Lovely to read this article celebrating the milestone of 25 years existence as a parish planted on bare land in Clendon, Auckland.
I have personally heard Mark Beale talk about the Clendon journey. It is one of the most inspiring stories I have heard in the modern life of our church in these islands.
As we work on possible church plants in post-quake Christchurch we need the wisdom of planters such as Mark to guide us.
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Fr. Mark Beale is 'one out of the box' - a real grafter in the field of missional activity in the N.Z. Anglican Church.
His proactive outreach to a young, growing, local community - mostly of lower socio-economic residents was exemplary. Both material and spiritual needs of the local people were met with a positive Christian welcome into the family of the Church.
Mark's hands-on approach to local and overseas benefactors was a large part of his success in building up the local church and community, and his simple, caring, Franciscan-like love of people was a major factor in the success of his church-planting mission at Saint Elisabeth's (of Hungary).
An uncompromising Anglo-Catholic, Mark was un-judgemental and loving in his acceptance of people as they are - meeting them at their point of need - without hurdles to jump over before becoming involved in their lives at the basic level.
Congratulations Mark, on your pro-active encouragement of ordinary people into the Family of God.
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