Celebrating the civic and the faithful
When the Mayor of Kirklees first heard the Church of England had decided to install a Bishop of Huddersfield, his response was “about time too.”
For Kirklees is the seventh largest Metropolitan areas in the country, so coupled with neighbouring Calderdale, the newly created Episcopal Area of Huddersfield represents a vibrant, rich and diverse part of the country – and at the core of many of its communities, is faith.
On Saturday, (Jan 24) the Mayor of Kirklees, Cllr Ken Smith wants to celebrate the civic and the faithful in a special service in Huddersfield Parish Church to strengthen links and forge new partnerships between the town and clergy.
He said: “How many citizens are active out there in their communities, who regularly give their time or talents to supporting a church or faith project and helping others? They are the anchors of our society. There must be thousands whose motivation to help others is rooted in their religious beliefs.”
“How many people have benefited from a church school education – again helping to build bridges between family and community.
“The church is a force for good in our communities, and having our own Bishop will see a greater push of people working and reaching out to each other and of course it will raise the profile of this area nationally and locally, which can only be a good thing in this current economic climate,” he added.
Strengthening our Partnership – Working Together for the Good of All – will take place at 2.45pm on Saturday, 24th January in Huddersfield Parish Church to celebrate a new phase in the partnership between the church and the community in our area following the appointment of the first Bishop of Huddersfield, the Rt Revd Dr Jonathan Gibbs.
Bishop Jonathan said: “ I am thrilled that the Mayor of Kirklees is keen to promote strong partnerships between local government and the Church, as well as with other faith groups and voluntary sector agencies. We are both committed to finding new ways of working together for the good of everyone in this area, involving people of all faiths as well as the many brilliant charities and organisations which contribute so much to our whole community.”
Both Bishop Jonathan and the Mayor will be speaking at this service and it is an opportunity for clergy and lay people from the parishes to demonstrate their commitment to working with our partners in the wider community for the good of all.