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Dear friends, as always the Diocese of Blackburn has excelled itself and Heather and I have been overwhelmed by the kind words and messages and gifts we have received in recent days.
In the nearly nine years we have been in Lancashire, we have been embraced and supported by love, faith and prayer throughout.
And as we leave and step down after 43 years of formal stipendiary ministry in the Church of England, there is a sadness in our hearts, that what has been a massive joy is coming to an end, but we also have a peace that this is God’s time.
We will continue as disciples of Jesus, will attend Christian worship, to begin with to be ministered to rather than to minister, and try to play our part in encouraging those without faith to come to faith.
Catch up on anything you've missed ...
- Full story of the retirement of Bishop Julian and Heather is here.
- More than 100 pictures from before/during/after service here on Flickr.
- A recording of the livestream (alongside the order of service) available here.
- A ‘thank you video’ for Bishop Julian and Heather.
- Social media content is here.
- A selection of media coverage available here.
Ronnie Semley, July 2022