Church in vow over parishes overhaul

Church leaders in Harrogate were forced to take the decision earlier this year to embark on a restructuring of the spa town’s parish boundaries after it was deemed that the former St Mary’s Church would have to close because of major structural problems.

The Rev Mark Carey was commissioned to his new role as a ‘“Pioneer Minister” attached to the network of community churches which were formed after the closure.

A special service to commission Mr Carey, and to mark the changes to church parish boundaries which have resulted, took place on Sunday at Christ Church Harrogate with church leaders from across the town, and was led 
by the acting Archdeacon of 
Richmond, the Rev Nicholas Henshall.

Church leaders stressed that while the service marked the transition, the restructuring was not about reducing clergy numbers. Mr Carey will continue to work closely with colleagues from neighbouring parishes who also took part in the service.

Clergy numbers have been further strengthened with the appointment of a Pioneer curate, the Rev Ben Askew, who will work alongside Mr Carey.

Mr Carey said: “The parochial reorganisation has brought about the end of the beginning phase of this missionary initiative. [We]now [embark] on a next phase of development hoping to contribute increasingly to church growth throughout Harrogate and hoping to develop and plant further missional communities.”

A five-year transition process which culminated in May has meant nearly 9,000 parishioners in the former St Mary’s Low Harrogate have become part of the surrounding parishes.