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 Farewell Gill

.The Revd Gill Johnson our Curate for the last three years has now left us.  Gill worked in the Benefice for the last 8 or so years moving from Reader to Ordination and to Curacy over that period.  She was well loved by the congregations of our two churches.  Much of the work she did was done quietly in the background.  Her work in the Church school with staff and children will be remembered for a long time.

At her final Service on March 11th 2007 tributes were paid to her by The Rector and Churchwardens of both churches.  Presentations were made of icons by each church. The packed church at Thornhill was a tribute to how loved and respected she was.  Particularly we shall miss her brilliant and challenging preaching and her cheerful presence. This was much in evidence on this last day.

Her final ode to the benefice is printed below.( Read in a Broad Yorkshire accent)

Good bye and God Bless Gill - we wish you well in Mirfield and the Diocese.

 Twere quite some time back now

I came through those doors

To walls full of history

And holes in the floors

 

I’d been here a short while

When building closed down

And Methodists housed us

Up on the Town

 

 And then we returned

To a spankin’ new floor

And toilets by t’dozen

New angels on’ door

 

 And worship continued

In this wonderful place

Wit’ numbers increasin’

An’ usin’ the space.

 

 Our concerts and fairs,

Well they go down a treat,

Wit’ wine in the interval

And new people to meet.

 

But grand tho’ is Thornhill

We have Whitley too,

That Cathedral on t’hillside

With beautiful view

 

Though smaller in number

It’s glories are vast

Wit’ folk ever ready

To tell you of t’past.

 And then came re-ordering

And ‘praise God’ a loo

And wonderful carpet

And neat kitchen too

 

We now have a narthex

Wit’ lovely glass doors

To act as a magnet

For all sticky paws.

 

 And so as this Benefice

Moves onward in trust

To care for each other   

 Is an obvious ‘must’

 

To move ever outward

And not navel gaze

For looking too inward

Will limit our days

 

We’ve people wit’ talents

With love and with care

With generous spirit

And ready to share

 

We’re in it together

We’re here in God’s name

We forget at our peril

Our ultimate aim

 

To spread the Good News

As truly befits

To serve one another

In this Benefice

 To God be the glory

The hymn writer says

A common agenda

To serve and to praise.

 

So thank you to Thornhill

To Whitley Lower too

And now it is time

To bid you ‘adieu’