A gay Dundee cleric who was forced out of his Broughty Ferry parish after concerns were raised over his running of the church has been replaced by a husband-and-wife team of ”job-sharing rectors”.
Jonathan Bower, the previous rector at St Mary’s Episcopal Church in Broughty Ferry, moved to a new parish in England after accusations were made against him by a disparate group of members of the congregation.
He announced his shock resignation to the congregation in February last year due, he said, to ”continued personal attacks on his sexuality”.
The announcement of his replacements came with the installation of Francis and Helen Bridger as ”job-sharing” rectors of the church on Saturday.
Ferry councillor Laurie Bidwell, a member of St Mary’s, said: ”On Saturday, September 22, a sizeable congregation at St Mary’s Episcopal Church in Broughty Ferry welcomed their new ministers, Francis and Helen Bridger.
”Francis and Helen were formally licensed in a service which was led by Bishop Nigel Peyton. Francis was appointed as rector and his wife Helen as associate rector; job sharing their ministry at St Mary’s.”
Mr Bidwell added: ”We have had a number of temporary rectors as we have had to wait our turn for a permanent replacement. A number of other churches in the diocese were ahead of us in the queue.
”We’re at the beginning of a new chapter in the life and work of St Mary’s with Francis and Helen Bridger as our job-sharing rectors. They bring a diverse range of skills and abilities which I think will be good for our congregation and for the Ferry.
”As far as we are concerned we have drawn a line under what happened quite some while ago. The vestry committee has been working with the bishop in getting this together and there were also a number of other things that the church wanted to get in place at the same time.
”That included a new rectory, we have sold the old Victorian building and bought a new one which is easier to maintain, easier to heat and will be more comfortable for the clergy.
”The Revs Francis and Helen are from Nottingham and have interesting and varied backgrounds, Francis has worked in training people for the ministry and they met through this when Helen was doing her training.
”They have worked together in the US and are quite widely travelled. Francis is also an author of quite a few books and they are very interesting people.”
Mr Bridger said: ”I have been eagerly anticipating my new joint ministry at St Mary’s with my wife Helen. We have enjoyed a very warm welcome and look forward to working with the St Mary’s congregation and the wider community in Broughty Ferry.”
Mrs Bridger said: ”It’s been a delight to begin to make Broughty Ferry our new home since we moved here a couple of weeks ago. Sharing ministry as a couple and with a new congregation will be a wonderful adventure.”
The move signals a new chapter in the history of the church and also ends the period of uncertainty hanging over St Mary’s since Mr Bower left 18 months ago.