THE ORDER OF ST ETHELBERT – HONOURING THOSE WHO SERVE THE DIOCESE OF HEREFORD

The Order of St Ethelbert is awarded to those in the diocese of Hereford who have given long and distinguished service to the diocese. Our parishes are wonderfully served by men and women who give selflessly of their time and skills and to uphold the life and ministry of our communities. Of course, we understand that this service is so often given with no thought of reward or recognition but we also know that many parish clergy and fellow parishioners/members of communities would value a means of celebrating the devotion of those in their midst. Many dioceses now have ‘orders’ or ‘companies’ of those who are honoured for their service and the past two years has demonstrated that this is a popular and respected means of offering that recognition.

There are no guidelines for this as we feel that there are so many reasons why a person might be nominated. However, in our experience, there are often those whose long service shines out and who clergy and others in local communities would really value the opportunity to celebrate and salute. In 2017, some of the reasons for successful nomination were as follows:

• for outstanding work as a parish organist for 45 years
• for outstanding support for the ministry of Readers in the diocese
• for longstanding work in maintaining and developing the link with Nuremberg
• for tireless work for the elderly, through lunch clubs and other events
• for outstanding work in a parish – as Reader, School Governor and through the night shelter and the Healing Ministry
• for service to the community as a local Undertaker

Nominations have tended to be for very long service and a lifetime’s work in parishes and communities but there is no reason why a young person should not be nominated, provided evidence is given of faithful and widely-recognised service and work. It is now perfectly possible to nominate a husband and wife team as we understand this is important in some cases.

What is the process?

Nomination forms should be returned to the Dean by 3 June 2019 and the small committee will then meet and agree names. The Bishop will then write to each person nominated, inviting them to come to an evensong and presentation on Sunday 13 October 2019. We intend to choose no more than 20 each year. Experience has shown us that this number of recipients, with family and friends, more than fills the Cathedral! So inevitably, depending on the number of nominations, there are bound to be disappointments. However, we will repeat the process and it may be that those nominated but not chosen previously will be put forward again, as nominators choose.

For more information and to download the application form please click here.

Image: The Order of St Ethelbert recipients in 2018