Yesterday to mark ‘ATC Sunday’ and the 85th anniversary of the formation of the Air Training Corps, a special service was held at St Mary’s church in Kingswinford.
Young Cadets from five local squadrons were in attendance, including 156 (Kidderminster), 223 (Halesowen), 2488 (Kingswinford), 347 (Dudley) and 451 (Stourbridge), with guests from squadrons that make up the Staffordshire Wing.
Vicar Adam Hadley who is padre to the 2488 Kingswinford Squadron led the service, while our new Bishop of Worcester, Hugh Nelson, who is also Bishop to the Armed Forces, preached the sermon.
Adam led the renewal of promises which focused on fostering the spirit of adventure as well as the importance of service, loyalty and being good citizens. Prayers were also offered as part of the service, led by the cadets, emphasising the joy of discovery, the warmth of friendship, and the satisfaction of achievement, and giving thanks to the dedication of the Officers, Civilian Instructors and volunteers.
During his sermon, Bishop Hugh talked about the ‘World’s Strongest Man’ competition and the crazy challenges they have to undertake to prove their strength. He said:
“The Armed Forces, and the brilliant cadet units like yours, are meant to be strong. Everyone who serves in uniform has a role to play in
defending this nation from danger and threats. But to do that properly, we need to know what real strength is, and what real strength is for.
Pulling aeroplanes is impressive, and massive muscles can intimidate, but real strength – the kind of strength that God shows – is always for the good of others, and especially those who are left out, or vulnerable or need your help….And whether you can chuck a keg over a 5m wall, or struggle to lift your bag when you go to school, I pray that you will be strong like that; that you will be strong like God is strong.”
Cadet Lucas Green, age 17, who has been in the ATC for almost four years and attends Church of the Ascension, the other church in Kingswinford Parish, read one of the Bible readings at the service. Later, he said:
“As someone who is religious, I find it really important to stick to certain types of traditions. I think the church is such an amazing body for support and learning. Even those that don’t believe in God, there’s so many lessons you can learn. I think it is important to give the cadets a taste of that, if they’ve never come to church before. If some of that resonates with them maybe they might come to church in the future.”
“Bishop Hugh’s sermon really resonated with me today. I agree that strength isn’t just about big muscles, but what you decide to do. Sometimes doing the right thing is the harder path, but it’s important as it will better people. That’s what takes real strength.”
After the service, Bishop Hugh said:
“The young people who are part of the Air Training Corps are an inspiration to us all. They were proud of what they do, dedicated to the ATC and a joy to be with. After 85 years of the ATC, it was good to see that it is thriving in Dudley and Kingswinford.”
Cadet India Ameson-Jeffries, 18, who has been in the ATC for over four years and who also spoke at the service, said:
“There’s always been a close relationship between the ATC and the church so it feels right to celebrate the history here because it’s important to remember where you’ve come from. We’ve always come to church services here and Fr Adam is our Padre. He’s brilliant and really committed. This time it felt even more special because of the camaraderie between the squadrons as we can all relate to being Air Cadets and have that same passion. The church plays an important role in that sense of togetherness.”
Adam Hadley said:
“This is the second year we have welcomed different squadrons from across the region to St Mary’s, Kingswinford to mark ATC Sunday. This is the 85th anniversary of the formation of the ATC across the country and it is a real joy to see so many of our young people commit themselves to it and to be a real blessing to the communities they serve.”
Halesowen Squadron commander, Chris Sturman-Sprigg also added:
“Today is all about celebrating the formation of the Air Cadets, the young people we’ve got today and all that have gone before, whether they joined the forces or not. It’s definitely important to keep the link with the church as well, to keep it within the community and with the church being at the heart of that community, especially here in Kingswinford.”
There are more photos on our Facebook page:
