Retiring wish of rector

THE Rev Dr. Christopher Halliday

Saddleworth’s team rector is retiring with a plea to churches to keep their doors open during the day.

Fr Christopher Halliday (67) leaves after his final service at St Anne’s Church, Lydgate, on January 6, and in a parish letter looking back on his seven years in charge he says: “With the exception of Holy Trinity, Dobcross, none of our churches is open during the day.

“Since I was ordained, parishes where I ministered have had open doors for anyone to come in to pray, to be quiet, to rest, to explore. The comments in the visitors’ books were always illuminating. I never experienced vandalism or theft in any of those places.”

Fr Christopher spent most of his 30 years in ministry in rural parishes, both in Ireland and in Maryland in the United States.

“Becoming team rector brought a new dimension. For the first time it became impossible for me to get to know everybody in the way I had done previously,” he said. “Being team rector has really become like being a pastor to the pastors, recognising I minister mainly to those who do the work in the parishes.

“This has been a huge adjustment to me and it will clearly become the pattern for those in full-time paid ministry in the coming years.”