Bishop Jonathan Gibbs, was delighted to join Bennett Memorial Diocesan School in Tunbridge Wells, to help them celebrate their Founders’ Day on Thursday 20 October.
He received a warm welcome, with the day’s events culminating in Bishop Jonathan celebrating the Eucharist with over 400 students drawn from the new year 7 cohort, and the sixth form.
The school was also pleased to be joined by a number of guests, including parents and long-standing supporters of the school, for a wonderful time of worship.
Photo: Students prepare for worship with Bishop Jonathan and other local clergy (taken by A Level student)
In what was a joyful service, Bennett students provided a diverse range of choral music to enrich the liturgy, including Tallis’, ‘If ye love me’, and the year 7 choir singing, ‘Heart to Change the World’.
Bishop Jonathan preached powerfully on his theme ‘Look’, urging students, staff, and guests to look back, look forward, and look up, in order to perceive how they are being called to the Christian life.
Earlier in the day Bishop Jonathan toured the school visiting maths, food and nutrition, and science lessons, before joining a group of sixth-form students for a discussion group.
Here the Bishop explained something of his own journey as a Christian into ordained ministry, sharing his early childhood experiences in Wales, his teenage questioning, and personal call to conversion while at university.
The Bennett A Level Religious Studies and philosophy students engaged with Bishop Jonathan on a wide range of topics including Albert Camus, Helmut Niebuhr, the blessing of same-sex secular marriages, Bishop Jonathan's favourite Bible verse, and the most fulfilling aspects of the life of a Bishop.
Photo: Bishop Jonathan takes part in a question and answer session with A Level RS and philosophy students (Photo taken by A Level student)
This was a great opportunity for students to hear and probe his theological thinking, with the students being struck by the Bishop’s openness with them and the breadth of his experience and learning.
At the end of the day, Bishop Jonathan took advantage of the more informal gathering for tea and cakes in the school's refectory to meet parents, guests, and students, and further engage with the school community.