News
CURRENT NEWS ITEMS
LAY WORSHIP LEADERS COMMISSIONED (Posted 30th November 2025)
In a service at Rattery Church on 30th November five Lay Worship Leaders were commissioned. These are people who lead in the lay-led services in their own churches in our Mission Community. From St Luke’s, Buckfastleigh Janet McLellan and Lisa Edwards (far left and second left in the photo), Cheryl Loverock from St Paul de Leon, Staverton, Kate Field from St Matthew, Landscove, and John Dean from St Mary, Rattery. Also Alasdair James from St Luke’s and Val Hoare from St John the Baptist, Littlehempston were not available on the day, and so will be commissioned at a later date.
This is an exciting development for us, as we seek to grow lay leadership within the Mission Community. It was also an opportunity to celebrate and affirm all those who contribute to the life of our churches in so many different ways.
We welcome them and support them in prayer.
OUR NEW TEAM VICAR (Posted 15th May 2025)
Our new team vicar, the Rev Alex Holmes, was licensed in a very happy service in St Luke’s, Buckfastleigh, on May 6th. Alex will serve alongside our Team Rector, Gina Radford, with a special focus initially on ministry in Buckfastleigh and Dean Prior.
Alex will live in Buckfastleigh and will serve in the Dart & Avon Team on a half-time basis. In the other half of her time, Alex plans to continue her work towards a PhD in theology at the University of Exeter. The focus of her research is the fourth mark of mission as received in the churches of the Anglican Communion: transforming unjust structures of society, challenging violence of every kind, and pursuing peace and reconciliation.
THE DEBATE ON SEXUALITY (Latest update 26th October 2025)
The Church of England bishops issued proposals for allowing prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and blessing for same-sex couples in partnerships and marriages, to take place within normal church services, but not allowing churches to hold stand-alone blessing services or to conduct same-sex marriages. These proposals were approved by General Synod in February 2023. However, the debate on other provision for same-sex couples has now come to a halt, at least for the immediate future, but in the Dart and Avon Mission Community we are now actively looking at how we can make use of the provision of Prayers of Love and Faith, and we hope to make an announcement very soon.
In the meantime as churches we are committed to welcoming all.
There are two relevant in-house Bible study series on the St Luke’s website
ARCHIVED NEWS ITEMS
Gina Radford instituted as Team Rector (Posted 5th November 2023)
Gina Radford was instituted as Team Rector in a warm and inspiring service at St Luke’s Church, Buckfastleigh, on 5th November. She is already of course well-known to us in her role as team vicar, and is thoroughly immersed in the work of all our churches. She has in effect been acting team rector for the last two years, but has now officially stepped into that role. She will continue living in South Brent, and will still serve on a half-time basis.
The Dart and Avon Mission Community
This started officially on November 1st 2018, during the incumbency of the Rev Tom Benson, and was inaugurated at a service of Holy Communion on Sunday November 18th 2018 in St Petroc’s Church, South Brent.
The service was followed by a bring-and-share lunch, with people from the different churches mingling together.
