A service of Collation and Installation for The Revd Dr Sarah Siddique Gill as Canon Missioner and Canon Residentiary of Leicester Cathedral was held on Sunday 22 September.
It was an occasion of celebration, with Sarah surrounded by family, friends and colleagues, old and new, who had travelled many a mile to witness her warm welcome into the cathedral family and Diocese of Leicester.
The service was also streamed online for those unable to attend.
The Very Revd Karen Rooms, Dean of Leicester, and The Rt Revd Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester, led the intercultural worship, which involved many people from different communities around the diocese.
As Canon Missioner, Revd Sarah's role will include developing the Cathedral as an Intercultural Worshipping Community, strengthening the Cathedral's community outreach and engagement with social justice, developing its ecumenical and interfaith relationships, and leading the Cathedral's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work.
Loving service, intercultural mission, racial justice and working with other denominations and faith groups have been consistent features of her ministry, which she hopes to bring to her role as Canon Missioner.
Born in Pakistan, Revd Sarah speaks Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi, and ran monthly online multi-lingual services for her previous diocese in Blackburn, making church services more accessible to people from different national and cultural backgrounds.
Speaking about her service of installation, Revd Sarah said: “The liturgy was profound, and many people across the spectrum of denominations felt that the hymns, reflection and sermon befitted the whole service.
“Most of the visitors who were pastorally, theologically, and cross-culturally involved in the ministry said that the service communicated to them the heart of missional opportunity the cathedral and the diocese have.”
She continued: “The anthem 'Christ has no body now but yours' reminded me of the book I had read by Bishop Desmond Tutu, 'God Has A Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time.' In that book, he emphasised that God has no body except us, His church.
“I was surprised by the news coverage in Urdu, Hindi, and the African linguistic belt. The service was inclusive and a genuine celebration of God's mission past geographical areas and racial presence in the world.”
Bishop Martyn preached the sermon, in which he welcomed Sarah and drew on the two readings from Isaiah and the story of Jesus calming the storm.
He talked about how cathedrals serve as community gathering places, and Sarah’s role is to help people find meaning amidst life’s challenges and in the world’s turbulent times by pointing them to Jesus and his kingdom of justice and peace.
He also talked about migration, and said that “being Canon Missioner in Leicester is unlike many other Canon Missioner roles because Leicester has been transformed by migration in the last 50 years and is likely to go on changing. More than 50% population have their cultural roots in other parts of the world. So, shalom and peace with justice takes on a very particular meaning here in this city.”
He went on to mention the importance of humility among those of us who are White westerners in learning from the global majority and creating a new community where all cultures can express themselves, because this cultural exchange enriches everyone, as each person has something valuable to offer and receive, making us all gifts to one another.
Bishop Martyn welcomed Sarah, saying: “I pray that through your ministry many may come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as the one who stills the storms and brings healing. And I pray that through your ministry, a new community may develop here which is genuinely intercultural - a community where people of all backgrounds and cultures find shalom, peace with justice, as they assemble together and worship the living God who made heaven and earth.”
Speaking about her new role, Revd Sarah said: “Leicester is an exciting place with a wider community of different nationalities, languages, and cultures. Through my ministry, I have a huge opportunity to understand, connect, and affirm that this 'world is a theatre of God's glory', as John Calvin said. God has taken the initiative.
“I am looking forward to relating to the community and working to increase religious literacy in the cathedral and the diocese at large,” she added.
“Being a minority ethnic clergy member among the majority of white colleagues and members, I am looking forward to engaging, relating, and building cross-cultural ministry in the cathedral and across the diocese.
“I am also looking forward to celebrating the diversity of cultures, and the gifts and skills of so many people within the cathedral and the community at large to work together for the Common Good.”
You can find out more about Revd Sarah Gill in her announcement article.