NEW RECTOR FOR HANBURY AND BOWBROOK
6 Feb 2024 • Bowbrook News
NEW RECTOR FOR HANBURY AND BOWBROOK
Sue Jenkins - Hanbury Parish representative and Chair of Hanbury PCC
I am delighted to report that after a relatively short interval since David Morris left us in July, a new rector of Bowbrook has been appointed by the unanimous decision of all the parish representatives.
His name is The Revd Richard Sandland. He is currently working as assistant curate in the Bromsgrove team ministry, where he has been acting vicar of St Godwalds. He has come relatively recently to the faith, and is enthusiastic to carry out his new role.
Prior to his ordination in Worcester, Richard had a successful career as a professional musician. He plays the tuba, and worked for about 15 years as a freelance player in many of the best orchestras in the country. Following that he became Music Operations Manager at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford.
He has always enjoyed teaching, setting up workshops and working with children, and in St Godwalds, started up a group for pre-school children called ‘Totwalds”, which has grown from strength to strength, and is now very popular. No doubt this has been enriched by him playing the concertina, which he says he has been teaching himself! We hope that this interest in teaching will translate well into working with Hanbury School, and the other C of E schools in the benefice.
Richard loves the Birmingham /Worcester canal and has run the length of it twice. He has just become trained as a canal chaplain, and will be ministering to some of
those living on narrow boats in the marina nearby, hoping to reach some of those who have no fixed address, and therefore few of the rights that settled people enjoy.
Richard’s wife Kath works part-time as a baker at Hanbury Hall, so they feel very settled and invested in the area. They will be living in the parsonage at Tibberton.
There will be an official service of Licensing in Hanbury Church at 4pm on Sunday 3rd March during which Richard will be invested in his new post by Bishop Martin of Dudley. It will also be attended by the rural dean, The Revd. Sarah Dangerfield. This is expected to be busy as many of us throughout Bowbrook look forward very much to welcoming Richard, and no doubt many of his Bromsgrove congregations will be there to wish him well too.
The service will be followed by a reception, the details of which will be arranged over the next few weeks, and published as soon as agreed.
It is lovely to be able to start the New Year with such positive and welcome news.