Diocese of Sodor & Man...Diocese of Sodor & Man ISLE OF MAN CONTEXT The Diocese of Sodor and Man constitutes the whole of the Isle of Man – aka Ellan Vannin – an island of 227

The Island The present population of the Island (2011 census) is approximately 85,000. 48% live in and around Douglas in the east of the Island and 52% in smaller towns such as Castletown, Ramsey and Peel, and the rural villages. The population by gender is 51% female and 49% male.

The Nation The Isle of Man is a Crown Dependency of the United Kingdom and is therefore not part of England, Great Britain or the United Kingdom but does currently have an associate relationship with the European Union. Defence and Foreign Affairs are provided by the United Kingdom.

Diocese of Sodor & Man

ISLE OF MAN CONTEXT

The Diocese of Sodor and Man constitutes the whole of the Isle of Man – aka Ellan Vannin – an

island of 227 square miles in the Irish Sea, almost equidistant from England, Wales, Scotland

and Ireland.

The Government The Island’s government is Tynwald. Tynwald is of Norse origin and over 1,000 years old, hence laying claim to being the oldest parliament in the world with an unbroken existence. Tynwald consists of two branches which sit alone, primarily to consider legislation, and together as Tynwald Court, to consider matters of policy and finance. In most cases whilst in Tynwald Court, the Branches still vote separately. Membership of the House of Keys is by direct election, and the upper chamber, the Legislative Council, is indirectly-elected. The Bishop is a non-elected, voting member of Tynwald Court and sits in its Legislative Council. Her Majesty the Queen is Lord of Mann and is represented on-island by the Lieutenant Governor who holds office for a five-year term. The current Lieutenant Governor is Sir Richard Gozney (appointed 2016).

Islanders do not see Great Britain as ‘the mainland’, instead referring to it as ‘across’. We work in a different legislative landscape. English is the main language but Manx Gaelic is encouraged both in spoken and written forms, notable examples being place names and street signs. The language is increasingly learned in the island's primary schools.

Currency is sterling. English coins and notes, Scottish and Northern Ireland currency circulate freely on the island. The Isle of Man Government prints its own notes and coins with the same value as the United Kingdom counterpart, but slightly different markings. Manx notes and coins however cannot be spent outside of the Isle of Man.

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Transport On-island transport is generally by car and there is also a good regular bus service across most of the Island. There are seasonal trains of the steam variety running between Douglas and the south of the Island. Electric trams run from Douglas to Ramsey and to the summit of Snaefell, the highest summit of the central mountain ridge of the island.

Travel to the Island is by either sea or by air.

By sea: ferries, both standard (3.5 hour crossing time) and fast craft (2.5 hour crossing time) serve the Island on the major routes to Liverpool and Heysham with additional services to Belfast, Dublin and other ports during the summer months.

By air: there are frequent connections with London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool, Dublin, Belfast and a number of other UK airports. Both sea and air travel can and will be disrupted by the weather.

Media and Communications There are three local radio stations: Manx Radio (government subsidised); 3FM; and Energy FM (both commercial). There are three newspapers: the Examiner, the Independent and the Courier, all centrally owned by Tindle Newspapers Ltd., a UK based publisher.

Telephone services and broadband are provided by Manx Telecom or Sure. All landline numbers have the dialling code 01624 and all mobiles have 07624.

Isle of Man Post Office is an excellent counterpart to Royal Mail.

Health Service The National Health Service on the Island is similar to its UK counterpart. Provision for hospital care is at Nobles Hospital on the outskirts of Douglas and a Cottage Hospital in the north of the Island in Ramsey. There is a reciprocal health agreement with the UK and treatment for major illness is often carried out in some of the larger hospitals in the North West of England. A patient referral service covers transport costs to the UK in such circumstances.

Education The education system is held in high regard, with primary schools having good teacher-pupil ratios. These feed into the Island’s five secondary schools. There is also an independent boarding school on the island, King William’s College (an Anglican foundation) with its primary facility, the Buchan School. The Archbishop of York is a Visitor. There is one Church of England primary school and one Roman Catholic primary school. There are on-island facilities for further education at the Isle of Man University College and the Business School. Both offer degree level courses of study. In the UK higher education system, students from the Isle of Man are regarded as overseas students and the Island still facilitates higher education in the UK through a generous grant scheme.

Employment The employment legislation on the Island has a Work Permit system in operation designed to protect Manx workers. The island’s status as one of low tax has proven attractive to both businesses and high net-worth individuals. The Island is considered one of the wealthiest nations in the world, but this wealth is distributed unevenly across the population.

Economy Historically, agriculture and fishing provided the island with significant employment. However these declined in the mid-20th Century along with other traditional industries, including tourism. Legislative changes in the 1950s and 1970s laid a path for Isle of Man to become an international centre of the financial services industry.

In recent years there has been considerable growth in the e-gaming industry, and an increasing development of

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small artisan businesses, alongside light manufacturing, space technology and motorsport engineering.

The tourism industry is now being creatively rejuvenated and international business visitors provide a market for the hospitality sector. The majority of the tourists visit for the four weeks of the year when the Island’s roads become a race track for the famous TT, Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix motorcycle road races.

Sport, Leisure and Shopping There’s something for everyone on Ellan Vannin: from scuba diving to mountain biking; rock pooling to pilgrimage; gentle ambling to rugged hillwalking; architecture to agriculture; sacred space to ice creams; snail’s pace to unlimited speed; steam trains to dark skies; and a few more things besides.

The National Sports Centre in Douglas is a multi-sports centre and athletics stadium. There are also indoor pools in Castletown, Peel and Ramsey, outdoor activity centres, plus golf courses, kayaking clubs and one tenpin bowling alley.

The five small towns have local shops, there’s a small vibrant shopping mall near Peel, and there are branches of several major retail outlets in and around the capital.

More cosmopolitan places for eating out have been adding to the local restaurants and cafés in recent years.

Visit Isle of Man is a comprehensive website

for island-wide leisure and tourism information.

1 The Sound, where seals bask [photos by Andy Simpson]

2 Walk around Fort Island [photos by Andy Simpson]

3 Outdoor activities are popular [photos by Andy Simpson]

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Diocese of Sodor & Man

CHURCH & DIOCESE

The Diocese of Sodor and Man covers the Island and is a Diocese within the Northern

Province of the Church of England. It is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion and

comprises 15 ecclesiastical parishes containing a total of 42 churches and chapels. The See is

currently in a vacancy.

The conversion of the Manx to Christianity is attributed to Celtic monks, most of whom were followers of St. Patrick from Ireland and St. Ninian from Galloway. A small monastery with a timber and sod church established on St. Patrick's Isle at Peel in the fifth century was sacked by Viking invaders about 300 years later. Subsequently Christianity spread through the Norse Empire and in the 12th century the Vikings gave the Isle of Man an organised system – developing one keeill (place of prayer) in each parish into a church – plus democratic governance, Tynwald, which has remained since. Most of the Anglican churches are built on or near the site of former keeills.

The active churches of the island are steeped in rich heritage. Rev Wilbert Audrey’s fictional Thomas the Tank Engine comes from the island of Sodor – a name borrowed from the 12th century Norwegian diocese of Sodor, the Old Norse name for the Hebrides and the Isle of Man.

‘Sodor’ lives on today in name Sodor and Man. All our churches are listed on ACNY. The tradition of welcome and hospitality remains strong – a few also offer refreshments all year round and many for occasions like TT, Southern100 and Manx Grand Prix. You’ll find “TT Teas” served not just around the course, but right across the island.

There are many Christian denominations on the island and both traditional and many newer Manx churches are venues for concerts, art exhibitions and the annual Isle of Man Flower Festival, as well as celebrating Christian festivals and regular worship and providing long-cherished quiet, reflective space.

Do visit our diocesan website.

About us

Currently the Diocese has fifteen full time stipendiary incumbents and 21 others who are part time, occasional and/or self-supporting ministers 21. There are 28 readers assisting ministry and mission in the parishes.

The parishes are organised into four Mission Partnerships – North, South, East and West. These were set up in 2009 to replace three Rural Deaneries. They are governed by Mission Councils comprising lay and clergy representatives from member parishes. The aim is to promote the mission of the Church in its district, and to promote community and co-operation among those parishes. Mission Partnerships are not part of the synodical system. The Mission Partnership Leaders are members of the Bishop’s Leadership Team. Bishop’s Leadership Team includes the Dean, Archdeacon, Diocesan Secretary, Mission Partnership Leaders, Warden of Readers, Mission Adviser, Bishop’s Chaplain.

The Diocesan Executive is responsible for implementation of diocesan and national Church policy and comprises the Bishop, Archdeacon, Dean, Diocesan Secretary and Bishop’s Chaplain.

Boards of the Diocese are:

Diocesan Board of Finance

Diocesan Advisory Committee

Property Committee

Growing Faith for Generations Steering Board

Ecclesial Law Manx Church Law differs in many ways from that of the Church of England in England, some subtle, some more pronounced, e.g. the way our churchyards and burial grounds are ordered by “Burial Authorities” which raise a local rate to maintain the churchyards (but not the church buildings).

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The Diocese of Sodor and Man and its clergy are subject to the Canons of the Church of England. The various Measures, Rules and Guidelines issued by General Synod do not always automatically apply to the Isle of Man and some are discretionary. All have to be adapted before they can be adopted, a procedure which involves the Dioceses’ own Legislative Committee, its Diocesan Synod and the Ecclesiastical Committee of Tynwald. Our Mission The vision of the Diocese of Sodor and Man is ‘Together making Christ visible’. This focuses attention on the purpose of Christian discipleship and of the Diocese’s life and work. To reach out to those outside our walls, we hope to grow the church’s mission activity, appeal and influence.

Diocesan Synod has outlined the diocese’s six priorities for growth in:

understanding and practice of the faith

spiritual life

youthfulness

numbers

ecumenical collaboration

world-church awareness. We hope to build our work on these with the guidance of our new bishop, and the newly-formed GF4G Steering Board. Both will help to focus planning and action on our priorities as a diocese for mission.

A Developing Cathedral The parish church of Peel was consecrated as the Cathedral in 1980 and present Dean of St. Germans was appointed in 2011. Prior to 1980 there was a pro-cathedral at the Chapel at Bishopscourt, Kirk Michael, the former residence of the Bishop, which is now in private ownership. The legacy of this is that many church members have little concept of a Cathedral as a mother church of the diocese. The Cathedral is developing as a resource for the diocese, such as:

Musical expertise, engaging with state schools and King William’s College

Enabling the Sodor and Man Ministerial Internship programme to take place by providing housing and local support.

A Cathedral Chapter supporting the needs and mission of a cathedral on a small island.

Developing a hub associated with ‘Faith Tourism’ and working in partnership to develop pilgrimage routes e.g. the Triskelion Way.

Offering high quality exhibitions associated with the arts and ecumenism.

Our challenges: In common with many Dioceses across the British Isles, Sodor & Man faces pressing financial, societal and demographic challenges. These include:

Ageing church congregations where a number have seen no real growth for some time. Recent figures from the Statistics for Mission (2015) suggest that decline in attendance and engagement has halted, however, so there is hope of new signs of growth.

Most congregations have yet to fully explore issues of Christian stewardship.

Developing ways to move to a sustainable diocesan estate, where buildings and other assets are fit for purpose as tools for mission.

Our diocese is a rural diocese; urban areas are comparatively small compared to those in the UK, the capital, Douglas, being its most prominent urban area. There is significant geographic and social diversity in this small diocese.

The diocese has 15.25 stipendiary posts (2017), and no diocesan departments so clergy hold multiple diocesan roles. There are presently no funds for a central diocesan office e.g. finance, property, training, safeguarding etc. The Cathedral does not receive funding from the central Church of England.

Greater understanding of contextual ministry, so joining in the mission of God becomes more natural to where we are.

To be entrepreneurial as a diocese: to experience and encourage greater creativity in our church lives.

To build on well-established lay ministries by encouraging lay members in roles of leadership. Searching for authorised recognition beyond the role of ‘Reader’ is necessary.

Many of our congregations are hesitant in coming forward; both as people but also in ministry. ‘Owning’ leadership in churches requires patient groundwork at all levels.

We are working to engage better with young people who are inquisitive about the relevance of Christianity, while recognising this is very much an area of development.

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Encouraging Vocations

The Diocese has recently seen a rise in the number of ordinands (there are currently eight in training and a further dozen exploring ordination). This is a major turnaround from a church that once relied on clergy from the UK to staff the Diocese. This is possible because of our links with the All Saints Centre for Mission and Ministry, and our ministry Internship programme. The latter provides a range of short- and medium-term practical placement opportunities for those exploring ordained ministry, and is part of the Church of England Ministry Experience Scheme (CEMES). CEMES prioritises encouraging young vocations and, as one of the founding pilot dioceses, we are helping further to raise the profile of the Isle of Man. As a place where individuality and creativity can flourish and contribute to the spiritual, social, cultural and economic development of the Manx community, the island “test bed” has provided a model for other dioceses.

And the future ….

Growing Faith for Generations is the main project among various initiatives for developing discipleship and mission across the diocese.

Do come and join our work in God’s Kingdom.

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Partnerships and projects

Growing Faith for Generations Growing Faith for Generations is our project working with key partners in the growth of Christian faith, discipleship and leadership. Following the award of Strategic Development Funding (SDF), we aim to appoint a Town Centre Missioner and Pioneer Youth Leader. These positions will include engagement with young people in a manner sensitive to the ways of Manx rural communities, the stimulation of grass roots initiatives, and working to nurture young Christians as disciples and leaders. Ecumenism The Diocese has strong ecumenical links and has driven forward island-wide Christian collaboration through the ecumenical instrument, Churches Alive in Mann (CAiM) and its Covenant for Mission. Practical work includes local community initiatives across the island, the ecumenical Douglas Churches Town Centre Partnership (which includes an effective Street Angels service), and Messy Church, which has seen substantial engagement and growth among all the Christian denominations on the island.

School involvement “Open the Book” is a great success, providing opportunities for groups of Christians to engage with primary schools in the assembly format. An island-wide team has recently completed Godly Play training and run regular sessions in some of our churches, increasingly using the Godly Play format in schools. Our Head teachers and Senior School Leaders are generally very positive about engagement with their local churches, and in many places they value being at the centre of community life in partnership with the local church.

The Diocese has a positive and productive partnership with the Isle of Man Government’s Department of Education and Children and the islands’ schools.

The Scripture Union Ministry Trust (S.U.M.T.) The Diocese benefits from the work of Scripture Union Ministries Trust (SUMT), a non-denominational charity which receives contributions from the Diocesan Board of Finance. Over the last 30 years, SUMT has developed quality programmes of innovative resources delivered to all schools on the island including, in our secondary schools, “Life Path” and “Love Life” (similar to Romance Academy in the UK) and in our primary schools, the co-ordination of “Open the Book”. SUMT provides work and leadership training up to degree level, and is commended by Scripture Union in the UK.

Spirituality In an Island that values its Celtic heritage, Taizé Services, Christian Meditation, Quiet Days, ‘Retreats In Every Day Life’ (RIEL) and the Island Spirituality Network provide fertile ground and are well supported. We seek continually to grow and deepen our opportunities to explore spirituality, particularly in recognition of the Celtic Christian heritage, a wellspring of Christian spirituality which people are now seeking to release, particularly with the annual Praying the Keeills Week and the recently-formed Pilgrimage Isle of Man. Overseas Link Dioceses We have links with the Church of Ireland’s Diocese of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory where we share a great deal in learning about “mission from the edges”, and from a disestablished church with a similar demography to our own.

The Diocese is exploring companion links in other parts of the worldwide Anglican Communion. To develop possible engagement with non-European provinces of the Anglican Communion, the Diocese of Sodor and Man, in 2016, became an approved sponsor for Tier 5 (Religious Worker) Visa applicants.