This week we say farewell to David Maggs who has been with the diocese of Bath and Wells for 13 years. He joined the diocese as Social Justice and Environment Adviser and in 2016 he became Team Leader for Mission, to work on many aspects of the Anglican Five Marks of Mission, and to work with fellow Team Leaders on projects to enable and further the ministry in the world of all God’s people, both lay and ordained.
David leaves the diocese to take up a new post with the Clewer Initiative.
Bishop Ruth paid tribute to David and all the work he has undertaken in the years he has been with the diocese, she said, “David has been a tireless and passionate advocate for those who are on the margins of society. He has brought to the attention of the Church much that can often get overlooked and has challenged us to work for change to unjust structures, to ensure we address the needs of the poorest amongst us, and to live out the love of God for the world. We shall miss his wisdom and insightfulness hugely but know he will bring great enthusiasm and expertise to his new national role working to combat modern slavery.”
Charlie Peer Head of Mission Support and Ministry Development said, “David will be much missed in the diocese. His commitment to his work is always evident, driven by his passion for social justice and inclusion, and a deep faith in Christ. The depth of his insight and knowledge in his areas of expertise are legendary. We all wish him well for the next chapter - he goes with our prayers and best wishes and he will always be welcome throughout this diocese.”
Here David reflects on his time at the diocese.
“My work with Magnificat parishes is one of the things I feel most proud of, it wasn’t just me, but it was me working with a key group of clergy all concerned for those parishes. When we spoke in 2019 it was a revelation to some people that there were parishes with such disadvantage and such a lack of resources, so to get to a position where there is a clergy person for each of these parishes has been great. But it’s not all there, it’s not finished by any means, the next stage is to involve the lay people more, so their voices can be heard.
“Also, the founding of Citizens Somerset, to have got that sorted from almost nothing, in an area of Somerset , shows what can be done. We are the smallest Citizens UK chapter in the country and have already achieved a great deal. Only the other day, Citizens members were talking with Somerset West and Taunton Council about ensuring everyone gets the living wage.
“Some of the modern slavery work we’ve done in the diocese in recent years has been good. We’ve trialled some things on behalf of the national church and some of those things have really worked and have been taken up more widely. And it’s really interesting the welcome we’ve received from some of the organisations in the statutory sector.
“The other area I’m proud of is the work we’ve done on the environment, it’s been a long haul, but it feels like we are over the hump now, we have our Diocesan Environment Policy and rolling plan, we’ve declared a climate and ecological emergency and we have a growing list of eco churches. It’s in the conversation within the church now, after a long time where the church was lagging behind.
“Leaving I have a lot of deep feelings,and there is still a lot of work to do for lay people and clergy, but I hope that the connections we’ve made in the outside world will continue. Internally I really hope there will be the space and energy to really move the forward the inclusion and diversity agenda. At the moment we are focused on Living in Love and Faith and tackling issues of racial justice, but also important are the inclusion of people with disabilities and the active participation in all of aspects the church by everyone, regardless of social and educational backgrounds.”
David isn’t going too far and will be staying connected with the diocese through the modern slavery work he will be undertaking. We wish him well.