First mission for Lancaster bishop

Rt Rev Dr Jill Duff joined Rt Rev Philip North, the Bishop of Burnley in Newcastle for four days last week for Pathways – the latest Northern Bishops’ Mission event.

They were accompanied by experienced mission team members from parishes across Lancashire, including people from Blackpool, Darwen, Lancaster, Blackburn, Thornton Cleveleys, Heysham, Accrington and Baxenden.

All the team members, including the Bishops, were hosted in the homes of people from local parish churches.

Launched in 2015 by the Archbishop of York, the first Northern Bishops’ Mission was in Sheffield Diocese, followed by our Diocese in 2016, then Durham Diocese last year. In 2018 there have been two missions – one in Carlisle Diocese in March and now ‘Pathways’ in Newcastle.

The Archbishop attends every Mission and is joined by many of the Bishops from northern Dioceses; all of them working with teams from local churches to spread the Gospel.

Each visiting Bishop is accompanied by a team, including people from their own Diocese, to help with the mission work and to collectively support a local Deanery area.