My mentor and Soul Friend, Bishop Eric Pike, left us with an incredible legacy of what it truly means to love the people that God sends you to. He epitomized, for me, the ministry of the Celtic Christians of the 6th to the 9th centuries – a period of ecclesiastical history that fascinates me, for their example of devotion and focus on mission to a lost and darkened world.
Eric emulated the ministry of Jesus who spent much of his ministry traversing the land from Caesarea Philippi, north of the Jordan, all the way south, down to Judea and Perea.
The early Celts, men and women like Aidan and Hilda, Cuthbert, Columba, Patrick and many others ministered in like fashion from Ireland, through Scotland and Wales and into Northumbria and centres like Lindisfarne.
As Jesus and Eric and the Celts of old journeyed through these rough and rugged places they were always aware of the people along the way. They would stop and minister, and embrace, and pray for healing along the way.
Eric’s ministry was characterized by similar pilgrimage walks across the length and breadth of this Diocese. The primary goal was to engage directly with the communities within his diocese, listen to their concerns, and offer support. The walks often focused on addressing social issues like poverty, unemployment, and housing. By walking through different areas, Bishop Pike could witness the living conditions and challenges faced by his parishioners firsthand. These walks were also a form of spiritual leadership, demonstrating humility, dedication, and the importance of being present among the people.
Some of his more significant walks spanned several hundred kilometres. For instance, a notable walk might cover 200-300 kilometres over the course of one to two weeks. On average, Bishop Pike might walk 20-30 kilometres a day, factoring in time for meetings, prayers, and rest. Many of us from St John’s joined him on these walks. Often led by our Rector, Claire and the team here. People who followed these walks in the news and social media were made aware of the plight of the suffering and the hardships that ordinary people out there have to endure because of inadequate housing, food supply, medical facilities, social assistance and loving presence.
In the mid 1990’s God spoke prophetically to us here at St John’s by calling us to a ministry of Mission and Presence and led us to a deep and sincere concern for the persecuted Christians of the Middle East and Egypt and Northern Sudan in particular. With the support of the wider parish, we were enabled to begin nurturing friendships with Christian leaders in Wadi, Cairo and all the way south to Aswan. Our outreach teams have travelled annually to Egypt from about 1999 and some of us have spent extended periods in Wadi acting as cleaning staff, lecturers (with translators), worship leaders, administrators and loving presence. We prayed with all who asked for prayer and ministered healing and conversion and offered encouragement in the terrible conditions that Christians are forced to live by. Our Parish Council thought fit to send a small delegation to Egypt in the midst of the Arab Spring to stand in Tahir Square and pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who were profoundly affected by the movement of anger and power being metered out. As we stood alongside pastors and believers, they cried in gratitude to the Father for sending believers all the way from South Africa as encouragers for them.
We were led to Khartoum and Lesotho and even Pakistan (where Cherolyn still exercises a ministry of presence and love in a foreign country by being a school administrator and teacher). To this day we support organizations, schools, Christian Centres and ministry teams in these lands.
Some on our current Mission Team to Egypt, like Nicky and Allan, for example have been team members and supporters of the outreach since the inception of the ministry. Dave Stansbury once referred to Allan as one of the “ancient relics” of South Africa during a visit to the Valley of the Kings. Allan had some choice, and well-deserved status badges, for Dave, as well, as he had the reputation for breaking everything in sight – he managed to break the marble table (not sure how?) at the bishopric in El Qusayr.
As with the ministry of Eric, the ancient Celts, and our teams to various points on ministry and mission – our focus has always been to love and care, to pray and teach, to embrace and lift up, all who the Lord placed before us. The needs of Christians in lands where they are the despised minority are beyond our imaginations.
THAT IS WHY WE HAVE A MISSION’S FETE!
Over the years, the focus of the fete has changed so that all monies raised on the day now are for the missionaries which St John’s support in Egypt, Lesotho and Pakistan. Wonderful, incredible men and women of faith – standing in the gap between the harsh reality of opposition and oppression to bring loving presence, hope and refreshing.
Your support of the Mission Fete directly impacts these missionaries. Thank you for what you do, to help them and the work they do.
Yours in the love of Christ,
Revd Rob Penrith