To all Parishioners of the Parish of Gisborne …..

It is with excitement and anticipation that I look forward to taking on the role and responsibility of becoming your Parish Priest. I thank your wardens/nominators, Bp Philip Huggins and the Archbishop Philip Freier for their invitation and confidence in me to take on the priestly and spiritual leadership of your Parish community. It will certainly be a significant change for myself in many ways but especially in returning to Melbourne where I lived until the end of my high school years. Leaving my family and friends will not be easy but I do believe that God has called me to this new role and I certainly look forward to the challenge and change that lies ahead.

Having grown up in Melbourne and also spent three years training for ordained ministry at the United Faculty/Trinity College in Melbourne, I have always had a strong connection with the city and returned to visit frequently. The other principal spiritual connection I have with Victoria is the Anglican Benedictine Community of St Mark at Camperdown. I am an oblate of this community and as such have spent at least a week once a year on retreat as I strive as an oblate to support that community and live my life in the spirit of the Rule of Benedict. From this you will understand that for me a discipline and balance of prayer, worship, scripture and physical exercise/work are essential to my life and ministry.

A couple of my principle interests in ministry over many years has been in theological education and formation for all of God’s people. I have led and fostered a number of different models and programmes including Education for Ministry, The Catechumenate [Journey of Faith] and Godly Play. While no programme is suitable for everyone, I nonetheless look forward to exploring with you all, new ways and opportunities for nurturing and growing our faith together as well as sharing our faith with new people and the wider community. This is indeed a challenge in our contemporary context and is something I believe we must share in together, thus my commitment to the nurture and development of lay ministry.

I have just received a welcome email from the Area Dean of Essendon, The Rev’d Alan Colyer. Immediately I am reminded of my connection with Essendon where my grandparents resided and thus of course came from a family who supported the ‘Bombers’, with this allegiance only reinforced over these past years working with a passionate West Coast Eagles office secretary. My other interests include film, food and French, sometimes all three at once, not to mention the occasional sojourn to France whenever possible.

I look forward to this new phase in ministry together and at this time seek your prayers for my people here at Christ Church Claremont as they say farewell to me and begin the sometimes long and difficult task of discerning new priestly leadership.

God bless and see you soon, Fr Greg Davies

Should you wish to check out the web site of Christ Church Claremont, Perth WA go to

http://www.claremont.perth.anglican.org