| People, groups and events |
Father Gunter Helft's Diamond Jubilee 20 September 2009
was a special day for us as we gathered to celebrate Father Gunter's Diamond
Jubilee and give thanks for his 60 years service as a Priest of the Church
of England.Here's a few highlights from his long career.
And here's a few thoughts Father Gunter had about people who had influenced his life and career... Bishop Peter Selby once spoke of the 'but for whoms'. Here are just some but for whom I would not be as I am. Archbishop William Temple, who emphasised that the Church is the only organisation that exists for those who are not its members. Archbishop Michael Ramsey, who taught me at Ely before he was a bishop and later took a great interest in Archbishop Temple's School. Donald Woodman, teacher and friend who introduced me to Christianity. Rev Charles Crowson, parish priest who brought me to baptism and confirmation. Canon Douglas Rhymes, mentor and friend. Bishop John Robinson. Paul Tillich, Reinhold Niebuhr, and others whose writings were important. Dr Donald Soper, Methodist, Pacifist, Christian Socialist and friend, Aneuran Bevan. And many who influenced me by the lives they lived and the contributions they made to the society in which they lived. My parents! who hated my vocation and ministry but taught me much about values and never ceased to support me with their love. My sons Diane - need I say more? Want to know a secret? My favourite television programme is Eastenders! The MassAn IntroductionThe other day I bumped into a man I had not seen for some time. He said 'Good Lord, are you still here'. I know what he meant and I rather share his surprise, especially after this last year.But I am still here and am grateful to you for sharing this celebration of 60 years of priesthood with me. Thank you for being here and thank you, some of you very specially, for the countless kindnesses I have been shown in this past year - to say nothing of all those previous years when I was privileged to offer a retirement ministry here. That is why I could not celebrate the occasion anywhere but at OSM and I am grateful to Father Ian for facilitating this service and all his help in the preparation for it. Unfortunately on a Sunday some of my clergy friends could not get here, and there are special greetings from Robert Jones and Paul Collins. Some of you have come a long way today, even crossing the sea from the Isle of Wight, Jan and Peter. Some of you have not been to a church for a while. I promise you, you will come to no harm here. The Church is in the world and for the world. Sixty years is a long time and I can think of no other six decades in which it can have been more interesting or more exciting to have been part of the ministry of the Church of England: the immediate post war years of austerity and reconstruction; the birth of the welfare state; then the wonderfully exciting re-awakening, re-thinking, of the sixties, a great Renaissance; the strange seventies; the frightful eighties with their denial of society and encouragement of selfishness and greed; the sleaze of the nineties followed by new hopes, new beginnings; and finally the new millennium with its hopes, its frustrations, its missed opportunities and disappointments; and throughout the six decades there have been great medical advances, an incredible technological revolution and the wonders of the world wide web. The Church has not always been sufficiently attuned to the needs, opportunities and aspirations of the world but it has never ceased to offer some witness, comfort, consolation, encouragement, instruction and of course the sacraments. I wish the church had more often spoken out with greater courage and prophesy. So those decades represent my time of priesthood. I give thanks for it today. Thank you all for your share in my life in your different ways. Thank you so much Bishop Peter for suggesting you would come back to lead us in this Service of thanksgiving, this Eucharist. And on the day after our 56th wedding anniversary, thank you Diane.  |