Day: 9 August 2010

(Media) Musician Mark is chaplain to Bloodstock heavy metal festival

Pioneer minister and heavy metal aficionado Mark Broomhead will lead the chaplaincy team at Bloodstock this week.

Mark, who has played bass for the past 21 years in such Christian Metal/Rock bands as Exoria, Fire Fly, Detritus and Seventh Angel, is heading up the 15-strong welfare group at the Bloodstock Open Air Metal Festival from Friday (13 August) to Sunday. Billed as the UK’s No1 heavy metal event, Bloodstock – now in its tenth year – will host more than 80 bands across three stages.

An ordained pioneer minister in Chesterfield, Mark contacted Bloodstock organisers three years ago to ask if they needed a chaplain on the site. He has been in charge of welfare provision ever since.

Basically we look after anyone who is not in need of hospitalisation or under threat of arrest,

said Mark.

Some people lose their tents for one reason or another, for instance. We're just there 24 hours a day for whenever people a helping hand or a chat or a safe space to recover from a little over indulgence.

Organisers are expecting 12,000 people during the festival at Catton Hall, Derby. Among the headliners are twisted sister and Opeth; on the New Blood Stage on Friday 13th bands will include Morgue Orgy while Flayed Disciple is part of Saturday's extensive line-up. Festival goers can also have a go at Metal Karaoke.

Mark often wears his dog collar while wandering around the site.

The collar offers instant identification and people seem to be fine with it. I have not been burned at the stake yet so it must be OK. Bloodstock does tend to focus on the darker side of metal, and there are some openly satanic bands though there is a huge range of music. It is fantastic to be involved.

Mark was ordained as Deacon in Derby Cathedral at the end of June 2008 and priest in July 2009. His main focus was to lead a fresh expression of church called Sanctum based at the St Barnabas Centre in Danesmoor. Sanctum's worship style is heavily influenced by rock culture and activities have included putting on gigs, starting a small record label and recording a rocked up Christmas carol album.

Mark was recently licensed by the Bishop of Derby, Rt Rev Alastair Redfern, to begin plans to develop an accessible form of church to appeal to Alternative sub cultures in Chesterfield town centre, possibly to be based in a club or a bar.

River in the City

River in the City - Keith HitchmanThe vision for River in the City is to create new ways of 'being church' for people who work, relax and live in Liverpool City Centre. Pioneer minister Keith Hitchman envisages a growing network of small communities in workplaces, cafes, and many other areas.

Liverpool ONE is one of the biggest shopping centres in the country. Its 42 acres includes 160 shops, more than 20 bars and restaurants, a 14-screen cinema and a park. It is the largest city centre regeneration project in Europe.

River in the City - streetRiver in the City will seek to serve those who visit, work and live in this development but it will also be there for anyone in and around the Liverpool city centre. The slogan for Liverpool ONE is 'Love the City'; the aim of River in the City is to follow Jesus' lead and to love the city in his name, demonstrating that love in useful and practical ways.

The Diocese of Liverpool is looking at a model of church that doesn't involve a large number of people coming together in one place but sees groups being established around a common interest – whatever that interest may be. In a world of choice and change, people form groups with others who share the same interests and views on life. It is through these groups that they discuss and ask the big questions and I want to help people to do that.

River in the City - wheelThis is about taking church out of the church building and into the workplace environment. It's about growing faith where life happens and life happens in the workplace and places like the city centre.

It's interesting how people see my work. Someone recently described me as 'the travelling vicar.' In a sense I suppose that's what I am! Other things are also important here. I have already been asked the key question of what football team I support. My son has chosen Liverpool because I don't think we'll survive without supporting a team from the city but I'm going to stick with my own favourites, West Ham. That means I don't have to be a 'Blue' (Everton) or a 'Red' (Liverpool). Anyway if you add the blue and the red together you'd probably get the claret colour of The Hammers!

River in the City - blocksCulture is changing so rapidly that, for me, fresh expressions is not an add-on. It is vital. We're mapping out the way the Church will look over the next 200 years and that's exciting, but it’s also disturbing for people I think. The line that comes to me is from the book of Acts, 'these people are disturbing our city'.

Supportive bishops, deacons and those in leadership in the Diocese mean there is a growing understanding of what it means to do church in new ways and be church in new ways for a new time. I love the fact that there is a strategy for pioneer ministry here and the imagery of Lake and River – with the river of fresh expressions flowing into the lake of the inherited models of church. There's something very holistic about that.

River in the City - cityscape