New Vicar to Ignite Evangelism and Mission Work in Midlands

A Blackpool vicar is preparing to move to Walsall where he will take up his new and unique role to help churches across the diocese develop and implement evangelism and mission work.

The Rev George Fisher, currently Vicar of St Thomas' Church in Blackpool, will be licensed to the newly created post of Director of Parish Mission at Lichfield Cathedral on 26 September. His brief is to help local churches work through the diocese's 'Going for Growth' strategy.

He testified that the parish-focus of the role excites him most: "I have never been much interested in the idea of a diocesan role but I was attracted to this as it is specifically directed to developing the potential for growth in the local parish church - something I'm passionate about.

"Moving to Lichfield Diocese is going to be a bit of a step into the dark as I know little about the area but what I have heard from colleagues who've headed this way before me is that the strap line 'Going for Growth' isn't just words but is a reality - which holds out the promise of some very exciting times ahead."

Feeling that the team within the diocese would be well behind his focus towards evangelism, Rev Fisher added that he had been "immediately impressed that the diocese is structured for growth" and that senior staff are "fully supportive" of evangelism, mission and growth.

Rev Fisher said his background in a semi-rural parish with high unemployment and an underprivileged parish in a holiday town inner city problems meant that he was "under no illusions of the hard grind of weekly parish life and the difficulties of trying to implement changes to encourage growth".

"More specifically, I'm familiar with Mission Action Plans and how they need to be geared to the local situation; I have much experience of planning missions and I have just co-ordinated Mission '007 - a week of James Bond-themed mission shared between five local Anglican churches here in Blackpool," he shared.

"We wanted people to be 'shaken and stirred', realise that 'diamonds aren't forever' and be able to 'live and NOT die!' Oh, and I have a dreadful sense of humour!"

He said it was a privilege to become part of a growing diocese and that he was really looking forward to his new post.

His appointment has been welcomed by the Bishop of Lichfield's growth officer, the Ven Bob Jackson, who said he first knew of George in the 1980s when he was associate minister of Conisborough, "an apparently unpromising South Yorkshire mining town," said Ven Jackson.

"The church there grew hugely in effectiveness and numbers in George's time, becoming one of the biggest in the diocese, and certainly the most unlikely and exciting of the large churches. Attendance at the church I was vicar of a few miles away only doubled and I was in awe of what was happening in Conisborough!" he said.

He also praised Rev Fisher's achievements as vicar of St Thomas Blackpool for the last 15 years, during which time the church has grown from under 100 people to over 300 on a Sunday with "many flourishing ministries", he added.

"George also had a wider ministry among churches of all traditions in his area and comes with a fabulous reference from the Bishop of Blackburn. So you will see that he does have experience and knowledge of how all sorts of churches can grow and flourish in ordinary and apparently unpromising situations," he added.

Born in Sheffield in 1954, George Fisher has been married to Joan, also a priest, for 32 years. They have one daughter, Ruth, who heads up the youth department at Spring Harvest, which runs Christian teaching and worship holidays at Butlins' camps.

Before ordination he was a teacher of Religious Education and Personal and Social Education for eight years at Dinnington Comprehensive School, South Yorkshire. He served his curacy at St Peter's Church in Conisbrough, South Yorkshire where, he says: "I saw God doing some amazing things amongst ordinary people so I asked to stay on as Assistant Vicar, serving there for eight years in all. During this time, the church grew to 500 people - which was unusual for a small mining town in South Yorkshire to say the least - especially one where the mine had closed."

He added: "When I eventually moved to St Thomas' 15 years ago I took with me this sense of excitement about what God could and would do if the people were ready for movement. With this sense of expectancy and hope, we have seen God moving among us and the church has grown significantly.

"Mission is an everyday word at our church in Blackpool, whether that's one to one sharing of faith or being part of a something like the 'Life Link Mission' which I chaired in 1999 - a Springboard initiative involving 100 churches of different denominations across the Fylde Coast engaging in ten days of mission activities."

Rev Fisher will be licensed to his new role by the Bishop of Lichfield at 7.30pm on Wednesday 26 September at Lichfield Cathedral.