At an inauguration Service on Sunday 13 March, St Mary Magdalene’s Church in Taunton became a Minster. It will continue as a parish church as it has for more than seven hundred years, but will also be a civic centre for the town. Speaking at the service Bishop Ruth said, ”This is not just a gathering, not just a celebrating of this day, that somehow this church is now a Minster, but those words becoming action. How do we make this a hub where we gather to resource and care and listen to God, and one another, and then respond with a richness of generosity and welcome?”
The service was the first step towards that as it welcomed people from all walks of Taunton life; The Mayor of Taunton, Councillor Sue Lees the Chair of Somerset West and Taunton, Councillor Hazel Prior Sankey, who said, ” This status confirms what it has been doing for a very long time. It’s good for the Christian community, and the broader community, not just those who recognise it as a church, it is a centre for the well being of Taunton.” A view echoed by Councillor Frederica Smith Robers, Leader of Somerset West and Taunton, “It is a really positive thing for the town, it’s about bringing the community together, having a hub in the centre and spreading the work that the church does in the wider community.”They were joined by the MP For Taunton Dean, Rebecca Pow who did one of the readings during the service.
Revd Tobie Osmond, Vicar of St Mary Magdalene said, “Taunton Minster has the ‘strapline “Knowing Christ better and Making Christ better known.” The bestowal of the title Minster here in Taunton not only acknowledges the significance of this town in the Diocese of Bath and Wells but is also a call for the church to engage with renewed confidence and energy in the life of the community.”
As a Minster support the ministry of the Anglican Diocese of Bath and Wells in the area, in a manner similar to that of Bath Abbey in the north. The Minster has been supported in its new role by Wells Cathedral and Bath Abbey, both the Dean of the Cathedral, the Very Revd John Davies, who read Luke 2: 22-40 at the service, and Revd Canon Guy Bridgewater, Rector of Bath Abbey, attended the service.
The designation of St Mary Magdalene as a Minster, was first proposed by local councillors six years ago, so today was a very special occasion, but as Tobie says it is the first step, what needs to happen now is more action. “Bishop Ruth’s charge was that the Minster needs to do something, to be more than just a name, and we are doing that almost immediately by having Luke Jeram’s Museum of the Moon, actually in the building, that’s a joint project between us and Somerset West and Taunton Council. It’s a fantastic opportunity for the Minster to serve the town and the county.”
A Taunton Minster Council is being established representing arts organisations, local business, the charity and voluntary sector, police, educational establishments, local authorities, the Youth Parliament, health, recreation, and sport, as well as Taunton’s wider religious communities.
If you would like to watch the service you can see it again on the Taunton Minster Facebook page all the photos from the day can be seen on the diocesan Facebook page. Find out how Twitter reacted by reviewing our Twitter moment.