Pioneering appointment to Leeds' bars and night clubs 

News Release - Photo call

With its  growing reputation as a 24 hour city with a vibrant nightlife , the church in Leeds has taken the innovative step of appointing its first pioneer minister to the city’s bars and clubs. Ms Beth Tash, (27), previously Youth Pastor at St George’s Church Leeds, will be commissioned as 'Pioneer Minister to the Night Time Economy' at a special commissioning service in the Royal Armouries, Leeds, this Wednesday September 7^th at 7pm.

Editors and  photographers:You are cordially invited to cover this event at the Royal Armouries, 7pm, Wednesday 7th September. Present to commission Beth Tash will be the Bishop of Knaresborough, Rt Revd James Bell, the Archdeacon of Leeds, Ven Peter Burrows, and the service will be hosted by fellow Pioneer Minister to the New Communities of Leeds, Revd James Barnett

The innovative post of Pioneer Minister to the Night Time Economy is being paid for centrally by the Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. It is the third such post that the church has created in Leeds, following on from the appointment of the Revd. Rob Hinton as the Pioneer Minister to the Business Community in 2009, and the Revd. James Barnett as Pioneer Minister to New Communities in 2010.

Beth Tash has lived in Leeds for nine years as both a student and a youth pastor – and comes to the exciting new post of Pioneer Minister to the Night Time Economy with both a sense of mission and a positive view of the city’s night life. “Leeds has a great reputation among students and young people and I have personally enjoyed the great music and  great venues.  I like the atmosphere -  it’s quite chilled out. So I’ve really enjoyed it and I think it will be very interesting seeing it from the perspective of the people who run the venues or put on the events.”

Beth says she expects to be  spending the first few months talking to those who work at the city’s clubs and bars, building up links with city centre churches, praying with others, meeting people who work in the city, and linking up with other Christians to bring a “message of life and a mission of love”. 

The pioneering role, she believes, is a broad one with lots of exciting possibilities: “At one end of it is the clubbing scene which is mainly younger people and students, then there are more and more bars and restaurants which get  those in their 20s and above -  there can be something more conversational in that environment. Then there’s what’s happening on the streets and  part of the role is working the police, the council and  with the Street Chaplains looking at safer streets. I’ll also be looking at whether we could put on events in the city, or have  creative and visual work in the city, on the Headrow or Briggate, say, or a 24/7 ‘Sacred space’ to invite people into.”

One of those responsible for creating the new role is the Archdeacon of Leeds, Ven. Peter Burrows, who will speak about the development of the post during the commissioning service.  “The church has recognized that it needs to do more to serve the city’s night time economy.“ he says. “If you go into Leeds on any Friday or Saturday night and see the huge number of young people coming into the city, it is obvious that the church isn’t engaging with the club culture.  Because of that, this is a very significant and exciting appointment.”

ENDS

Attached for free use – BethTash.jpg  -Please credit 'Diocese of Ripon and Leeds'

Interviews and further information- Ven Peter Burrows, Archdeacon of Leeds (0113) 269 0594

.