The New Archdeacon

A clergyman who had his ‘call'  to the priesthood confirmed while teaching in a Retford Comprehensive School, has been appointed as the new Archdeacon of Newark. The Revd Canon David Picken (48), who is currently Team Rector of High Wycombe in the Diocese of Oxford, said he was looking forward to returning to the area where he had many happy memories. “I've always thought it was a wonderful place and the people are so friendly and warm. I'm also really pleased to be coming to work in a diocese which has a clear vision of where it is going, while maintaining close contact with parishes.”

David grew up in Hednesford in Staffordshire with his two foster sisters. His father was a carpenter and builder – a skill he says he has not picked up! After graduating with a BA honours degree in English and Religious Studies from London University, he completed a PGCE at Christ Church College in Canterbury.

While at University, he met his wife Cathy, who was training as a teacher. The couple were married in 1985 and David taught for a year in Sussex, before taking up a post teaching Religious Studies at the Elizabethan High in Retford from 1986 to1987. It was during his time in Retford that his call to be ordained was confirmed, while he and Cathy attended All Hallows Church in Ordsall. In 1987 he went to study theology at Lincoln Theological College and was ordained in 1990.
 
His first curacy was in the Diocese of Chichester near the beautiful rural setting of Worth Abbey, where he was part of a large team ministry. In 1993 he became Team Vicar of Wordsley in the Diocese of Worcester, where he was responsible for a large church plant in the urban village, built around the Stuart crystal business. During this time he also worked as a part-time hospital chaplaincy at the local hospital, which included a burns unit. David said: “I valued the experience hugely as it gave me the opportunity to see ministry from a very different perspective. Hospital chaplains are very much front line ministers.”

 
In 1997 he became Team Rector of the parish, which included a wide range of Black Country communities from rural villages to urban priority areas. During his time in Wordsley he was a vocations adviser for the diocese, helping candidates exploring a call to ordained or lay ministry. He was also an Area Missioner, which involved offering consultancy and advice on mission to parishes. He spent three years as Rural Dean of Kingswinford, helping in a coordinating role with local parishes.
 
In 2004 David and Cathy moved to the Diocese of Oxford when David took up his current post in High Wycombe. The church is part of a large team ministry covering a multi-cultural population of 90,000, with six clergy, seven churches including three with over 200 members each. David's town centre church is made up of a congregation with a wide ethnic mix, reflecting the varied multi-cultural population of the town and he has been active in working with those of other faiths. He helped found the local Council for Christian/Muslim Relations, in 2007 and travelled out to Pakistan on a bridge-building visit with the town's Mayor, when he also met with local Christians. Throughout his parish ministry he has also held a number of school governor posts in local primary schools.
  
In his spare time, David enjoys cricket and football and is a Manchester United supporter, but now aims to take a keen interest in the Stags (Mansfield Town FC) as well. His wife Cathy, who is a qualified Primary school teacher, is a nationally accredited practitioner for 'Godly Play '. She works as Children's minister to both local schools in High Wycombe and is a Trustee of Lighthouse an annual Children's summer event attended by over a 1000 children. She also works with the Children's teams in the church. Cathy and David will be living in the new Archdeacon's house in Edwinstowe, in the heart of Sherwood Forest, and will be bringing with them their new golden retriever puppy, Rosa.
 
Please pray for Archdeacon David as he is collated in the Minster at 5.30pm on Sunday 19 th ( all welcome) and come to Mass Sunday 26 th as has requested that his first Sunday be in the Priory!

Forward in Faith

Forward in Faith has, after the Mothers Union, the largest membership in the Cof E. Its' Mission Statement is:

We Affirm the Faith of the Church as revealed in Scripture and Tradition;

We Proclaim our Faith through the Creeds, the Sacraments and the apostolic ministry of bishops and priests of the Universal Church;

We seek a Guaranteed Ecclesial Structure in which we can pass the Faith on to our children and grandchildren;

We have a vision for Unity and Truth and we are going Forward in Faith.

Why it exists:

Forward in Faith is a worldwide association of Anglicans who are unable in conscience to accept the ordination of women as priests or as bishops.

Forward in Faith is opposed to the ordination of women to the priesthood and the episcopate for three simple reasons.

First, it is a practice contrary to the scriptures as they have been consistently interpreted by the two thousand year tradition of the churches of both East and West.

Second, we hold that the ordination of women by individual provinces of the Anglican Communion, without inter-provincial agreement or consensus, is a schismatic act, impairing communion between provinces by subverting the interchangeability and mutual recognition of orders between them.

Third, mindful of the unity for which Our Lord prayed on the night before he died, we are bound to repudiate an action which has wilfully placed a new and serious obstacle in the way of reconciliation and full visible unity between Anglicans and the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Never has this organisation been more important than now. You can be a national or diocesan member. The AGM of the Southwell & Nottingham group is 12noon on Saturday 25 th February at S George's Netherfield. All in sympathy are welcome.

More details can be obtained from the back of church and at www.forwardinfaith.com