Community farewell for Reverend Tim Fletcher

AFTER 16 years as Rector in charge of the Anglican Parish of Corner Inlet, Reverend Tim Fletcher of Foster will finish his tenure in the parish at the end of May to take up a church position in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

His final service at Foster will be held on Sunday, May 28 at 10.00am. This will be conducted by Tim, with an invitation to the wider community as well as the local church communities to attend. It will be an informal service with Tim giving his final address as Rector of Christ Church. There will be a break in the service for morning tea, with lunch served at around 12 noon, to which everyone present is invited.

Tim, wife Liz and their family of Tom, Emma, Hannah and Ben arrived in Foster in 2007.  Tim was inducted to the position of Rector, filling the vacancy following the departure of Reverend Ken Rogers. 

Tim held services across the Parish at Foster, Toora and Hedley.  He also preached at the Fish Creek Union church and ran events such as Mainly Music for older children. And with the addition of the four Fletcher children the Children’s Ministry continued to flourish for many years, with wife Liz one of the teaching team. The Fletcher children grew up in Foster, attending both the primary school and the secondary college, where Dad Tim was a willing parent supporter and volunteer.

 He became well known for his participation in many activities in the Corner Inlet District as well as his role of Rector. He enjoyed his volunteering with the local scouting group and has spent the past nine years as president of Foster Secondary College Council. 

Several church projects were continued or initiated during Tim’s time in the Parish, including the Tuckerbox food program, Christmas boxes for disadvantaged children and more recently the Plus One food collection changing focus for local distribution by Manna Gum Community House. All of these programs continue to thrive.

Tim has been a popular visitor at Prom Coast Aged Care and a regular hospital visitor within his capacity as an official Hospital Chaplain. Along with his weekly church services at Foster and services at Toora and Hedley, visiting the people in hospital and aged care was a firm priority and one Tim was deeply engaged with.

“It has been an amazing privilege being able to spend time with residents in aged care and with hospital patients”, he said.  

Interaction with other local churches has also been a firm feature of Tim’s service. Their planning meetings would invariably take place in a local coffee shop due to Tim’s enjoyment of both a good coffee and interaction with the wider community. The annual community Christmas Carol service was among various events hatched over a much enjoyed cup of coffee.  

Tim will be on leave for a few weeks following his farewell service and prior to his move to Melbourne. The Parish Council and congregations thank him for his many years in the Corner Inlet Parish and wish him all the best in his next church.

Christ Church sends a warm invitation to everyone across the Parish and to all who have been a part of Tim’s and Liz’s life in Foster to come along to his final service and farewell on May 28.

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