The Church of England in the region invites everyone to join a conversation about their future.
The Diocese of Bristol, which incorporates Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Wiltshire and Swindon, is inviting everyone in the region to be part of an open conversation about their future direction.
Transforming Church. Together is part of a year-long process to engage with and understand the perspectives of people inside the church, those who relate to it and those who may never have given it a thought. Their aim is to help understand what the diocese does well, what can be changed for the better and how to create a positive way forward, for everyone.
The Diocese of Bristol will be engaging with people in a variety of ways – such as through virtual meetings and workshops, online questionnaires, social media and through churches. They will be talking with and listening to those both within and outside the church.
The engagement will last until April 2021, following which the responses will be used to help work out a new vision and set of priorities for the diocese. A final plan for the years ahead is expected to be completed in the Autumn.
The Bishop of Bristol, the Rt Rev’d Vivienne Faull, said:
“In these challenging times, it is clear that we must make time to reach towards the future that God in Christ desires for us all.
"Today, we begin our journey to seek together what Christ is calling us to be and to do in the coming years. Good conversations need great listening, and I am committed to listening to voices that I don’t often hear and opinions that challenge me and the status quo.
“As Bishop of Bristol, I am called to be the Bishop for everyone. As Anglicans, as the Church of England, we are called to be a church for everyone. This remains at the core of all that we do and means we must be relentlessly inclusive in our approach, reaching out to everyone in our Diocese.
“The process of shaping our vision and priorities for the coming years will allow us to celebrate the best of what is, imagine what could be and together create what should be, in all its surrounding complexity.”
To find out more, visit the Transforming Church section of our website.
About the Diocese of Bristol:
- The Diocese of Bristol is the Church of England across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Wiltshire and Swindon.
- There are more than 200 churches, led by hundreds of clergy serving within seven deaneries, and 72 church schools.
- Two bishops lead and oversee the Church in the Diocese of Bristol. Rt Rev'd Vivienne Faull is the 56th Bishop of Bristol. She was consecrated Bishop in 2018. Rt Rev'd Dr Lee Rayfield, the Bishop of Swindon, supports the role of the Diocesan Bishop. He works across the Diocese alongside his community leadership role in Swindon.