Welcome to
St Mary Magdalen

Dear, Friends.

 

This is a special issue of BN which is given over to introducing Revd Anupama Kamble-Hansell. Over to you, Anupama!

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With love and best wishes,

Adam

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My name is Anupama (pronounced Aa-noo-pha-maah) and I am truly grateful to serve in this Benefice as your self-supporting clergy; all thanks to Bishop Olivia and Dr Adam for kindly facilitating the process.

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Here’s an introduction to me: As a boys mum, my life has been full of adventure, activity and sport both in India and this country which has been a major factor in how my personality is now formed to an easy going, extroverted, light hearted down to earth mother, wife and priest from the rather nerdy, reserved, introverted person that I was before being a parent. So just saying, you can talk to me about anything and everything under the sun and I will always be happy to lend a listening ear.  

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By the time the next issue of the Benefice news is printed, my two sons would have already turned aged 18 and 13. Nathanael is studying his final A levels and Joshua will be starting Year 8. As mixed-race children both boys have had extensive experience of living both in India and England being educated in the Indian boarding school education system for a few years. Both returned with mixed feelings but were extremely overjoyed to resume their British education in the state school system. Their experience is owed to my own background and upbringing, yes blame it on me.  I was born to a clergy couple in the Anglican Province of the Church of North India (CNI) from the western region of India with Mumbai (Bombay) as the capital city of the state. I was raised, educated and received my ordination training in India belonging to a strong long line of practising Christians. My great grandparents and extended family collaborated with Christian missionaries (mainly CMS and USPG) who arrived during the colonial era and were keen to set up churches, hospitals and educational institutions mostly in rural villages to make basic health provision and education accessible to all sections of society especially to deprived communities. My grandfather Dr Lemuel was a physician  and my grandmother Rosemary was a nurse in the Christian mission hospitals with the wider family members dedicated to the life and ministry of the church. My father Bishop Pradip and my mother Revd Magdalene both educated in Christian mission educational institutions, retired a few years ago and they live together with three younger siblings in India. My husband side of the family are originally from Norwich where Peter was born, raised and educated. 

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I left my parents’ home when I was about 21 for ordination training and in 2002 I was ordained deacon in CNI before I met Peter. We had a big church wedding in India with Peter’s parents and brother visiting the country for the very first time on a scorching hot summers day in April. As a married couple we arrived to this country on the invitation of Ely Diocese on a glorious sunny day in June 2003. I immediately purchased my first bike and together we cycled around Cambridge through almost every narrow alley way visiting churches, passing by colleges and water streams, being introduced on the way to an entire new breed of Peter’s circle of acquaintances at the Divinity Library and socialising with his friends in the dining halls. It was only in Cambridge that it first dawned on both of us that we were a mixed race soon to be clergy couple and, on that identity, after Peter was selected for ordained ministry, we were recommended to the diverse Diocese of Birmingham to train and study at the Queens Foundation Edgbaston.

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I started my curacy in the vibrant city centre church, St Martin-in-the-Bullring, not a typical parish church but offered a rich variety of experiences of engaging with the markets, visitors and civic authorities.  Consequently, on being priested in St Philips Cathedral in 2004 by Archbishop J Sentamu,  I was appointed to Aston University as the Lead Anglican chaplain whilst I was simultaneously studying for a Master’s degree from the University of Birmingham and doing part-time teaching to pay towards my Masters.

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After the birth of our first son in Birmingham, as clergy parents our ministries diversified considerably. I served in Coventry in five parishes, then we moved to serve in seven parishes in rural Norfolk where my youngest son Joshua was born in Norwich. From Norfolk, through Peters jobs in the independent school sector, we moved to Longeaton,  Bristol and now here in Reading. Whilst raising two young sons and supporting Peter’s jobs, I made myself useful by taking up chaplaincy roles and being predominantly involved in conservation and schools work serving as primary school governor in about five different schools in the dioceses we belonged.

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Before being licensed to this Benefice, I was a PTO member of Reading Deanery for nearly five years whilst residing in a remote rural Bradfield village on the other side of M4. It has been hugely exciting to move homes and to join your Benefice but much more rewarding to get know such an incredible enthusiastic mix of people and the privilege of starting to visit many of you in the congregations who love and deeply care for their churches in so many ways.

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Funnily enough as I am acclimatizing once again to the rhythms and routines of parish life, I have also realized that although not much has changed on the nitty gritty scene, there is always something new and challenging to learn along the way.  I do believe that the church has a very distinct transforming role in our local communities. Regardless of our origins, differences and diversity of opinions, we are all joined together through our common bond of friendship and faith and our commitment to serving the church. The unique stories and journeys of joys and struggles we share bring us together and I see myself fully immersed in parish life, upholding the two parishes and congregations in prayer; welcoming and embracing the rich diversity of people from all cultures, backgrounds and sexualities; our uniqueness made perfect in the image of God.

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So let’s catch up whilst I am attached to this Benefice.

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God Bless