About me . . .
I am a PhD researcher in the Centre for Biblical Studies at the University of Manchester. I am also a priest ordained under the Society for Independent Christian Ministry (SICM). This is a body created by the Rt. Revd. Jonathan Blake, Bishop of the Open Episcopal Church, to ordain priests who wish to minister without the doctrinal and bureaucratic constraints of mainstream churches. My favourite roles, however, are those I hold in my personal life: I am a husband, son, brother, uncle, godfather and friend to some very, very dear people. It is this love that is at the heart of my faith and inspires my ministry.
The heart of my ministerial work is based in the community, although I am also a passionate provider of services such as baptisms and child-blessings, wedding and same-sex partnership blessings, funerals and memorials and the celebration of the Eucharist or Holy Communion. I am also available for chaplaincy in any institution and for spiritual advice and counselling to all.
Unlike many of the mainstream and established churches, the Society for Independent Ministry welcomes everyone regardless of gender, race, creed, sexuality, ability or otherwise. Jesus's love is, and has always been, unconditional and universal. I believe Jesus would also want Christian priests to provide ministry to those of other faiths or even those of no faith. As such, I will perform versions of ceremonies not only in any Christian format but also in any secular or neutral format whose content and basis is consistent with good ethical standards that are alligned with Christianity.
For my PhD, I am writing an 80,000 word thesis on poststructuralist and semiological approaches to analysis of metaphor in St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans. My MA dissertation was on Philemon and I have also presented papers at several academic conferences.
I strongly believe in the maxim of St. Francis of Assisi to "go and preach the gospel, and when necessary use words". Ministry should be about living and demonstrating Christian values and ethics, not trying to evangelise and recruit people to the Christian faith or lecture people about "right" and "wrong". Some of the greatest living saints have been non-religious as well as religious. Some have been Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Zen, Hindu, Taoist, Amerindian Shamans and Druids, whilst others have been philosophers, activists, politicians, poets, artists and even atheists and agnostics. Those that practice any faith, who also hold fast to the belief that peace, love and respect are the ultimate values, practice the right faith.
Please feel free to contact me about any matter or to enquire about my priestly and spiritual services.
PEACE AND GRACE IN CHRIST
RICHARD
