New Wine founder dies, aged 92
THE Rt Revd David Pytches, who founded New Wine, has died, aged 92. Ordained deacon in 1955, he served curacies at St Ebbe’s, Oxford, and at Holy Trinity, Wallington, in Southwark diocese, before travelling to Chile as a missionary. He was consecrated to be Bishop of Chile, Bolivia and Peru in 1972, before returning, in 1977, to the UK to be Vicar of St Andrew’s, Chorleywood, where he served for almost 20 years. A film marking the 30th anniversary of New Wine — which he established in 1989 — described how he and his wife had experienced “signs and wonders” in Chile, and had “a revelation of how the power of the Spirit could impact their homeland”. The annual New Wine gathering, which continues to take place, has grown into a network of thousands of churches of many denominations across 14 countries. Soul Survivor was planted from St Andrew’s, Chorleywood, in 1993. He was awarded the Alphege Award for Evangelism and Witness in 2021. The Archbishop of Canterbury said on Wednesday: “Many people, including myself, Caroline, and the family, had transformative encounters with Jesus through New Wine. He truly was a gift to the Church. Even as we grieve his passing, we praise God for his life.”
Obituary to follow
KC publishes Soul Survivor terms of reference
THE KC appointed by Soul Survivor to carry out an independent review of safeguarding allegations against the Revd Mike Pilavachi — already found to be substantiated by the National Safeguarding Team (News, 8 September) — has published her terms of reference. Fiona Scolding KC said in a written message that she would “consider the allegations which were made to that investigation and the extent to which they identify lessons which can be learnt about past, current and future culture, practice, governance, oversight and safeguarding arrangements”. Her report would be published in full, and those who contributed as complainants or as information-providers would be anonymised, “unless they do not wish to be so”. She can be contacted at: soulsurvivor@landmarkchambers.co.uk
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Missing chalice and paten back in service
WRITTLE UNIVERSITY COLLEGEWRITTLE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
A “LOST” silver chalice and a paten dating back to the 1930s have been found by staff at Writtle University College, near Chelmsford. The archivist, Sandra Nicholson, library assistant, Jo Baker, and data-protection officer, Mike Coe, found the objects when cataloguing boxes in the college’s basement. A press release from the college, which, in the 1930s, was the East Anglian Institute of Agriculture, said that the chalice featured “a distinctive Bakelite rim, which, as the world’s first synthetic polymer, would have been seen as a modern innovation during the pre-war period”. The chalice and paten were used again for the first time at the ordination to the priesthood of the current chaplain, the Revd John Bloomer (above, right), in September.
Condolences after car crash in north Wales
THE Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd Andrew John, expressed his condolences in a statement after four teenagers died in north Wales this week. “It is heartbreaking that the lives of these four young boys have been so tragically cut short. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of Jevon, Harvey, Wilf and Hugo.” Churches in the area where the boys’ car was found, including St Mary’s, Beddgelert, St Cyngar’s, Borth y Gest, and St Catherine’s, Criccieth, have been open for reflection and prayer.
Irish Primate celebrates RC colleague’s ecumenism
THE “authentic ecumenism” of Bishop Tony Farqhuar, the Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Down & Connor, who died last Friday, has been celebrated by the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd John McDowell. The two bishops had first met in 1974 when Bishop Farqhuar, “young, gregarious, and sports-loving”, was an assistant chaplain at Queen’s University Belfast. “For many from the Protestant tradition, these first encounters with Catholic faith and society formed in us nothing but memories of warmth and hospitality,” Archbishop McDowell said. They had met again almost 50 years later at meetings of the Irish Council of Churches. “In many ways, Tony was a pioneer of the now fashionable ‘receptive ecumenism’ avant la lettre. For Tony, authentic ecumenism was the sharing of memory and experience, drawing on an underlying unspoken and indefinable communion which exists for those resting on the gift by the baptismal covenant. Ecumenical encounter was rather like showing a friend family photographs in the faith that they will share the feelings of warmth and affection of other families as well as their own.”
MICHAEL COLERANMarathon man: the Vicar of St Thomas’s, Garstang, in Blackburn diocese, the Revd Michael Hutchinson, is cheered on as he runs a marathon last month to raise money for a new church heating system. The church’s appeal has raised nearly £39,000