PARWICH.ORG

Christopher Harrison’s final Service is almost upon us and he and his family will be gone by mid February…. He has led a very busy life over the past 12 or so years, for life in rural parishes is no sinecure these days.  Five parishes with five PCC meetings and all their differing issues were soon increased by the post of Rural Dean.  This has meant overseeing the needs and problems of a wider area from Brailsford to Hulland to Clifton etc, and not forgetting the Ashbourne churches which were without a Vicar for some time.  Indeed he was eventually asked, “to have a responsibility” for these churches and their particular problems before the arrival of the Rev. Geraldine Pond.

His concern for young people led to his setting up and overseeing a weekly Junior Church/After School Club, both here and in Fenny Bentley, with a number of Holiday Clubs in the summer holidays.  He has been responsible for young peoples’ trips to Dovedale House in Ilam, to events at Alton Towers and to Edale during which many youngsters were given the chance to explore their faith.  Three years ago he shared in an initiative with Rev. Chris Eddy from the Ashbourne Methodist Church to set up the ACE Trust, thereby enabling a Youth Worker to be brought into the area. 

In St. Peter’s church it has been his guiding hand which has seen through the refurbishment of the Lady Chapel in the S.E. corner, the idea of the Millenium window  and the offer of a warm, welcoming hand to the Methodists in the village when their chapel closed last May.  More recently, he has overseen all the paperwork necessary for new stained glass windows in the Chapel together with the provision and dedication of the Graham window last July.

Over these years, services at both St. Peter’s and throughout the Benefice have been faithfully organised and countless meetings have been chaired, whether they have been of a local or more Diocesan nature.   We must not forget that Christopher has been involved in the ongoing partnership with North India, resulting in visits to the Patna Diocese and beyond and consequently all the arrangements necessary for reciprocal visits. 

When the editorship of the Benefice magzine became vacant last year, it was Christopher who took it on!  He has remained clam and unruffled throughout his ministry amongst us.  We are naturally very grateful and would wish him God’s blessing, trusting that such a ministry will have assisted in preparing him for all the demands of his new appointment in Nottingham, which will start on Sunday February 22nd.

Thank you to Andrew R for this beautifully written article.