On leaving Hobart
The Dean reflects
The great divorce
Leaving Hobart after nearly three years is a bit like that. In my younger years in the first five years of practice as a lawyer I assisted more clients through divorce than I have married in three decades of ministry.
That, along with my Labor Party roots, has given me a special love for the hurting, the marginalised, the true victims of a greedy self-centred society and the poor. And divorcees often feel unchristianised, unwanted by the happy families promoted by the façade of the church (and especially my evangelical tradition.
Yet we as Church must have a high priority for brokenness and pain.
My churches have grown in welcoming the mentally ill and the pain bearers of divorce. (I do not connect the two.)
You truly do welcome. You provide special care especially when the pain of the divorce is still raw. You never blame. You may find a special role as an aunt or an adoptive grandparent to a hurting child. You apply the Scriptures with grace.
So as Jan and I feel a little raw with our leaving, firstly let us affirm our deep love for the people of Tasmania and the Christ mission of our churches.
The Cathedral is mother church of the diocese. You may not believe it, but it does good things.
Last year we celebrated some 15 vital civic services to bring the face of Jesus to state and city. The members of St David's Cathedral contribute nearly $40,000 p.a. by way of assessment and offer Church House to the Diocese at a reduced rate. So despite the gossip, we are pretty self-reliant and the cost of running a cathedral is great.
My parting gift is a small ministry library of preaching (commentaries), youth, children and family resources, which may be read by anyone in Church House. Regrettably, books cannot be removed but photocopying is available at 20 cents a copy in accordance with copyright.
The Cathedral Welcoming Course is a home-grown tool that helps close the back door of the church to encourage new faces to stay. Shelagh Shaw is happy to introduce you to that simple course and if time permits and you can gather at least 16 people, perhaps run a 60-minute training course.
Do you have an effective evangelism course?
Christianity Explored substantially rewrites Christianity Explained plus it has quality videos and follow-on discipling studies. The Cathedral has abridged the course over five weeks and we can make available our Exploring Christianity. You will need the DVD and materials.
With my love and prayers,Lindsay Stoddart
13th Dean of Hobart