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13 August 2008
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World Church and Mission
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Revds Barrie and Betty Scopes Email : barriescopes@blueyonder.co.uk Tel: 01634 828491 |
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Barrie and Betty met in the Congregational Society in Cambridge at the
beginning of the 1950s. After training as teachers they got married in
1954 and taught Mathematics and French respectively until 1956 after which they went under the London Missionary Society to a High School in West Bengal. They left there in 1969-70 with their four children and moved to Sidcup when Barrie began to work as a Secretary for CCWM and then CWM. Betty returned to teaching French and then trained as a minister and was inducted at Wembley Park United Reformed Church in 1985. When Barrie left CWM in 1990 he also became a minister. They retired in 1996/8 and settled in Rochester where they attend The Vines Church and where Barrie is now an Elder.
Barrie and Betty were called to act as Co-conveners of the World Church & Mission Committee of the United Reformed Church in 1998/9. As a result of a visit by Stephen and Helen Smith to South India a partnership was arranged between the Southern Synod and the Rayalaseema Diocese of the Church of South India. This was a part of Andhra Pradesh where both Stephen Smith's and Barrie's parents had served as missionaries. Bishop Frederick and two others came to Britain in October 2000 and the partnership was set up. Barrie and Betty visited India for three weeks in January 2001 and Stephen and Helen Smith led a group of ten to the diocese in January 2002. In December 2002 the Moderator, the Revd Nigel Uden, spent two weeks in the diocese. In May/June 2003 a return visit was made to the Southern Synod by ten representatives of the Rayalaseema Diocese. Members of the Southern Synod have been supporting the diocese with their concern, prayers and giving. In 2002 another partnership was set up with the Reformed Church of Sub-Carpathia Ukraine. The link person has been Mrs Janet Davidson who has been supported by her church and community in Petworth. She goes to the Ukraine two or three times a year. In September 2004 David Mearkle spent two to three months of his gap year in the Ukraine. At Easter 2005 the Moderator, the Revd Nigel Uden, visited the Church there along with Janet Davidson. The Southern Synod along with the Thames North Synod supports the Ghanaian Minister for the United Reformed Church in London. So the Southern Synod is also in partnership with two Ghanaian Presbyterian Churches, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana. The present Ghanaian Minister is the Revd Godwin Nii-Noi Odonkor. Barrie is Secretary of his Management |