I am delighted to be able to introduce you to your new vicar – Matt Smith! Most of you will know Matt and Lisa well of course, having spent a year with us at Canford as an ordinand. They are ‘one of our own’, grown up in the Lord in our parish and in Matt I think we have arguably found the Priest with the greatest sense of call and affection for this church and parish in the Church of England. Matt has of course ‘grown up’ in his leadership during his curacy in Corfe Mullen and returns to us ready to lead a church of his own as vicar.
Matt shone during our thorough and prayer-filled selection process and the interview panel (and even the children he had to do an assembly for) loved him! Matt and Lisa are very much a partnership, and I am sure they will both love you, pray with and for you, seek to grow and mature your faith in Christ, in Word and Spirit. They also both share a passion to reach those who don’t yet know Jesus in our community – which is a crucial thing we were looking for. I am confident they will prayerfully and courageously lead you in in fresh and creative Kingdom adventures to see people turn and find Jesus, as they did themselves.
As for you, members of Canford Parish Church, may I urge you to continue to pray for them as they seek to finish well at St Nicholas and prepare to move to Canford after Easter. And in due course I know you will welcome them with open arms and encourage them endlessly in the Lord. Praise God for his call on all of us as his church in this place, and his wonderful plans for the future of the parish as demonstrated in this wonderful provision.
God bless,
Mike Tufnell (Team Rector)
