The Well, a new church congregation established in June last year at Wirral Waters, the huge housing development in Birkenhead, has recently been granted a Bishop's Mission Order by Bishop Mark.
Bishops' Mission Orders (BMOs) are made by bishops, as leaders in God's mission in their Dioceses.
In making an Order, the bishop endorses and authorises the mission initiative it covers as likely to promote or further the mission of the the Church through fostering or developing a distinctive Christian community.
BMOs can recognise existing mission initiatives or promote fresh expressions of church.
Examples may include:
- A new network congregation for young adults across a town
- A revitalisation of an existing congregation in a socially & economically deprived part of a city, built on a partnership between a number of parties and the drawing-in of new resources.
Revd Debbie Wilkinson leads the Well. In simple terms, The Bishop's Mission Order grants her the autonomy and independence to work within another parish. In the seven months since The Well was first established, the congregation has grown to the point where they are looking for possible venues where they will be able to worship in the future.