Parishes have shown creativity, love and generosity throughout a time of unprecedented changes and challenges, says Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines in a special message to the diocese.
In a special video now on our YouTube channel, Bishop Nick warmly thanks everyone from our clergy, lay leaders, church officers and beyond for maintaining giving and demonstrating a grace which reflects the generous grace of God whom we serve:
“No one gave us a script for the year 2020, and that situation carries on into 2021.
“The unprecedented changes that were thrust upon us, the challenges of having to be the church in uncharted territory were immense. Yet clergy, our lay leaders, our parishes, our church officers have adapted remarkably and shown enormous creativity with local sensitivity to those in need.
“We face financial challenges as a diocese that won’t come as any surprise because of the nature of the challenges we’ve face in the last 12 months.
“But that isn’t the end of the story, there have been many encouragements along the way and I really want to thank you for how you have met those challenges, for your flexibility and commitment and for your trust as we continue as a diocese to look at how we’re going to mitigate some of the impact of COVID on the Diocese of Leeds.
“Thank you for your generosity, thank you for your maintained giving and thank you for the grace which reflects the generous grace of the God whom we serve.
“We look to the future with continued challenges but we look with commitment, with faith, with hope and in love. Love for one another which is rooted in our love of God.
Jonathan Wood, the Secretary for the Diocese of Leeds, said, “We are incredibly grateful for the generous spirit so many have shown and which has meant we have been able to continue supporting ministry right across the Diocese.”
Becky Nicholson, Lead Stewardship Officer at the Diocese of Leeds, also said, “Despite this last year being extraordinarily tough for parishes, we heard wonderful stories of generosity from all corners of our Diocese both from those with enough to share and those with very little to spare.
“Parishes have not viewed this time as a time of scarcity but instead celebrated abundance and shared what they can for the good of all.”
Watch Bishop Nick’s message in full here.
[VIDEO::https://youtu.be/byx84l-Od7Y]