A SERVICE of Welcome was held at St Andrew’s Church, Colebrooke for the Licensing of the Rev Robert Gordon, the new Associate Priest in the Cadbury Deanery.

The service, on July 14, was taken by the Bishop of Crediton, the Rt Rev Jackie Searle with representatives from the parishes of Bow, Clannaborough, Coldridge, Colebrooke, Down St Mary, Knowle, Lapford, Morchard Bishop, Nymet Rowland and Zeal Monachorum taking part.

Robert Gordon becomes Associate Priest for the North Creedy West Mission Community of 10 churches.

Because of Covid, numbers were severely restricted, there was no singing so Colebrooke Singers sang the hymns, and no refreshments after the service.

The church bells were rung before the service, the first time they had been rung for some months.

The Archdeacon of Exeter the Venerable Andrew Beane, the Rural Dean, Rev Matthew Tregenza and many members of the local clergy and all the church wardens were present. Representatives of the local Parish Councils and the other denominations in the Mission Community also attended the service.

Robert and his wife Stephanie, also a priest, live in the vicarage at Withleigh, where Robert will be based. Robert was the Rector in Tiverton and St Thomas at Chevithorne with Cove, and coincidently of St Andrew’s Tiverton.

Originally, Robert worked for the MoD in Whitehall until he went to theological college in 1987.

He has been the Chaplain at Bideford Hospital and Mayor’s Chaplain as well as Rural Dean at Tiverton, and co-founder of Soul Exeter, responsible for the production side of music for a monthly event of 300 young people. He has had a long association with Assisi and its Franciscan heritage, and values the Celtic way of prayer, visiting Holy Island last year.

Robert has a love of Italian art and undertook a project to find the earliest extant image of Christ. He feels that pictures can communicate very effectively in worship. He enjoys blues music and going to the pub from time-to-time to play secular music. He also enjoys target shooting and “The Times” crossword when time permits.

Robert enjoys all types of worship, from informal and noisy teenage music to the quiet of evensong. He would like to explore ways to make the church more appealing to all, and especially our young people, who are the future.

Robert says, “I am keen to involve, empower and lead. I am a firm believer in complementarity, your gifts complement my gifts, and together we can do whatever God requires in this place. We need to grow or die.

“I am looking forward to getting to know the 10 different parishes and becoming part of your community, but I will also relish the challenge of developing a new model of mission and ministry for our rural parishes.”

Later in the summer there is a plan to have a celebration where everyone will be able to meet Robert.