Institution and Induction of Revd Simon Winn
The Institution and Induction of The Revd Simon Winn by The Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark and The Venerable Alastair Cutting, Archdeacon of Lewisham & Greenwich at St Alfege Church, Greenwich took place on 23 March 2021. The Order of Service is available here. A recording of the service is available here. You can read the full sermon given by Archdeacon Alastair.
Message from Revd Simon Winn on his appointment November 2020
Message from Revd Caroline Risdon - 19 March 2021.
We stand on the brink of a new chapter in the life of St Alfege Church, as we prepare to welcome Revd Simon Winn and his wife Lizzi to Greenwich. But it is a new chapter, which is built upon, and continues on from, the history of the church. History is important. It gives us an anchor and a root in the past; as well as a perspective or understanding about our present.
Today, 19 March, is the 80th anniversary of the incendiary bomb hitting the roof of the church, causing it to catch fire. The damage was extensive and the restoration began in 1946. The new and the old were brought together very sensitively and the church was rededicated in 1953. The ten bells were recast in 1954.
So, much of what we have received as 'our' church is in fact a restored and refashioned version of Hawksmoor's original. And in a way we, as the living stones of the St Alfege Church family, are this blend of the old and the new. There is both a continuity with the past and a stepping into a new future. That is perhaps the best definition of restoration.
I am excited about what the future holds for St Alfege Church, knowing you as I do, and knowing Simon as I do. It has been a great privilege for me to journey alongside you as we have moved from the end of Chris Moody's ministry to the beginning of Simon's ministry. I know that Simon and Lizzi will find among you a generous and supportive community; a people of hope and faith and love.
God Bless you, Caroline
Wendy Foreman, 22/03/2021