Message from the Dean
Dear friends,
I am writing to let you know that I have advised Bishop Peter and Chapter that I have decided to lay down my calling to be the Dean of Christchurch and to resign from this ministry. My wife, Elizabeth, and I have made this decision together after a great deal of prayer and discernment.
This is not a decision Elizabeth and I have taken lightly. The primary driver, to quote Jacinda Adern, is that I no longer have the gas in the tank to do this job justice over the next five years until we return to the Cathedral in the Square.
The period post 2010 has been like running a long marathon, and it is time now for Elizabeth and me to pause and take stock. I need to look after my health and give more time to my family. I am also in the position where I need a higher income stream to enable Elizabeth and me to buy a retirement home, which means I will be looking for secular employment opportunities.
I want to honour Elizabeth who has worked tirelessly beside me and has been my biggest supporter. Her contribution to the parishes I have served, and the Cathedral, has been significant. I want to acknowledge that I could not have fulfilled my role without her support.
I commit myself also to praying for Bishop Peter and the Cathedral Chapter as they discern the way ahead for the Cathedral and go about the process of appointing a new Dean. And I ask for your prayers for Elizabeth and me during this time of transition.
I remain utterly supportive of our Cathedral, and will continue praying for God’s blessing on the Cathedral Reinstatement Project.
Thank you.
Dean Lawrence
The Fifth Sunday in Lent, 2023. |
