In the Spring of this year the final MMAs fell into place and
we now have 57 altogether – someone has suggested we should
ask Heinz to sponsor our 57 varieties! There is indeed a great
variety. Some MMAs are the size of a single parish or benefice,
whereas others are much bigger. For example almost all the parishes
in the Repton Deanery have joined as one large MMA, bringing together
11 benefices. There is also a plan for this MMA to work with the
Methodists to form an ecumenical area. All the plans for the MMAs
have been considered by the Archdeaconry Pastoral Committees and
the Diocesan Pastoral Committee, and have received final approval
by the Bishop. In the summer a new publicity leaflet is available
in every church which will show a new map of the Diocese depicting
all 57 MMAs. The newsletter will be online here soon.
The work now is about bringing these MMAs to life. Already there
have been a lot of MMA meetings happening. In some cases it is
the clergy of the MMAs meeting together to get to know each other,
to pray together and seek God’s guidance. In other cases,
there have been joint meetings of the PCCs as churches begin to
get to know each other. In the Toolkit Getting Started it is recommended
that MMAs form ‘Steering Groups’ to help the MMA into
its early stages of life, and a number of MMAs have now formed
these. The Worship Advisory Group is working on a resource that
will help MMAs set up an inauguration service to celebrate the
establishing of the MMA and to pray for God’s guidance for
its future ministry.
Each MMA has an Area
Vicar. The essential task is a co-ordinating role that ensures
the MMA is given direction. When we were devising the role of
the Area Vicar, the clergy made it clear that they wanted this
person not to be seen as a senior clergyperson in the team. The
model is of servant leadership, and in many cases the various
roles of the Area Vicar will be devolved among the Ministry Team.
A programme of training for Area Vicars is now underway.
Whilst there are those for whom the new MMA is an exciting opportunity
bringing some immediate benefits, for others there are still concerns
about how it is all going to work out, especially in those MMAs
where there is going to be a loss of stipendiary clergy. It is
a time of real change and therefore a time for ongoing prayer,
that God may give us all courage and clear direction that we may
move forward into the future he desires for us.
