Bishop of Dover meets public at Sainsburys in Sittingbourne
The new Bishop of Dover, The Right Reverend Trevor Willmott recently visited Sainsburys in Sittingbourne with the purpose of meeting the public to find out more about the area.
Hosted in the café, around 40 people joined the Bishop and spoke to him about a range of issues ranging from the role of religion in society to future plans for local churches and church schools. Bishop Trevor shared his story of faith with one lady, who is due to be confirmed later this year, telling her how he was handed the 'gift of faith' by a friend when he was just a teenager. He also chatted with church volunteers, thanking them for their work in local churches. A number of shoppers who were surprised to find the purple-cassocked Bishop in Sainsburys also spoke to Bishop Trevor about life in Sittingbourne.
Asked how the event went Bishop Trevor said: "It was wonderful to meet local people and hear what life is like in this community. I heard many encouraging stories of ways local churches are engaging with the community and I look forward to supporting this work and the people of Sittingbourne in forthcoming months."
Earlier in the day, the Bishop visited the Isle of Sheppey Academy, where Bishop Trevor enjoyed lunch cooked by the students from the 'Abbey Master Chefs', as well as watching a drama, music and dance show and officially opening the Abbey School Family Unit by unveiling a specially commissioned piece of sculpture.
In his address to the school, the bishop reflected on the words of the song 'Lean on Me' sung by pupils during the show. He said: "'Lean on Me' is a good theme for the school as it is for anyone. I look forward to joining with you as we all learn to lean on each other. For as you lean on each other, we all become stronger."
During the morning Bishop Trevor also visited some of the Isle of Sheppey prisons as well as meeting local clergy from the Sittingbourne deanery.
The new Bishop of Dover, who has delegated responsibility from the Archbishop of Canterbury for the oversight of the Diocese of Canterbury, will visit all 16 deaneries (which stretch from Maidstone to the East Coast) in the diocese over the next two months.
Ends
Photos available of Bishop Trevor at the Isle of Sheppey Academy and Bishop Trevor with some of the people he met at Sittingbourne Sainsburys.
Further information from:
Emily Shepherd, Director of Communications, Canterbury Diocese, 07876 210 446