"We are going to need more clergy and especially more ordinands," warned Bishop Gledhill. "We are just coming to the point over the next five years when the baby-boomer cohort of clergy is planning for retirement. Numbers of ordinands are up, but not yet enough to compensate for the expected number of retirements."
Bishop Gledhill appealed for prayer that some of the diocesan clergy would retire a little later than at 65, and that the diocese would be able to support more new ordinands each year, paid and voluntary.
He also appealed for prayer for the maintenance more Lay Readers and other voluntary It's also important to pray for the increase in the number of Lay Readers and other voluntary lay ministers, as well as the funds to train and pay for clergy and lay workers.
"Jesus didn't exactly know all the details of his coming ministry. But he knew he was loved and entrusted with the Good News," said Bishop Gledhill. "We don't exactly know how things will be for our diocese. But as we receive strength from God we will continue proclaiming the Kingdom, making new disciples, encouraging the ministry of the whole people of God, calling out ministries and using gifts, and increasing the number of ministers, lay and ordained."
He said that the task now was to produce enough high quality, paid and voluntary clergy in as many parishes as possible.
"Of course, we have to raise the money to pay for them. But a good stipendiary priest will soon pay for him/herself in all but the poorest parishes. Given the chance of a new vicar, most parishes will rise to the challenge of paying for him or her," he maintained.
Bishop Gledhill called upon every churchgoer in the diocese to take up their responsibility to follow their calling in the Church.
"So the challenge this year, if we are continue the turn-around and provide for our churches, is not merely to do with the numbers of people coming through the doors of our churches but what happens to us as we walk out of the doors," he said. "All beloved sons and daughters have a ministry. My hope is that every parish will be encouraging every member to consider their calling and their ministry, because everyone is a beloved son or daughter.
"And out of all those callings my hope is that there will be some more from each place who will be given the gifts for ordained and lay ministry so that together we can be a sign of God's love and grace."
The bishop has asked churchgoers to set aside Ash Wednesday on 6 February as a day of prayer and fasting for the diocese.
"First and most important to celebrate and thank the Lord for wonderfully giving us the security of his love; secondly to pray that the turn-around will become a steady growth, particularly in children and young people; and thirdly in prayer to the Lord of the harvest to provide the increase in ordinands, clergy and lay leaders we need for these next years."
The Bishop's message to congregations began as an audio cassette. For the past three years, this was supplemented with a video message for those churches with data projectors.
This year, churches have a choice between playing a CD track of the Bishop reading his message, or playing a video news report by television journalist Robin Powell about the Bishop's message, which concentrates on the call for more clergy and lay leaders. It is thought to be the first time a video news report has been commissioned specifically to be shown during church services.
The bishop's message and the video news report are available online at www.lichfield.anglican.org.
