Bishop Lawrence!

Rt. Rev. Dr. P J Lawrence, after serving for 15 years as a CWM Missionary to the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, was elected a Bishop of his sending Church, the Church of South India, and consecrated to the position on 29th May. Mrs. Lawrence journeyed to India to join him for the consecration (along with two of their children). Bishop Lawrence was on sabbatical from his post as Regional Dean for the Cayman Islands of ITLD, a position he has held for the last 5 1/2 years, when his selection was announced. He was visiting India at the time, on a sabbatical project to introduce the ITLD style of teaching and training to the Church of South India, with them partnering with our own International University of the Caribbean (IUC) and St. Stephen’s College, Canada, which administers the MA in Pastoral Psychology and Counselling that ITLD has been offering for a number of years. The fact that Dr. Lawrence was chosen for the Bishopric while serving overseas for 15 years, speaks graphically to the esteem in which he, and the work he has been doing with the UCJCI, is held by his Church. One of the tributes paid to Dr. Lawrence by our Moderator, Rt. Rev. Dr. Roderick Hewitt, upon learning of his selection, was that he “had worked his shirt off” during his time with the UCJCI, especially in the development of the Cornwall and Cayman Islands learning centres of ITLD. 

Bishop Lawrence was back in Cayman briefly from 22nd June to 4th July (with a trip in between to Jamaica), to ‘pack up’ and end his sojourn in Cayman.  Mrs. Lawrence will be returning to India on 10th July, as she was employed as a teacher at the John Gray High School and had to wait until school closed. In India she will be busy supporting the work of the Bishop, but with a particular emphasis on women’s affairs. The Diocese (Nandyal) has over 500 congregations and 100 Ministers, as well as social development agencies – so they will surely be very busy!  During their time in Cayman they both became treasured friends of many in the Church, as well as others in the wider community. On his last Sunday (for the foreseeable future) in Cayman, Dr. Lawrence was invited to preach at the William Pouchie  Memorial United Church in North Side, a congregation where he was particularly sought after.  Friends from the Church across the Island and from ITLD gathered at the Prospect Conference Centre on Saturday evening, 1st July, to celebrate with them, offer congratulations and blessings, and express appreciation to them for their service in Cayman and also in Jamaica.  The Lawrences give thanks to God for His mighty hand in all their movements and, while looking forward eagerly to these new and challenging opportunities as a Bishop, noted that they would miss Cayman and the work they have done here. Bishop Lawrence observed wryly that, having lived on the seashore of Prospect for the last few years, he will certainly miss the view he enjoyed there – especially as his new Diocese will be 500 miles from the ocean!

By the pictures we have seen, the consecration service and the subsequent tour through the downtown area of the Diocese of Nandyal were very colourful affairs. The Lawrences were draped in garlands of vividly coloured flowers, and so was their touring platform – almost like a scene from the Parade of Roses! The pictures below show some of the pageantry, reverence and joy of the consecration, including Dr. Lawrence with his Bishop’s Mitre, Staff, Ring (visible on his right hand, signifying him now being wedded to the Church) and Cross of Office. In the top right hand picture, Bishop Lawrence is seen flanked by the Moderator (left) and Deputy Moderator of CSI.