church

On Saturday 6 September, Norman Bowler - alias ‘Frank Tate’ from Emmerdale - will perform a poetry recital of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner .

Sponsored by local law firm Gilbert Stephens, tickets cost £5 and will be available on the door, with proceeds going towards Ottery St Mary Parish Church Funds.

Gilbert Stephens solicitor Elizabeth Govier says “We have had quite a bit of interest over this event, which we were pleased to publicise in our window. We are proud to be supporting Ottery St Mary Church as part of our ongoing commitment to the...

An overwhelming majority of Exeter's diocesan synod has voted to approve the new legislation to allow women to be become bishops.

There was only a short 30 minute debate, during which members of synod paused for a moment of silent reflection.

Prebendary Sam Philpott said there was no need for speeches but the "real agenda is to begin to imagine life beyond the legislation."

"We need to get on and be the Church, shining clear for the people of Devon," he said, to applause.

Prebendary Rod Thomas expressed concern that the revised legislation had been rushed...

The election of the new Bishop of Exeter was confirmed in a special service at Lambeth Palace on Wednesday night.

The Right Reverend Robert Atwell’s election as the 71st Bishop of Exeter was confirmed in a service led by the Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.

The confirmation of election service bestows the legal title as Bishop of Exeter to Bishop Robert, although he will not start his public ministry until he has met the Queen and taken an oath of allegiance.

He will be installed in a special service in Exeter Cathedral in July, but intends to...

Initiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, bishops across the country have been encouraged this week to pray for and visit community projects which address growing poverty in Britain.

As a response to this the Bishop of Crediton, Rt Revd Nick McKinnel, and Chair of the Methodist District, Revd Pete Pillinger, visited the Exeter hub of the Devon and Cornwall Food Association (DCFA) on 7 April.

The bishop praised the project and said: “This encouraging scheme is obviously making such a difference to so many local people’s lives and...

A new project in Exeter has launched 'recovery buddies' – volunteers who are ready to work alongside those recovering from addiction, and provide them with friendship and support.

The buddies are now ready for referrals from a variety of local agencies.

The initiative, formed with Addaction, Devon Drugs Service, Devon Drug and Alcohol Team, Exeter Drug Partnership and other local recovery agencies, includes partnering churches in the city. It was recently awarded a grant from the Office of the Crime and Police Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall to extend its work.

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The next Bishop of Exeter is the Rt Revd Robert Atwell, currently Bishop of Stockport in the Diocese of Chester. His appointment was announced this morning by the Prime Minister’s office.

Bishop Robert will become the 71st bishop of the Diocese of Exeter which comprises more than 500 parishes across the county of Devon.

Aged 59, he spent ten years as a Benedictine monk at Burford Priory in Oxfordshire, and then served as a parish priest in London before becoming Bishop of Stockport in 2008.

He said: “I’m immensely honoured and a little bit daunted to be chosen as...

The opening of the Exeter City Centre Chaplaincy is drawing closer as training begins for a team of volunteer chaplains.

The volunteers are being trained by Lead Chaplains Rev. Tony Raven and Rev. Preb Norman Wallcock to help provide services to the shops in the City Centre.

The training is expected to be completed by January 2014 when the City Centre Chaplaincy will be officially launched.

At the launch, on Wednesday 22 January in St. Stephen’s Church, supporters of the Chaplaincy and other interested parties will be able to speak to the Lead Chaplains to find out...