• 17 May 2021

A new rector for Willowfield Church

Welcome to Revd Clive Atkinson who has been instituted as incumbent of Willowfield after 18 years of ministry with the Anglican Church in Switzerland.

It was a joyful night for the parish following an interregnum of 18 months occasioned by the rector becoming Bishop of Down and Dromore. And so, the new rector was instituted by the previous rector, the Rt Revd David McClay. 

The preacher at the service on 16 May was Dr Alan Wilson, a visiting lecturer at Irish Baptist College and an associate tutor at Belfast Bible College. It was when serving as a pastor in Switzerland that he and Clive became friends.

The service was live–streamed, allowing many others at home and abroad to join in the worship.

A command and a promise

In his address, Dr Alan Wilson reflected on the leadership transition from Moses to Joshua in Joshua 1.

He said: “Joshua’s task would be to take the people of Israel to the next stage of their story and lead them into Canaan, the Land of Promise. Not only did Moses commission him, but God underlined Moses’ commissioning message: ‘Be strong and courageous … the Lord your God will be with you.’

“Joshua was not being asked to be a second Moses: he had his own sandals! His task would be different. It would build on the foundations that Moses had laid, but it was a new episode in the story, not simply a repeat of the previous one. Yet the same Lord who had been with Moses would be with Joshua. He would never leave him, and he would never forsake him.”

Alan concluded: “Clive is Clive, not Joshua. It’s a different time and a different place. But the command and the promise remain. Be strong and courageous. The Lord who has been with your predecessor and who has already been with you will not leave you or forsake you!” 

Clive and Yvonne

Originally from Northern Ireland, Clive was ordained in 1990 and served as curate in North Belfast with Holy Trinity Joanmount and Emmanuel, Ardoyne. His served his first incumbency in West Belfast, with St John the Baptist, Suffolk Estate, before moving to Switzerland.

Clive is married to Yvonne, who sang at the service, and they have two adult children, Jacob and Rebekah. Rebekah has made the move to Belfast whilst Jacob remains in Switzerland to study. On arrival in the city, Clive and Yvonne went straight into a quarantine that lasted rather longer than planned!

“There was no need to worry,” he said, the Willowfield Church Family have been so good to us especially keeping us well supplied with chocolate brownies. We finally have been released and looking forward to becoming part of what the Lord is already doing here.” 

Both Clive and the Bishop paid tribute to the Willowfield staff team who have steered the parish through, not just a vacancy but a pandemic.

Rebekah enjoys an ice-cream with her Mum!
Rebekah enjoys an ice-cream with her Mum!