Refreshed, renewed and restored

23/09/08

A hundred clergy from the Willesden Area return to London following their recent conference in Merville near Lille in France.

The tri-annual gathering entitled Refresh was an opportunity for the clergy to worship, pray, study and socialise together over four days. The internationally renowned speakers included Jean Vanier (founder of the worldwide L’Arche movement), Simon Ponsonby (Oxford Pastorate Chaplain), Nick Page (Author & Speaker), Debbie Ford (Hospital Chaplain & Therapist), David Winter (Journalist and former head of religious broadcasting at the BBC) and Mark Santer (former Bishop of Birmingham).

At the final Eucharist over £1,000 was collected for ALMA (The Angola, London and Mozambique Association) as the clergy gave very generously in thanksgiving for a successful conference and to support the work of ALMA. You can find out more about ALMA at www.almalink.org.

"This was an ace conference - clergy from all the different streams met God, worshipped and laughed together and went away truly refreshed", said the Rt Revd Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden.