[Magdalen] updated bio

[Simon Kershaw]

Brian posted a roster from 1994 which include bio info for some members. 
Fascinating to read this and see what has changed and what has stayed 
the same in the intervening 26 years.

Still married to Karen, and our children have grown up, and our daughter 
and husband have provided a granddaughter, Martha, now six months old.

I still work in computer software in Cambridge, though I left Smallworld 
in 2000. I still work in "own-brand" databases though, so not much 
change there.

We still live and worship in St Ives, where I now compile the rota for 
the servers and lots of other jobs. I'm still a member of the PCC and 
the deanery and diocesan synods -- but now I am lay chair of the 
diocesan synod, and also a member of the Cathedral Council, and an 
honorary canon of the cathedral.

I'd still very broadly categorize myself as "liberal catholic", probably 
a bit more liberal and a bit less catholic.

I'm still interested in Little Gidding -- now I'm Chair of the Friends 
of Little Gidding.

I'm still interested in liturgy -- now I'm a member of the Liturgical 
Commission of the Church of England.

Interesting to see how many of those seeds of 26 years ago have grown in 
the intervening period!

simon

On 10/03/2020 03.34, Brian Reid wrote:
> Simon Kershaw                 (simon.kershaw at smallworld.co.uk)
>                                England: Cambridge
>                                Biography last updated Jan 10
> 
>      Born: 31 Jan 1959 baptized: 29 Mar 1959 (Easter Day); confirmed: 30
>      Mar 1969 (Palm Sunday)
> 
>      Married: Karen, 1986; 2 children: Jennifer (1989), Alexander (1991)
> 
>      I'm a computer programmer currently working for a company called
>      Smallworld in Cambridge (that's England, not Mass.).  We develop and
>      sell GIS (Geographical Information System) software.  I help develop
>      and support our `own-brand' database system.
> 
>      For the last 7 years we have lived in Saint Ives (about 15 miles NW
>      of Cambridge).  We worship in our local parish church, All Saints,
>      which is high anglo-catholic.  I take my turn on the server's rota:
>      m.c., thurifer, acolyte ... my mother is waiting for my son to be
>      boat boy---it's okay, Mary Ann, we only have a boat boy on high days
>      and holy days :-); OTOH, we don't have female servers.
> 
>      I'm also on the PCC (that's the Parochial Church Council), and a
>      member of the deanery and diocesan synods.  And I'm treasurer of the
>      local council of churches (Churches Together in Saint Ives, which
>      brings together CofE, RC, Methodist, United Reformed Church and
>      Pentecostal).
> 
>      If pressed, I would describe myself as liberal catholic.  I'm one of
>      those bigots who supports women priests, and opposes freely-available
>      abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment (esp. for women priests :-)
>      etc.
> 
>      We have an interest in community life and are members of the Friends
>      of Little Gidding.  This place `where prayer has been valid' is about
>      10 miles from where we live and, inspired by Nicholas Ferrar and T.S.
>      Eliot, houses a community of Christian families and singles called
>      the Community of Christ the Sower.  I am interested in how this list
>      develops as an Anglican community.
> 
>      Other topics of interest?  Working for the unity of the church.
>      Bringing up my children to love and serve the Lord.  And I'm an
>      amateur dipper in liturgy, liberal theology, relationship to science,
>      church history, what's wrong with the *rest* of the church, etc.
>      Sometimes I even try and read the Bible.  Occasionally, I've been
>      known to try and relate some of this to the way I live.



-- 
Simon Kershaw
simon at kershaw.org.uk
Saint Ives, Cambridgeshire