CHURCHES TOGETHER IN LICHFIELD (CTiL)
FINAL MINUTES OF THE FORUM MEETING - TUESDAY 3 rd FEBRUARY 2026 -
7.00PM – KEMPE ROOM, THE OLD STABLES, LICHFIELD
PRESENT: Kenneth Howcroft (Methodist) – Clergy Chair, Liz Ridler (Wade St) – Treasurer,
Roger Hartley (Wade St), Michele Gerard (Society of Friends/Quakers), Richard Henshaw
(Catholic Churches), Judith Henshaw (Catholic Churches), Diana Pearson (Lichfield
Methodist), Abbie Walsh (St Michael’s & St John’s), Laura Macfarlane (St Michael’s & St
John’s), John Preece (Wade St), Delphine Preece (Wade St), Ben Whitney (Cathedral), Rob
Hilyer (St Giles’, Whittington), Marion Howcroft (Lichfield Methodist), Danielle Leigh (Wade
St), Simon Foster (St Chad’s), David Clarke (St Giles’, Whittington) – Acting
Secretary/Minutes Secretary.
1. WELCOME AND OPENING PRAYER – Ken Howcroft welcomed everyone and opened the meeting
with a time of quiet and prayer.
2. APOLOGIES – Hugh Ashton (Cathedral) – Lay Chair
3. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING (03.11.25) – the minutes were unanimously accepted as an
accurate record of the meeting.
4. MATTERS ARISING – none.
5. TREASURER’S REPORT – Liz Ridler presented her report. The balance as at 30.01.26 was
£3497.55. Christmas Day Together had gone very well with lunch for 30 guests and 10
volunteers provided at Wade St Church, and 23 lunch boxes distributed to those who were
unable to travel. There had been significant donations from individuals and supermarkets,
leaving a surplus of £320 to be carried over for Christmas Day Together 2026, for which
fundraising grant applications are already in progress.
6. REGULAR EVENTS
Good Friday Walk of Witness – (3 April 2026) - will commence at Whittington pharmacy at
8.15am, carrying the cross up Darnford Lane, stopping on the bridge over the A38 for a ‘lorry
driver wave’, and on to Boley Park for a short time of worship, and then to the top end of
the Three Spires. From there it will cross the road and go down towards the bus station.
The general assembly point for the city centre section of the walk will be the site of the old
multi-storey car park close to the Garrick theatre. It will then move through the lower part
of the Three Spires and follow the usual route, ending at Lichfield Methodist Church, where
Revd Mark Stennett will be co-ordinating the service. A sketch map of the route will be
circulated. (Action: Liz Ridler and Hugh Ashton). Richard Henshaw offered to help Diana
Pearson with the CTiL banner. All agreed this is an excellent act of witness.
Good Friday Service at Lichfield Cathedral – (3 April 2026, 7.30pm) - Ken Howcroft will lead
this. The cathedral will be laid out with seating in a U-shape surrounding a large standing
cross. Ken is looking for a small choir (Action: All). Ken will approach people to read.
Christian Aid Week – 10-16 May 2026 – everyone was encouraged to look at the Christian
Aid website in their churches and get involved as they see fit.
Lichfield Bower – Monday 25 th May 2026 - three volunteer money-bucket collectors have
already volunteered but, ideally, three more are needed and David Clarke will be pleased to
have names (Action: All).
7. ANY OTHER URGENT BUSINESS:
7.1 – Michelle Gerard advised that a rally by ‘Raise the Colours’ was planned for Friday 6
February. An alternative ‘Meeting against Racism’ would be assembling outside Lichfield
Cathedral at 6.45pm, should anyone wish to join it.
7.2 – Ken Howcroft emphasised the importance of CTiL having an up-to-date contact list for all
seventeen-member-church representatives and the Enabling `Group would be working on
this (Action: David Clarke).
8. DATE OF NEXT FORUM MEETING – this meeting will also serve as the AGM. Ken Howcroft
announced that he was working on bringing an exciting speaker to this meeting and that the
date would depend on their exact availability. The meeting will be in June, with the date advised
as soon as possible.
9. EXPLORING CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES ON PEACE: THE THINGS THAT MAKE FOR PEACE – Revd
Abbie Walsh led the session, with attendees breaking into three smaller groups for a lively
discussion on two questions:
What do we as Christians know of the things that make for peace?
What wisdom comes from each of our Christian traditions about the things that make
for peace? This was followed by group feedback and the whole meeting together considering:
What can we do as Christians to build a more peaceful city/society/world? What is the
role of Churches Together in Lichfield in this? Several key points were made, that might shape the work and meeting-style of Churches Together
going forward: What principles can we agree on? What unites us? Modelling ‘peace’ as individuals,
churches, and Churches Together; Being God’s gentle angry people – keeping calm and not reacting
to provocation, peace is standing up for our beliefs and not lying down to die; and praying together.
Actions such as circulating the CTiL message of respect and welcome for all who choose to make
their home in Lichfield were felt to the right thing to do, when the moment called for it.
Revd Ken Howcroft then led the meeting in prayers for peace, drawing on different Christian
traditions.
10. CLOSE – the meeting concluded at 8.30pm.