On November 8th, Cherry Vann will be enthroned as the 15th Archbishop of Wales. Her appointment has been covered in an abundance of headlines, as it has come in the midst of a turbulent time for the Church in Wales. The former archbishop stood down amidst problems in Bangor Cathedral. But, her appointment is also hailed by many as a new era for the Church.
A few weeks before her enthronement, Jonathan Thomas sat down with the new Archbishop of Wales at the Bishops office in Newport, to find out who she is beyond the headlines.
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Shattering the Stained Glass Ceiling: Women in Faith Leadership
In light of the recent appointment of the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, Azim Ahmed and guests examine whether women have shattered the glass ceiling of faith leadership.To discuss the issues Azim is joined by a panel of female faith leaders; the Very Reverend Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, Dean of St. David’s Cathedral. Chine McDonald who is the Director of the Theos think tank. Zara Muhammed made history as the first woman to lead the Muslim Council of Britain, serving as Secretary General between 2021 and 2025, Rabbi Charley Baginsky is the Co-Lead of Progressive Judaism in the UK and Ireland. Together they examine the challenges of leadership in faith traditions shaped by patriarchal societies, the qualities women bring to leadership and the hope they have for the future of religious leadership and inter-faith relations.
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Faith and Menopause
October is World Menopause Awareness Month; Menopause tends to begin between the ages of forty-five and fifty-five but for some it can start much earlier in life. It’s a process that can be tiring, confusing, annoying, frightening and even alienating. But what part can faith play in this rite of passage that half the world’s population go through? Can faith be helpful for people navigating the menopause or is it a form of suppression, with the changes to our bodies rarely being talked about in our churches, temples and mosques?Delyth Liddell is joined by -Sarah Allen, author of 'Pause – How to enjoy God, find hope and bear fruit through midlife and the menopause'.
Neera Vyas, a semi-retired religious studies teacher from Ruabon who’s from a Hindu background.
Dr Camilla Mork, historian and founding member of the UK Menstruation Research Network.
GP Dr Felicia Wong, who works for The Christian Medical Fellowship.
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Sight Loss Sunday
Jonathan Thomas visits the Torch Fellowship Group in Ammanford, speaks to volunteers of Guide Dogs UK, and interviews others about the experience of sight loss in the church. He also remembers the life and ministry of Peter Jackson, a blind pianist. All music performed by Peter Jackson for BBC Radio Wales Celebration in 1995 and 2013.
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Assembly Bangers
This summer huge crowds gathered at Glastonbury Festival to sing along to a set of 'Assembly Bangers'; beloved songs from primary school. Musician and music teacher James B. Partridge led the field with classics including 'One More Step Along the World I Go', 'He's Got the Whole World in his Hands' and 'Lord of the Dance'. The popularity of these songs goes beyond music festivals, and this autumn in his Homecoming concert Mal Pope will include an 'Assembly Banger' slot with singer and songwriter Graham Kendrick, composer of 'Shine Jesus Shine'. The popularity of primary school songs has taken many by surprise and this week Azim Ahmed sets out to explore why so many people love singing tunes from their youth. Azim speaks to James B. Partridge who explains that he began recording ‘Assembly Bangers’ during the Covid lockdown — and was astonished at how popular they became. Alongside his teaching commitments he's also planning a nationwide tour this Christmas. We’ll visit the Freedom Festival in Carmarthen, an event run by the Diocese of St. David's, where the Crowfoot band performs an 'Assembly Banger' slot and we'll hear from the audience there. We'll speak to Mal Pope and Graham Kendrick about the importance of communal singing, and lastly we'll visit Clyro Church in Wales Primary School to find out which songs children love today and which ones could be the 'Assembly Bangers' of the future.
New Zealand