OUR NEW RECTOR

Pastoral Letter from our New Rector, The Rev'd Canon Dr Brian Douglas 

Dear People of St Paul’s and St David’s, 

Greeting to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

I write with sincere appreciation for the calling and honour given to me to serve as your parish priest.  I am also sensible of the responsibility that comes with Bishop George’s offer to accept this position.  

I come to you with the vocation of being parish priest uppermost in mind.  I wish to serve God and God’s people in the place you know and love.  I wish to work to the best of my ability to bring the message of Christ to all in everything we do and say together.  I want to work to the best of my ability to provide liturgical worship that honours the rich tradition of the parish and above all honours God.  I have a desire to lead the pastoral care of the parish and together with other parishioners to care for one another in Christian love and service.  I wish that we might all grow together in knowledge of God’s love for us in creation, in Jesus Christ redeeming us to new life and in the Holy Spirit who strengthens, sustains, guides and gifts us.  I wish that we might all grow in love and service of God and one another.  I desire that as we gather around God’s table to be fed by Christ that we might be a graced people who receive Christ’s very life into ourselves and then live that life out every day as the body of Christ in this part of the kingdom.  I seek to offer a ministry of Word and Sacrament in the lives of those who reach out to God.  This is my priestly function and I acknowledge I need the grace of God and the support of others to do this. 

I know that times of change can be difficult but they can also be times of challenge and refreshment for all concerned.  I want to assure you that I am ready to listen and reflect with you and respond to expressed needs.  I am acutely aware of my own need to listen and learn in this new role and earnestly request your prayers and support.  I assure you that I am praying for you all and asking that God will lead us on together in the great work God has for us. 

One of my Year 10 students said to me the other day: “Congratulations on your promotion”.  He is a lovely boy and he meant well, but I want to assure you that I do not see this move to Manuka as another step on some imaginary or real ladder of promotion.  I do not see vocation in this way.  Rather, vocation is a calling from God to a particular ministry received from God, confirmed by the Church through the Bishop and shared with all.  This is how I view my move to Manuka. 

I am aware of the significant reputation of the parish and of its strategic location in the national capital and I am deeply honoured to be called to serve here, but I see my principal function as that of parish priest, alongside and including other principal functions of my life such as human being, husband, father, teacher and child of God. 

I want to acknowledge the hard work of many people over many years in the parish and I realise that the good state of the parish is principally due to the efforts of many past and present parishioners and clergy.  I particularly want to acknowledge the ministry of The Rev’d Robin Lewis-Quinn during this interim period, and I wish Robin God’s richest blessing as she takes up her responsibilities in the parish of Moruya.  I also want to acknowledge the ministry of The Rev’d Dr Scott Cowdell over the past six years, and I wish him well in his new role as Associate Professor at St Mark’s.  I want to build on what others, both parishioners and clergy, have begun.  

Ministry is shared.  It is not mine or anyone else’s alone.  My prayer is that we can realise the shared work of Christ’s kingdom together. 

Peace, love and blessing to you all as we prepare to meet and share life and faith together. 

The Rev’d Dr Brian Douglas.

The Right Rev'd Neville Chynoweth, MA, BD, ThL, AM, ED, ARSCM,
Pastor at St David's

Neville Chynoweth has pastoral responsibility for St David's, Red Hill.  He served in the AIF in the Middle East, New Guinea and New Britain from 1941 to 1946. After graduating from Moore Theological College he was appointed Curate of St Michael's, Sydney in 1950. Later the same year he was appointed Rector, Kangaroo Valley and in 1952 became Chaplain, Prince Alfred and Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children. He was Rector of St John's Dee Why from 1954 to 1963 and of St Anne's Strathfield from 1963 to 1966. He was also Chaplain CMF from 1955 to 1968. He became Rector of All Saints Ainslie in 1966 and of St Paul's, Manuka from 1971 to 1974 and concurrently Archdeacon of Canberra. In 1974 he was appointed Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. In 1980 he was elected Bishop of Gippsland, retiring in 1987. Bishop Chynoweth was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1996. Together with his wife Joan he has led eight pilgrimages to the Middle East and Europe in recent years. He is also a noted musician, pianist and lover of good music, from liturgical music to jazz.  

 

 

 

The Rev'd Dr Peter Pocock, BA BTh MM DMA MAAL MAADA
Deacon and Director of Music, St Paul's, Manuka

Peter Pocock has held appointments in Australia and the United States in the fields of Choral Conducting, Church Music and Worship/Liturgy. Peter has lectured and conducted throughout North America, Australia and England. Among other honorary appointments, in 1999 he accepted the National Presidency of the National Association of Church Musicians in the United States. In 2001 Dr Pocock commenced a Master of Divinity degree at Claremont School of Theology. Returning to Australia in 2004, he completed his theology studies and is now Academic Secretary and Lecturer in Theology and Liturgy at St Mark's National Theological Centre, the School of Theology for Charles Sturt University. He was recently ordained Deacon in the diocese of Canberra and Goulburn.

As well as being Director of Music at St Paul's he is Principal Conductor and Music Director of the Canberra Choral Society. Peter is also an accomplished organist.

Sharon Hoffmann, Parish Administrator,
St Paul's, Manuka