Canon Chris Bishop's 50th Anniversary of his Ordination to the Priesthood

On Sunday 2nd July 2023, Chris Bishop celebrated the 50th Anniversary of his ordination as priest at a special service at St Mary’s Church, Saffron Walden attended by many friends from the parishes he has served over a wide span of the Diocese of Chelmsford.

Chris studied at Kings College, London and served two curacies in Ilford and Upminster followed by nine years as the Diocesan Youth Officer. In 1986 he was appointed Priest in Charge of Manuden and Berden, to which were later added Quendon and Rickling. As well as 27 years of parish ministry, Chris was chaplain to Stansted Airport for 29 years and took on the responsibility of Rural Dean for 16, being appointed a Canon of Chelmsford Cathedral in 1999.

Annie has been alongside him since their marriage in 1980. On Chris’ retirement in 2013, they moved to Saffron Walden where he continues to be very active as a ‘recycled priest’ – his words! - leading Sunday services across the Deanery and particularly supporting the Sewards End and Wednesday 9.30am congregations in our own team.

Chris is chaplain to the Mothers’ Union and has responsibility for retired clergy, widows and widowers in the Stansted Archdeaconry. He continues his support of young people by regularly volunteering to help at Sewards End Youth Club – refereeing lively games of indoor hockey or dodgeball.

Chris is also a talented folk-singer and story teller and is much in demand at WI and village festivals all over Essex. He took to the airwaves with alacrity during lockdown, writing a weekly series of new songs, in collaboration with Annie and her brother, David, providing his characteristically humorous and insightful view of living with Covid that kept us both amused and engaged.

Chris marked this special anniversary by designing a Chasuble which he commissioned from St Mary’s sewing group. He wore it during the service and has gifted it to St Mary’s. The design is a Tree of Life and faith, with four roots being the Four Gospels. The trunk of the tree contains a silver cross and the leaves of the tree symbolise the beauty and diverse colours of nature and the human world, with crocuses highlighting our place as a church in Saffron Walden.

Chris preached on the importance of ‘Holding Fast’ in a changing world – a reference to sailors ‘holding fast’ to the ropes attached to sails to keep the ship on course. He concluded with the collect for the day:

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that with you as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not our hold on things eternal; grant this, heavenly Father, for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Congratulations, Chris, on reaching this significant milestone; we look forward to many more gems of wisdom and humour from our ‘recycled priest’ and we wish you and Annie many more blessings in the years to come.

Judith Hasler