The Rev Graham Langley and his wife, Rose, are looking
forward to the next chapter of their lives after Mr
Langley's 23 years as vicar of the Balclutha Anglican
Parish. Photo by Helena de Reus.
It will be a bittersweet moment for the Rev Graham
Langley when he conducts his last church service in Balclutha
tomorrow.
Mr Langley (65) has been the vicar of the Balclutha Anglican
Parish for the past 23 years since arriving in the country
from South Africa.
The parish covers most of South Otago - Balclutha, Clinton,
Clydevale, the Catlins, Kaitangata, Owaka and Stirling.
Before he became a priest, Mr Langley worked as a civil
engineer in both South Africa and Zimbabwe.
In South Africa he trained in the Anglican ministry, and was
ordained, before serving as a non-stipendiary priest -
serving the parish on a voluntary, part-time basis. He moved
to New Zealand with wife, Rose, and their two sons, Paul and
David, in 1989 to take up the ministry full-time.
''We've always loved the smaller places, so Balclutha has
been great. We have all kinds of people here with a range of
backgrounds,'' Mrs Langley said.
Parishioners came from a range of church backgrounds,
creating more of a community church than an Anglican church,
she said.
Mr Langley said the parish was involved in a range of
activities in the community as well as attending to
parishioners' spiritual needs.
The parish had worked with other churches in the area to
start a combined churches' foodbank, as well as creating a
''parish mealbank'' of frozen meals to be given away as
needed.
Mr Langley also serves the church as an archdeacon, and
visits the Otago Corrections Facility at Milburn each week to
talk to prisoners and helps to take services there.
Mrs Langley was a volunteer chaplain at Balclutha Primary
School and has also taught Christian education in several
schools.
''We've always aimed to be a church which reaches out to the
community and beyond, offering opportunities to explore the
Christian faith, to strengthen relationships, and meeting
practical needs.''
''We have a deep concern for world issues, too, supporting
mission partners and projects in other countries.''
The Langleys made the decision to leave the parish in order
to have a break before starting something new.
''We are just taking time out. It's time for a break. The
church needs new ideas and new leadership,'' Mr Langley said.
''It's still an emotional event,'' Mrs Langley said.
Mr Langley agreed.
''It's a bit like a bereavement. The parish has to let go of
us, and we have to let go of the parish.''
The couple plan to stay in Balclutha for the foreseeable
future, but plan to travel back to South Africa and then on
to the United Kingdom before returning home to New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the parish has extended the call to interested
ministers, and the Rev Bill Sim, formerly of St Luke's in
Mosgiel, will be the interim vicar from February 19.
A farewell and thanksgiving service will be held for Mr and
Mrs Langley tomorrow morning at 9.30am at St Mark's, followed
by a barbecue lunch.
-helena.dereus@odt.co.nz
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