Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

Support for the Wrexham Rough Sleepers Project and for Inter-faith dialogue were high on the agenda of the St. Asaph Diocesan Conference on Sunday 24 June. Around 300 church members from parts of Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwyneth, Powys and Wrexham came together for their annual meeting in St. Asaph Cathedral.

The Revd Aidan Coleman of TCC (Together Creating Communities) encouraged Conference members to support the Rough Sleepers Project, the focus of this year’s Diocesan Offering. In 2006 the churches collectively gave £8,000 to support the work of the St. Melangell Centre for Counselling near Llangynog, near Powys. Mr Coleman encouraged church members to give as 'an expression of solidarity to help maintain the dignity of the suffering’.

Brigid Bowen presented the conference with a report of new ventures in Inter-faith dialogue across Wales, including in Wrexham. This is ‘not asking to dilute or compromise your faith, but to instead enrich it by being able to define it to others,’ she said.

The keynote speaker was the Revd Canon Trevor Dennis, Vice Dean of Chester Cathedral. Canon Dennis drew inspiration from the familiar parable of the prodigal son, saying ‘Our God is no longer one who accepts one and rejects another. The Father in the parable of the two sons is incapable of rejection. Our gospel must not be drab. There’s a party in this parable!’

In introducing the conference, the Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Revd John S Davies, spoke of his recent visits to different parts of the Diocese. He said that, “the issues people raise are affordable housing, school closures and environmental warming.’ The church needs to look out beyond itself, he said.

Photos available for download at www.flickr.com,/photos/pjmackriell
Free to use for media; copyright retained by the Diocese of St Asaph

Item from: The Church in Wales