Post date: 21-Nov-2009 16:42:11
The importance of Higher Education chaplaincy to the church's interests and mission - and the consequent urgency of maintaining or increasing support to one full-time chaplain for every Higher Education Institution - has been recognised and firmly underlined in the Board of Education's report "Aiming Higher" (gs1567) and General Synod's motion of February 2005. I do not know the particular financial pressures bearing upon the Diocese of Winchester, but this would seem to be a gravely retrograde step.
This is very sad news at a time when my own Diocese has this year created a new full-time chaplaincy post funded in partnership with the rapidly growing University of Worcester.
Over the past few years I have met a number of Christian students from the University of Southampton through the Student Christian Movement and elsewhere, and it has been clear to me that the local chaplaincy to students has been flourishing, perhaps even above and beyond the experience of many other universities.
I wish Simon Stevens, and all at the chaplaincy, well in what must be very trying times.