In a full church with congregations representing both parishes, along with the Mayor of Amble, local and diocesan clergy including the Archdeacon of Lindisfarne, local councillors and friends from her previous parish, Rachael was welcomed and licensed as priest in charge of Amble and Chevington bythe Rt Revd Helen-Ann Hartley, bishop of Newcastle. In her sermon the bishop encouraged us to work at ‘growing the church younger’ and to positively welcome diversity, get to know Jesus and foster real and transforming relationships. We are not be shy about sharing our stories. At the same time we should not be afraid of uncertainty, rather we should trust our future to God. And we must not sit back and expect Rachael to provide all the answers. We must all work together and support one another. The hymns were chosen by Rachael and a ‘pop up choir’ sang a short anthem. Afterwards a reception was held in the church hall where people got the chance to meet Rachael.
We are delighted to be able to announce that the Bishop of Newcastle has appointed Rev Rachael Dines to be priest in charge of our church, St Cuthbert's and our sister parish St John the Divine, Chevington.Rachael writes,“Having completed my theological training at Cranmer Hall, Durham, in 2016, I knew it was only a matter of time before God called me back to the wonderful North East. I am delighted to have been appointed as Priest in Charge of the Benefices of Amble and Chevington. I experienced the most joyful interview day ever, and I pray that this sense of joyfulness continues with my move from Norwich diocese to Newcastle diocese. Your prayers for the move and for those in my current parishes are appreciated.I am excited to see what our faithful and loving God has for us all at the start of this new journey together.”We look forward to welcoming Rachael to our parish in early July
