Vicarage Dedicated For ‘Lent’ Minister

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31096, 27 June 1966, Page 12

Vicarage Dedicated For ‘Lent’ Minister

A “lent” Anglican minister who thinks himself fortunate in not having a church, took part in the short dedication service of his new vicarage at Bishopdale on Saturday.

He is the Rev. R. B. Allen who has been “lent” to the parish of Papanui by the parish of Geraldine to work in the new housing areas around Bishopdale. The new vicarage, which was dedicated by the Ven. Archdeacon H. M. Cocks, will be the home of the Anglican church work in the area. There is no church r the district. One end of the threebedroomed vicarage will be used as a meeting room for services and other functions. When a church is built the meeting room will be made into a study and fourth bedroom.

The building of the Bishopdale vicarage was the culmi-

nation of much work and planning, said Archdeacon Cocks. It showed the Church’s believe that men were more important than buildings in the work of Christianity. Acting as a home and not a centre, the vicarage would radiate a new form of friendship in the area. The district was forunate in not having a church as it could appreciate the gathering of church members in a home just as the early church did, Mr Allen said. He hoped that people would not regard the vicarage only as a building and that the Anglican community would work in with the other denominations in the district. Technically attached to Papanui, Bishopdale functions as a separate district serving the new housing of Bishopdale and an older section of Harewood. When plans were being made several years ago for development it was realised that the Papanui parish would not be able to cope with all the new housing, and the needs of the area were made known to the rest of the diocese.

Mr Allen has been supplied to the district by Geraldine which is also supporting him so that there is no financial burden on Bishopdale. The vicarage has been built by funds supplied by several other parishes. Mr Allen, who has been working in the area since February, has held services in homes. These will be continued and supplemented by other services held at the vicarage.