Mexborough and Swinton Times October 1, 1937

Memorable Start for New Ministry
Institution of Vicar of Mexborough
Large and Representative Congregation

The new Vicar of Mexborough, the Rev. Ernest Harry Probert Rawlins, had a memorable introduction to his parish on Tuesday evening, when the ceremony of his institution and induction to the living attracted a congregation of nearly a thousand people. Of these some 850 were crowded into the Parish Church, the vestry and bell ringing chamber being pressed into service to provide extra accommodation, while others stood in and around the porch and the priest door.

One reason for the unusually large congregation was the presence of nearly 200 visitors from Mr Rawlin’s former parish of St. Paul’s, Norton Lees, Sheffield, who had come over for the service. The congregation was also widely representative of all phases of the life of  Mr. Rawlins’s new parish, invitations having been issued to a number of prominent local resident, by the nonconformist churches were also represented.

The ceremony was performed by the Bishop of Sheffield (Dr LH Burrows) assisted by the venerable FG Sandford, Archdeacon of Doncaster, while the patron of the living, venerable A.C. England, , Archdeacon of York, and the Rev. C. B. Renshaw, also took part. In addition to the Institution of the new Vicar, the Bishop also licensed as curate in charge of St George’s Church, the Rev. G. Bernard the Rev, E. H P. Rawlins’s former senior curate at, Norton Lees, who has come to assist him at Mexborough.

Many Diocesan Colleagues

The Rev. F H. Perkins, Vicar of Mossley Hill, Liverpool, who was brought up in the same parish as Mr. Rawlins in his native Birmingham, acted as Bishop’s Chaplain, and the following clergy were also present; Canon J. St, Leger Blakeney, Rural Dean of Wath; Canon Bracewell, Rural Dean of Sheffield; Canon S. T. G. Smith, Vicar of Attercliffe; Canon F. G. Scovell. Rector of Rawmarsh: the Rev T C. Rogers. Vicar of Swinton: the Rev W R. Hartley. Rector of Barnburgh: the Rev. T. B. Almond. Vicar of Bolton-on-Dearne: the Rev. J. V. Roome. Vicar of Elsecar: the Rev. F A. Donkin Roberts. Vicar of Ardsley: the Rev. F. A. Riche; Vicar of Frickley: the Rev. H. Lee. Vicar of Crookes, Sheffield: the Rev S. Powley. Vicar of Denaby Main: the Rev B. Russell. Vicar of Wath-on-Dearne: the Rev. E. F. Ladds. Vicar of Balby: the Rev. E. St. Leger Blakeney. Wath, the Rev. G. H. Ward. Wath: the Rev. R. W. L. Bedford. Priest in charge of Edlington: and the Rev. H. W. H. Lewis, Norton Lees.

Lay readers who attended were Mr. W. Watson. Mr. P. Chipp. and Mr. H. P. Arnold Craft (Mexborough), and Mr. S. G. Padgham (Denaby Main). and the nonconformist ministers present included Pastor J. A. Skelton (Trinity Methodist Church. Mexborough) and the Rev. Colin Gibson (Free Christian Church. Mexborough).)

Bishop’s Address.

Preaching from the text, “Continue in Them” (1 Epistle St. Paul to Timothy iv., 18), the Bishop said that one of the great marks of the Church of England was continuity with the past. That was why the Church laid such stress on the Bible, because that was from the beginning. That was also why it stressed the creeds, the sacraments, especially those of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and the ministry which had been carried on and was being carried on from year to year. The motto of the Church of England was “Go back to the beginning” That was its strength and the it covered so much ground; why it included so many people of all nations. They all drew their hope and spiritual values from the early days of God’s revelation.

This was a good text to remember when ;.) new parish priest came to his new sphere of work in a parish like Mexborough. He (the Bishop) had known Mexborough for well over 23 years and he had known four vicars of Mexborough, all of whom had been good men, who had laid their layers of bricks. They had not been the same, but no two priests, just as no two men, were the same. God always proclaimed himself in variety and unity. That was the doctrine which could be traced throughout nature and art, in the sense that God was one and the universe was one.

The four Vicars of Mexborough whom he had known had all stayed some years in the place and had left their mark. There were many present in church that night who could also remember all four vicars as he could and with a great deal of thanksgiving and joy, because he knew they were men of God. It spoke well for the patron of the living, the present Archdeacon of York, that he had taken such pains to get the best men possible.

Young, But Experienced.

“I know your new vicar very well,” proceeded the Bishop. “I ordained him and examined him myself, and I know what he is. I have entrusted him with three posts before Mexborough, and in every one he has done his duty He has served in two overwhelming parishes in Sheffield, and was for several years in charge of one of our great mining parishes, New Edlington, where he did wonderful work, especially among the young men. He has known what it is to deal with large parishes like Mexborough. He is young but he is also fully experienced.

The Bishop went on to say that the, parish had also had several good men as curates. One had just gone to one of the most difficult parishes abroad. It was right that they should send some of their men overseas. They had sent about nine in the last three or four years. Another of their parish priests was going to a comparatively close parish where he would have a greatly increasing sphere of activity, and would assist a vicar recovering from a serious illness.

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