The licensing of Jeremy Leffler - the service

On Wednesday 27th June 2012 a very special service, led by The Rt. Revd.. Richard Blackburn, Bishop of Warrington and \the Venerable Peter Bradley, Archdeacon of Warrington, was held here at St. Johns.  This service was to mark the beginning of the new ministry of The Revd. Jeremy Leffler as Priest in Charge of St. John's Church, Birkdale.
At this service "People and priest came together to offer themselves afresh to God for the work of the Gospel".

After a welcome by Philip Green (the Area Dean) the new ministry began with the stirring processional hymn "In Christ alone my hope is found".
The procession was led by the cross (carried by Alison).  This was followed by the specially assembled Choir.

The "choir" was followed by the lay readers,

and then the clergy.

Eventually, not far behind his father, 

came Jeremy following the Deanery Synod Lay Chair (John Fell) and the Area Dean (Phil Green) and accompanied by one of our patrons (Stuart Baker).

Then came The Archdeacon, (Peter Bradley), our church wardens (Margery Tasker & Cath Whiteside) and the Bishop of Warrington (Richard Blackburn) brought up the rear.












Finally everyone was assembled!

The Church wardens welcomed the Bishop on behalf of the parish and, in reply the Bishop thanked them, praised God through Jesus Christ and stated 'I have come to give authority to a priest to care for the people of this parish.  Let him now be presented and his name publicly be made known.'  

Responding to this request Stuart (as patron) presented Jeremy 'To be admitted to the care of God's people in this parish'.  As nobody 'objected to him taking up this office' (fortunately!) the Bishop invited Archdeacon Peter 'to commend Jeremy to you'

The Archdeacon duly commended Jeremy (although not necessarily his skills at barbecuing sausages!) in both solemn and amusing terms.  He concluded with a prayer asking God to '... give to Your servant Jeremy, now to be licensed, the needful gifts of grace ....'

The reading (read by Christine) which followed,chosen by Jeremy, was 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5.  The Bishop's sermon was based on this reading.  If you were not there I recommend that you read it.  (In fact, even if you were there it is probably well worth rereading it!)


Following the sermon the hymn "Purify my heart" preceded the actual licensing.  During this Jeremy swore to be '.... faithful and bear true allegiance to her majesty Queen Elizabeth .... her heirs and successors...' and to '.... pay true and canonical obedience to the Lord Bishop of Liverpool and his successors .... '

Having been licensed, Jeremy was joined by our lay readers.  The bishop then enumerated the team's role to work together to, amongst other things, 


'.... minister God's healing and reconciliation wherever there is pain and conflict.....'.  He then blessed them, asking God to give them '.... courage, wisdom, strength and love to do His will ....'.


The Archdeacon then installed Jeremy before presenting him to the congregation with the words 'I present to you Jeremy, now duly installed as Priest in Charge of this benefice.....'.  After this Jeremy was greeted by representatives of the church and the wider community - including the Mayor, a Councillor, the local police inspector and the headteacher of Farnborough Road Junior School.

As our new Priest in charge Jeremy gave out notices before we exchanged thepeace and then sang the Offertory hymn "We have a Gospel to proclaim'. 
Following the 'dedication of the Minister and the people' Jeremy led the congregation in prayer,

The Bishop then did 'The Blessing' before the recessional hymn.


The service ended after the dismisal with the bishop leading Jeremy through the church.










 [The collection will be given to Ordinands and their families in training in the diocese with 10% given to support the link between the Diocese of Akure in Nigeria  and this diocese.]