CMS trustees have begun consulting on the qualities sought in a new community leader and called members and friends of CMS to pray every Friday for the appointment.
Martyn Snow, the vice-chair of CMS trustees, is heading up the search group for the successor to Tim Dakin, who is to become Bishop of Winchester.
This week Martyn emailed community members to ask for their views on the kind of person CMS should look for.
He also called for Friday at noon to be the time for people to stop and pray specifically for the search process and the person God is calling.
Interviews were likely to be held in mid-January, said Martyn. "It would be wonderful to know the whole community is praying at the same time."
Martyn, who is archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham and a former CMS mission partner, has offered a prayer for use, which you can read at the end of this article.
The trustees have invited responses from members, mission partners and other 'stakeholders' in CMS to the following questions:
- What do we most want the leader to achieve?
- What are the most important characteristics of the person we should seek?
If you would like to contribute to the consultation, please email
community [dot] consultation [at] cms-uk [dot] org - and remember to say who you are, and your relationship to CMS. Responses are needed by the end of October.
"For such a large, dispersed community, the process of consultation is not straightforward," says Martyn, "and we will not be able to respond to emails. The answers will simply be collated and go to the appointments group to inform their decisions."
A prayer for the appointment of a new leader for CMS
God of grace,
we thank you for CMS
and for all your faithful servants
whom you have called as leaders of this community.
Send your Holy Spirit
to guide and direct all who have responsibility
for the choice of a new leader.
Grant them discernment, vision and unity
and keep us all faithful in prayer;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen