Is it possible to pastor a church with varying styles of ‘churchmanship’ in five very different centres of ministry spread over seven services (six on Sunday and one on Wednesday)?

Arthur Copeman, rector of Kincumber Anglican Parish on the Central Coast of NSW, is not only doing just that, he is seeking to expand the work by ‘planting more and more congregations in the parish’.

Thirty years ago, Arthur surrendered his life to Christ at Camp Howard. He was ten years old. Since then, he has been involved in serving Christ in local Anglican churches.

“The Christian ministry I was doing at church was starting to eat into my work time – so I thought that I had better do the ministry full-time! I also realised that I needed training.”

Arthur left Moore College at the end of 1988 and then spent another year at St John’s College, Morpeth. He also lived in the UK for a year or so and completed a Master’s in Theology.

I asked Arthur how he received his ‘call’ to Kincumber and to describe something of his ministry in the parish.

SR: Arthur, give us an idea of how you, Annabel and your children came to serve at Kincumber?

AC: I was ordained in the Diocese of Newcastle, then spent six years in associate roles in Muswellbrook and Morisset.
For seven years I have served the parish of Kincumber. It was a strategic diocesan appointment, in that my Bishop, Roger Herft, wanted me to ‘provide liturgies suitable for those moving from the Diocese of Sydney’.

SR: Tell us about Kincumber.

AC: Sure. Kincumber was first of all a rural suburb, then a holiday area, then a place to retire, and now it’s become almost like a dormitory suburb for people who commute to and from Sydney.

Having said that, we are basically a very big ‘elderly’ parish. According to the National Church Life Survey, our average age in May 2001 was 67.

Each week we run seven services with more than 250 people in church across the parish. The roster is a nightmare at times.

SR: Let’s talk about your church’s strategy.

AC: Our stated Mission is: To be a visible church which proclaims Jesus Christ and encourages everyone to be his disciples.

We have a Vision statement too: To be a parish of Teaching, Evangelism and Community.

SR: With this in view, what are the parish priorities?

AC: Here are three:

- Developing home Bible study and prayer groups. There are now 14 such groups. We have a coordinator who oversees this ministry.

- Improving the quality of the spiritual and practical care. We employ an ordained person who works one third of his week with elderly people and who looks after a pastoral care team.

- Increasing the ministry we have to children and families. We have just begun a new service to this end. To date we are seeing around 80 adults, teens and children at this service. In 2003 we will appoint a families’ worker and a children’s minister.

SR: In Avoca, you are using ‘third age’ leaders – people who are highly skilled and experienced but who have reached (or are approaching) retirement.

AC: Avoca ‘joined’ us two years ago. It is a thriving congregation. When they are not away on trips, around 90 people show up!

The church is effectively pastored by Bishop John Reid and the Rev John Brook. These retired clergy teach the Bible, disciple new believers, and run study groups. One such group has 27 members, many of them real fringe people.

SR: You’ve been able to blend tradition (candles, sung services, albs and vestments) with the contemporary (no robes, no prayer book, overhead projectors, rock band etc).

AC: Yes, I think we may be doing some things which could serve as a model to the Communion. While there is a variety of styles, I hope that the Bible is equally well taught at all of the services.

SR: And the future?

AC: This place covers a vast area. Really it should be more than one parish. My hope is that we will plant more and more congregations within our bounds. The longer term goal is for each congregation to have its own pastor. Pray that more and more people will come to know Christ and that, in God’s grace, I might know how to keep the whole thing going in the right direction!