This is a text-only version of an article first published on Wednesday, 2 December 2015. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
Andrew Anderson-Gear pictured after his commissioning service with the Acting Bishop of Oxford, Rt Revd Colin Fletcher. Andrew Anderson-Gear has been welcomed into his new role as Diocesan Director of Mission at a commissioning service at St Lawrence Church in North Hinksey.
Andrew writes: I am thrilled, if not a little surprised, to find that God should have led me to this new ministry in the Diocese.
Thank you so much to all those friends and colleagues around the Diocese who have sent me messages of support and affirmation. I may have worked for the Diocese for 20 years, but as a lay Director of Mission, I am somewhat of a rarity in the Church of England! Having been mostly focussed in the Buckingham archdeaconry, I am looking forward to getting to know the rest of the Diocese in the coming weeks and months.
Working closely with the Bishops Staff, my role is to offer a strategic leadership to the highly gifted colleagues within the department of Mission as we seek to serve and support the local church at every level of our Diocese.
This is both an exciting and challenging time for the mission of our churches as we seek to respond to the call of God's mission in the world. I know there are many prayerful, dynamic and innovative responses to that call around our Diocese.
At my commissioning service this morning we heard again from Matthews Gospel the call not to be anxious about the future, to strive first for the kingdom.
Whatever the challenges, we can hold on the assurance, 'The Lord is here, His Spirit is with us' - our God is active in the world and I look forward to working with you all as we 'seek to find out what God is doing and join in'.