This special edition of ACC-UK reports in pictures on the Solemn Consecration of the 2nd Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese of the United Kingdom. Around a 140 church members, family, friends and work colleagues of the new Bishop gathered to see The Right Revd Rommie M Starks, Bishop of the Diocese of the Midwest, USA and Episcopal Visitor to the DUK. Together with The Right Revd Roger Dawson, the Episcopal Assistant to the Metropolitan and retired Bishop of Caracas, Venezuela and the Right Revd Dennis Hodge, Assistant Bishop in the Missionary Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, consecrate Steven Robert Damien Mead to the sacred Order of Bishop in the Church of God. The ceremony was held in the Chapel of St Augustine’s College Chapel, Westgate, Kent. Fr Raymond Thompson was Master of Ceremonies and also represented the Provincial Registrar.

CONSECRATION SPECIAL

INSIDE

From the

Bishop

2

Pictures

3

Bishop

Starks

Sermon

10

ACC UK Magazine of the Diocese of the United Kingdom (Anglican Catholic Church)

Issue 23 Annual Subscription £7.50 September 2008

���� ORTHODOX FAITH ���� ANGLICAN WORSHIP ���� CATHOLIC ORDER ����

Above: The Right Reverend Damien Mead, new Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese of the

United kingdom

Dom Philip-James French, OSB, deaconed the Pontifical High Mass and Fr Charles Johnson was Sub-deacon. The Venerable Joseph DeHart (Archdeacon of the Diocese of the Midwest, USA) was Bishop Stark's Chaplain. Bishop Stark’s preached and his sermon can be found inside on page 10. In keeping with the desire of Bishop Mead the music was chosen by him to reflect the whole of the United Kingdom.

P A G E 2

“It is just called ‘The Bible’ now. We have dropped the word ‘Holy’ to give it more mass -market appeal, but that might have been a bad mistake for

holiness is what the book is all about and as a bishop it is

holiness that the people will want

to see” Inscribed in a Card from Bishop Dawson on the eve of my consecration

The Right Reverend

Damien Mead

FROM THE BISHOP

Words fail me to describe how I feel about the events of Saturday 20th September 2008. I didn’t sleep very much the night before and was up in Church by 7am to spend an hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament — more to steady my nerves than pure devotion I confess. I returned to my hotel to be greeted by a text on my mo-bile phone from my housekeeper Annette, simply “God has sent you sunshine!” for indeed he had - the day was bright and cheery and everyone was waiting at the church on time at 9am to make the journey to Westgate. There are so many people to thank for their contribution to the success of the day. I hope you will forgive my not naming everyone individually. Obviously the Bishops are at the top of my list, Clergy and Servers of our diocese were amazing and I have already written to say how proud of them I am. Our Master of Ceremonies in particular took such a weight from my shoulders by organising everyone. The organist and choir were excellent and I can see why the Piper was chosen by the Late Queen Mother to play for her. The Management and staff of St Augustine’s College were thoroughly professional and eager to be of help.

My parents and sister have always supported me and I am so pleased to know how proud they are of me. I have been asked several times since Saturday what I will remember most and whether I ‘felt anything’. Well the simple answer is to say I will remember so much and felt so many things. However there are two things which stand out. When I was laying prostrate during the Hymn “Come Holy Ghost” I was extremely uncomfortable. I am a big man as you know and laying flat down on my chest isn’t a good place to be. However, it isn’t the discomfort I remember. Whilst laying there I started to focus on the words of that ancient hymn and I felt the discomfort lift from me and instead felt that I was being cradled in something soft and gentle. The other thing that will stay with me always is the faces of those who came for my blessing at the end of the service. Some with tear (in my eyes as well as theirs), some with a look of awe, some with obvious respect, all with smiles and love. May God bless you and may you continue to pray for me that I may be worthy of the great Office to which I have been admitted.

Pictures from the Consecration

P A G E 3 I S S U E 2 3 S P E C I A L E D I T I O N S E P T 2 0 0 8

“ Jesus saith

unto Peter,

Lovest thou

me? And he

said unto him,

Lord thou

knowest all

things; thou

knowest that I

love thee. Jesus

saith unto him,

Feed my

sheep”

From the Gospel of

St John XXI read at

the Consecration

Above: The Rev Dom Philip James French (St Ninian’s, Whitby, North Yorks)Deacon of the Mass, sings the Holy Gospel during the service

Above: The Bishop Elect prostrate before the Altar as everyone sings ‘Come Holy Ghost our souls inspire” - He did !

P A G E 4

Above: The Book of the Holy Gospels is held over the head of the Bishop Elect by (Left) Father Charles Johnson (St Alban’s, Salford, Greater Manchester) who was sub deacon for the Mass and Fr French.

Above: L-R Bishops Dawson, Starks and Hodge Consecrate Bishop Mead

Bishop Mead

was invested

with two rings;

the first is a

Gold Ring

engraved with

the seal of the

Diocese and

inside with

the Latin

Inscription for

“That we may

be worthy of

the promises of

Christ”. This

was a gift to the

Diocese by the

Credo Group of

Companies of

which Bishop

Damien is

Co-Founder,

Chairman and

Executive

Director

The Second

Ring is a

Pontifical Ring

of Silver Gilt

set with an

Amythist Stone

P A G E 5 I S S U E 2 3 S P E C I A L E D I T I O N S E P T 2 0 0 8

”In the Name of God and of his holy Church Amen. We do now Enthrone and Install you,

our well beloved brother, as the Bishop of the Church and

See of the United

Kingdom, and do seat you into

the Chair pertaining to

your Office and Charge, with all spiritual and temporal

possession of the same.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy

Ghost. Amen”

Above: Bishop Starks anoints Bishop Meads head with Sacred Chrism followed by his hands

Above: Bishop Starks and Bishop Dawson enthrone Bishop Mead in his Cathe-dra as 2nd Bishop Ordinary of the Diocese of the United Kingdom

P A G E 6

“O Lord,

in thee have I

trusted;

let me

never be

confounded.”

Above: Bishop Mead gives his blessing “urbi et orbi” - to the City and the World immediately after his enthronement and before the Mass, whilst the Choir (below) sing the Te Deum Laudamus. The Choir was from Emmanual Church, Sutton Coldfield and under the direction of Richard Mason.

P A G E 7 I S S U E 2 3 S P E C I A L E D I T I O N S E P T 2 0 0 8

.

“I will not cease from mental fight, nor shall my sword sleep in my hand, till we have

built Jerusalem

in England’s green and pleasant land.”

After the Service members of the congregation came forward to reverence the new Bishop and receive his blessing. Above Mrs Marilyn Grainger, a Foster Carer who works for Bishop Mead’s company Credo Care Ltd — the specialist fostering agency for disabled children - knelt to kiss his ring.

Above: The Altar Party leave the Church at the end of Mass to the Hymn “Jerusalem”

P A G E 8

Above: After the Service Bishop Mead and his parents Laurence and Margaret Mead pose with the Consecrating Bishops.

Above: The reception in Bishop Mead’s honour and (Right) the cake

Bishop Mead’s personal Coat of Arms above:

The right hand side of the shield depicts a Pelican in her Piety, the Crest from the Mead Family Arms, and which has long been a symbol for Christ. The left hand side depicts Our Lady, the Blessed

Virgin Mary, and her Divine Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ,

surrounded by twelve stars. This is from the Diocesan Seal. The Arms are surmounted by a Mitre. The Motto is that of the Mead Family, ‘Toujours Pret” which translates as “Always Ready”.

P A G E 9 I S S U E 2 3 S P E C I A L E D I T I O N S E P T 2 0 0 8

The first gift from the Diocese

to the new bishop was a

Bugia Candlestick.

This will remain the property of the Diocese for use by future Diocesans.

At all functions throughout the year except on

Good Friday and Holy Saturday, before the Mass bishops are

allowed the use of the bugia or

hand-candlestick

which is held or stands beside the book from which the

Bishop reads or sings.

The second gift, which Bishop

Mead will retain as a personal

gift, was a small bronze statue of St Peter the Apostle

Above: Dr Roy Fidge, Diocesan Secretary, on behalf of the Diocese, presents the new Bishop with the gift, followed by Mr Richard Mann, Diocesan Treasurer. (pictured below)

P A G E 1 0

What should a new Bishop be given? I expect that many of you here have found answers to that question in terms of what you can afford or what you think appropriate. But if you ask that question more widely, you might come across some strange answers from people outside the Church, or for that matter, some in the church. Some would probably want to provide something along the following lines – a computerised diary, to symbolise what a perfect manager we are to expect; a thick skin, to absorb any amount of tension around, and a magic wand, to solve everyone’s problems. But Damien is to be given none of these things today. Instead he will be presented with a Bible and a pastoral staff. Bishops have used these symbols for centuries and each has an unnerving knack of coming

to life on every piece of new terrain where the Gospel has had to be preached. For they match the two images of the Bishop that can be traced back to the earliest of times – the teacher and the shepherd. This afternoon we are not commissioning either an office manager or a conflict supremo or a problem solver. If that is what you really want in your new Bishop, then you might as well go home. Teachers and shepherds come, of course, in many different shapes and sizes and each age will have its own particular needs in a particular area. The Teacher is, above all, the person who speaks for the Church. Articulation is to the fore. Not, though, that this means speaking all of the time, however tempting that may be. But people expect Bishops to speak – and there are always those who want them to take a strong lead – provided, of course, that this coincides exactly with what they want to hear! In the Anglican way of doing things, the teacher is no fundamentalist – interpreting the good news both to the Church and to the world means taking care of how we say what we say. So adapting to different contexts requires some personal flexibility – like the varied callings to which Damien has responded so far in his ministry. Teachers, if they are to have any sense, are ready to give stimulus, which may mean the courage to see and articulate

“he will be

presented with

a Bible and a

pastoral staff.

Bishops have

used these

symbols for

centuries and

each has an

unnerving

knack of

coming to life

on every piece

of new

terrain where

the Gospel has

had to be

preached. “

BISHOP STARK’S SERMON

P A G E 1 1 I S S U E 2 3 S P E C I A L E D I T I O N S E P T 2 0 0 8

something fresh in the sometimes too familiar settings of parish life. The Scriptures are not just for the Bishop’s words – it is his life, for he has a soul to be saved as well and the way he responds to the challenges of discipleship will, above all, be about example. But the Bishop’s teaching ministry usually sits uneasily at that point of tension between the internal life of the Church, which can be too absorbing for all of us, and the life of the world, with its questions, its frustrations, its determination to write us off as no more than part of the heritage industry. We must not tame the good news – as William King, the Archbishop of Dublin once remarked, “religion that despises the Word, destroys Salvation”. Then there is the other symbol, the pastoral staff. The shepherd’s staff is about direction and the best way to give the flock direction is to know them and be known by them. But there are subtleties in the symbolism of the pastoral staff. It is carried in order to be seen and a Bishop does

have to be visible. Yet there are occasions when it has to be left in the cupboard, not only so that others can get on with their tasks, but also because much of a Bishop’s pastoral care is far more private and delicate than the parochial ministry. And there is that crook and that stem. The crook is for discipline, to draw the errant sheep back into line and the stem is for prodding the sheep that require encouragement. No prizes for guessing which is easier to give – and to receive. In a consumerist world, we underplay sacrifice and cost, because everyone is right, except those in authority, who are not to be trusted because they never, apparently “listen” – which is often code for saying “he doesn’t give me exactly what I’ve signed up to in my private contract with Jesus”. A Bishop’s calling is to exercise both these challenges of the Gospel, of being a focus around which the Church can unite and a means of stirring up the lethargic and the cynical, and they’re at their best when done corporately,

“The Scriptures are not just for the Bishop’s words – it is his life, for he has a soul to be

saved as well and the way he responds to the challenges of discipleship

will, above all, be about example.”

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when they take place as part of an extended conversation. All this can easily sound unattainable – as if instead of inviting (as I did earlier) anyone expecting a manager to go home, I was really inviting Damien to get up on his hind legs and go back to Lydd in pleasant relief! But that is not the way of things, as life is never that simple. Jeremy Taylor, in his work “Great Exemplar”, that magnificent, devotional life of Christ, published in 1649, perhaps he would be nudging your impatient preacher to the Disclosure on Prayer, probably in origin, a sermon which contains those telling words – “He measures us by our needs and we must not measure Him by our impatience”. There will be much to challenge in the future, not least for the people of the Diocese that receives its new Bishop today. All of our expectations need to be tempered by careful consideration of who Bishops are and what they are for.

Anglicans, perhaps, have had cause to think more about this than any other Church, because of our history and the place we have in worldwide Christianity. There is something essentially personal about a Bishop’s ministry, not as a personality cult (or anti-cult), but because the office of Bishop is relational, like the ring and the pectoral cross that Damien will also be given today. The teacher has to have people to teach and the shepherd has to have a flock to care for and lead. Bishops have to be called – someone, somewhere has to fill that gap. Bishops are human beings, fragile just like the rest of the world – and they have to live the ‘and yet’ of the Good News every day, realising that God still dwells amongst us and is able to use us. But above all, Bishops have to heed the challenge finally posed by the Chief Shepherd Himself – “Feed my sheep”.

ACC- UK Magazine of the Diocese of the United Kingdom

ISSUE 23 Special Edition September AD 2008 Usually published 3 times a year in Advent, Lent and Trinity.

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