Priest’s Romany-Traveller encounter inspires book and offers hope
Romany-Travellers from Cranbrook, Kent and Stopsley, Bedforshire with The Revd Martin Burrell at Christchurch Bushmead, Luton. More pictures here
Pioneering work amongst a Romany-Traveller community is documented in a new book, by the The Revd Martin Burrell, Vicar of Bushmead, Luton. The book, The Pure in Heart, An Epistle from the Romanies, is about the awakening of Christian faith amongst the Romany-Traveller community in Cranbrook, Kent, where Martin was based until Spring 2009. It reveals an unseen side of the Romany-Traveller community.
The title of the book, The Pure in Heart, recalls Jesus’s words in the Sermon on Mount “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God,” familiar to many. Romany-Travellers from Cranbrook and from Bedfordshire met at Christchurch, Bushmead for the book’s launch on 18th July.
Through his work with the Kent Romany-Travellers, Martin saw them being blessed by God in quite remarkable ways. He gradually became aware that they had something of immense value to offer the broader community in contrast to the marginalisation and vilification they had often received over many centuries.
He says: “They are open to supernatural Christian experience, committed to relationships of love and respect, and show tremendous passion for the Christian message.” He summed up his experience of them: “I found them simple and deep, where I had become complex and shallow”.
What Martin encountered has not gone unnoticed. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Revd Dr Rowan Williams has remarked on Martin’s book: “This is a record of how ‘church’ happens even when the institution isn’t looking-how people are gathered together around Jesus Christ by the sheer force of the Spirit’s leading. God constantly goes ahead of us in mission-not least in communities many Christians don’t know about, or even don’t much want to know about! It is a moving and inspiriting testimony to God’s creative liberty at work in our times.”
The Bishop of Bedford, The Rt Revd Richard Inwood has responded to the publication of the book: “Martin’s readiness to obey his calling as a priest to care for all the people in his community led him to this ground-breaking work.
“Martin’s encounters with the Romany-Traveller community in Kent and in Bedfordshire and his impressions of them are in stark contrast to the image of these communities that resides in the public imagination.
“Any encounter that offers deeper and better relationships between different parts of the community is to be welcomed. It is the role of Christians to help bring hope and peace to our communities.”
Martin hopes that his book will draw attention to Romany-Traveller communities in a positive way and highlight their as yet unmet needs in our communities.
Martin concludes, “Local councils have yet to allocate 40% of the Gypsy-Romany- Traveller communities in Great Britain places where they can settle. With Roma-Travellers from Eastern Europe fleeing persecution, this issue is becoming more, not less urgent. How we make displaced and marginalised groups within our communities welcome is as much an issue as how we welcome strangers fleeing persecution. Both are litmus tests of our humanity. This is difficult issue for many to grapple with, but developing bonds of faith with Romany-Traveller communities could make a real difference.”
Martin acknowledges that diffidence over engaging with Romany-Traveller communities exists within the Church too, but says: “I saw the Romany-Traveller community become a blessing to me, my ministry and the wider community. I hope this story will inspire many people.” ends
