One of this summer's departures was that of Dr Ben Walker, Associate Team Leader for Multiply, the Diocese of York's project to encourage the growth of new worshipping communities amongst those in their 20s, 30s and 40s. His colleague the Revd John Lee writes:
"One of the things we learned early on in Multiply was how true it is that ‘everything moves at the speed of trust’; and so, the fact that Ben Walker is so clearly a person of integrity and credibility was of huge significance. Ben brought the experience of leading a church of and for younger people to Multiply and he obviously knew what he was talking about; but he never sugar-coated the task - admitting it was the hardest thing he had done. The leaders of the Growth Fund projects that Ben recruited, encouraged and trained [as well as their Incumbents and PCCs] had his experience but they also had his compassion and understanding and prayers.
"It’s been a privilege and a joy to work with Ben – there is no more valuable colleague than the one who both encourages you and questions you - and so we will miss him. We’ll also be aware, however, that Ben has left a legacy in shaping the culture of Multiply and especially in helping many lay leaders to respond to God’s call on them.
"We always hoped that Multiply would create ripples – Ben lobbed a few rocks into the pond. Thanks Ben!"