NOMINATING COMMITTEE – SPECIAL REPORT TO THE CONGREGATION
A Nominating Committee comprising eleven members was elected by the congregation in March this year. Their task was to conduct a search for the next minister of Christ Church. As announced during Sunday’s service on 25 May, the Nominating Committee are thrilled to recommend unanimously and enthusiastically to the congregation a sole nominee to preach for the Call: The Very Reverend Dr. Martin Fair.
Martin will preach and conduct the Sacrament of Holy Communion in Christ Church at 10 a.m. on June 8, Pentecost Sunday. We encourage members to be in attendance that Sunday to meet Martin and to hear him preach. Following the Service there will be a vote to sustain the call to invite Martin to be our next minister. All Christ Church members and adherents present, who are on the electoral roll, will be eligible and are encouraged to vote. Additionally, there will be a congregational lunch following the service where Martin and his wife Elaine will be in attendance.
The Very Reverend Dr. Martin Fair is a former Moderator of the General Assembly (2020-2021), a minister for 31 years in St Andrew’s Parish Church: Arbroath, Chairperson of the National Executive (Great Britain and Republic of Ireland) of the Boys Brigade and Girls Association, and has many other positions and accomplishments. Martin has held numerous other leadership roles in the denomination at a local and national level. Long time members may remember Martin from when he spent two years very successfully serving as Youth Minister of Christ Church (1989-1991) while he completed his training. He and his wife Elaine have returned as visitors to the island several times since then, including last summer when he preached during Alistair’s summer vacation.
Both Martin and the Nominating Committee would emphasise that he is not being recommended to the congregation because of his past service or connections to Christ Church. Instead, Martin made clear to the Nominating Committee that he is keen to see how Christ Church can participate in what God is and will be doing in Bermuda and how he can lead and enable other leaders within the congregation. He has a staggeringly effective track record in leading a congregation to grow in discipleship, attendance, stewardship and effectiveness. His outward focus aligns with Christ Church’s outreach work locally through Loads of Love, the food programme, Messy Church, Malawi Outreach, and other activities. He told the Nominating Committee that all outreach must be rooted in a vibrant faith expressed lovingly in numerous ways, and importantly through communal worship.
There is much to share with you all in the coming weeks, but for now the Nominating Committee wishes to give thanks to the Holy Spirit who has clearly guided our congregation and Martin to this point and for the wise leadership of the Very Reverend Dr. John Chalmers who has facilitated this process.
Martin and Elaine will be present on Saturday June 7 in the Church Hall between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. where there will an opportunity to meet them informally. Then, on Sunday 8 June at 10 a.m. Martin will preach and celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion. The service will be followed immediately by a congregational meeting where members and adherents who are present will be asked to vote on whether they support his Call to Christ Church.
Thereafter, at a Fellowship Lunch in the Thorburn Hall there will be a further opportunity to meet with Martin and Elaine. We want to encourage everyone with a connection to Christ Church to mark this day in their diaries and make every effort to be with us to support Martin, Elaine and Christ Church on this important occasion.
With much enthusiasm,
Angela Barry
Jill Davidson
Douglas Frith
Jamel Hassell
David Jennings
Guy Kelly
Martha Kirkland
Liz Parker
Bob Richards
Kathy Suter
David Thompson