A NEW team vicar has been appointed in St. Michael and All Angels’ Church and he was welcomed into the local clergy team with a special licensing ceremony on Monday 25th July.
Reverend Francis Maloney has moved to Melksham from Redditch in the West Midlands, after spending four years being mentored in the team vicar role.
He said, “I will be working alongside Charlie (Thomson, the rector) and other leaders in the church in all areas in mission and ministry. I will be leading the services at the church and be involved with everything in one way or another.
“My impression is that Melksham is a really hope filled place. I think people are very excited and hopeful about what this town could be. I am struck by how much new build there is and the way this is a growing town which makes it feel quite dynamic and exciting.
“The licensing ceremony was a really lovely evening and a great start to this chapter in my ministry and we were welcomed really well.”
Looking forward to sharing faith and engaging with the Melksham community, Francis added, “Our priorities are around sharing our faith with the town and people of Melksham. It’s around reaching children and young people, looking at our worship across the churches, how that could be refreshed. How can we prioritise worship and care for people in need.
“I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone in Melksham. It’s a really exciting time in the life of what’s been going on with the church over the recent period and seeing where that goes. We’ve got a big ambition to see the church grow and see people’s lives change.”
When asked if this was still a challenge, Francis said, “My overall impression is that the church seems very healthy and it’s growing and particularly with children and young families. We are running out of room and having to find new spaces and new ways. The challenges are that after the quick growth is how to manage it, how do you continue to grow, what things need to begin, what things need to stop to continue in a forward-looking direction.”
Pictures by Linda De Santiz
