both the Chaplain and the Chaplaincy at the University of Southampton.To be honest I feel betrayed. This actually hurts personally, as it says what the Diocese of Winchester feel about students. I quote Rev. Simon Stevens ( http://darksidechaplaincy.blogspot.com/) who was there to defend his job:"There was then several people who responded. Everyone who stood spoke in favour of the retention of posts, and I had hope of success, but when a woman from Romsey deanery spoke about the fact that we were just going to 'have to pass' the budget I realised that it was going to be almost impossible to secure the funding for my post. Over coffee I overheard one person saying "There are 24,000 students and we're paying for them to have a chaplain, there are 22,000 people living in our deanery and we have 6 vicars and the students aren't paying a penny for one of them."'Cock' I thought." A lovely aquaintance, Rachel Hallam (who I hope one day to be better friends with) put it eloquently on the Facebook Group: " Students should be subsidised by the adult church who have had a lifetime to earn money. We should be cherishing the students, young people and children." and "An earning individual should subsidise supply of religious leadership of those who don't work. Or should we make all those in sunday school leave the church until they can contribute. Pah"Students are richer than they ever were, but with top up fees and mounting loans, they are still counting the pennies. I have recently moved from being a poor student to a graduate job. To be honest, the money is extremely exciting! Attending a church as an adult where they are building to provide better community facilities, I have been giving to my church regularly.Students are supposed to become graduates with higher wages. By alienating them as student they are cutting a possible supply of future money. How shortsighted!So now, feeling like we can't trust the diocese to stick to their word on finding alternative funding, a group of students and alumni have set up the University of Southampton Chaplaincy Trust and we're going to be lobbying the University to fully fund the chaplaincy, like the rest of UK universities do, approaching the Local Free Church Chaplaincy Council to put their half time chaplain money towards a full time Protestant chaplain, and convince the Cof E that if we can do at least some of this, they should let the chaplain's house remain.We're willing to speak to any press person who's interested. We're going to protest. We're going to go on the road and talk to deaneries about what Chaplaincy means to us. The diocese were supposed to contact us to let us know the results of the vote and what their next steps would be. The diocese were supposed to involve students in any discussion they were going to have with the University.Not a word on any of them.So we're taking matters in our own hands. We're setting up a bank account and people are pledging regular amounts. We're going to ring fence the money and make sure it can only be spent on a Protestant Chaplain at the Uni.If you feel moved to pledge a regular amount, please go to:http://sites.google.com/site/savesouthamptonchaplaincy/can-you-donate-to-keep...and please please please keep forwarding on the petition:http://www.savesotonchaplaincy.co.uk/We need support and prayers now more than ever.Please write to the following people:Vice Chancellor of Uni of Southampton Professor Don Nutbeam c/o Executive Officer: Andrew Wilson
Email: A.M.Wilson@southampton.ac.uk
University of Southampton
University Road
Southampton
SO17 1BJHead of Student Services
Email: ssc@soton.ac.uk
Student Services Centre
George Thomas Building (37)
University of Southampton
University Road
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
Email: A.M.Wilson@southampton.ac.uk
University of Southampton
University Road
Southampton
SO17 1BJHead of Student Services
Email: ssc@soton.ac.uk
Student Services Centre
George Thomas Building (37)
University of Southampton
University Road
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
#savesotonchap The next stages
The diocese voted to remove funding for both the Chaplain and the Chaplaincy at the University of Southampton.To be honest I feel betrayed. This actually hurts personally, as it says what the Diocese of Winchester feel about students. I quote Rev. Simon Stevens ( http://darksidechaplaincy.blogspot.com/) who was there to defend his job:"There was then several people who responded. Everyone who stood spoke in favour of the retention of posts, and I had hope of success, but when a woman from Romsey deanery spoke about the fact that we were just going to 'have to pass' the budget I realised that it was going to be almost impossible to secure the funding for my post. Over coffee I overheard one person saying "There are 24,000 students and we're paying for them to have a chaplain, there are 22,000 people living in our deanery and we have 6 vicars and the students aren't paying a penny for one of them."'Cock' I thought." A lovely aquaintance, Rachel Hallam (who I hope one day to be better friends with) put it eloquently on the Facebook Group: " Students should be subsidised by the adult church who have had a lifetime to earn money. We should be cherishing the students, young people and children." and "An earning individual should subsidise supply of religious leadership of those who don't work. Or should we make all those in sunday school leave the church until they can contribute. Pah"Students are richer than they ever were, but with top up fees and mounting loans, they are still counting the pennies. I have recently moved from being a poor student to a graduate job. To be honest, the money is extremely exciting! Attending a church as an adult where they are building to provide better community facilities, I have been giving to my church regularly.Students are supposed to become graduates with higher wages. By alienating them as student they are cutting a possible supply of future money. How shortsighted!So now, feeling like we can't trust the diocese to stick to their word on finding alternative funding, a group of students and alumni have set up the University of Southampton Chaplaincy Trust and we're going to be lobbying the University to fully fund the chaplaincy, like the rest of UK universities do, approaching the Local Free Church Chaplaincy Council to put their half time chaplain money towards a full time Protestant chaplain, and convince the Cof E that if we can do at least some of this, they should let the chaplain's house remain.We're willing to speak to any press person who's interested. We're going to protest. We're going to go on the road and talk to deaneries about what Chaplaincy means to us. The diocese were supposed to contact us to let us know the results of the vote and what their next steps would be. The diocese were supposed to involve students in any discussion they were going to have with the University.Not a word on any of them.So we're taking matters in our own hands. We're setting up a bank account and people are pledging regular amounts. We're going to ring fence the money and make sure it can only be spent on a Protestant Chaplain at the Uni.If you feel moved to pledge a regular amount, please go to:http://sites.google.com/site/savesouthamptonchaplaincy/can-you-donate-to-keep-chaplaincy-runningand please please please keep forwarding on the petition:http://www.savesotonchaplaincy.co.uk/We need support and prayers now more than ever.Please write to the following people:Vice Chancellor of Uni of Southampton Professor Don Nutbeam c/o Executive Officer: Andrew Wilson
Email: A.M.Wilson@southampton.ac.uk
University of Southampton
University Road
Southampton
SO17 1BJHead of Student Services
Email: ssc@soton.ac.uk
Student Services Centre
George Thomas Building (37)
University of Southampton
University Road
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
Email: A.M.Wilson@southampton.ac.uk
University of Southampton
University Road
Southampton
SO17 1BJHead of Student Services
Email: ssc@soton.ac.uk
Student Services Centre
George Thomas Building (37)
University of Southampton
University Road
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
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