Hello from the Midlands

[simm1978]

Hello everybody.
I am Simon from England and am really looking forward to speaking with people who are about to be initiated into the world of freemasonry.

[Peter Taylor]

A warm welcome to LRUK!

[simm1978]

Thankyou Peter

[eckywan2]

welcome Simon from sunny Leith
I presume you are not yet a member?
Best wishes for wherever you choose to go

[simm1978]

Eckywan.. I appreciate the kind words. Thankyou very much.

[Mike Martin]

Welcome aboard.

[simm1978]

Thankyou Mike

[eckywan2]

Dont be shy Simon tell us more
and ask questions too

[Lloyd Wiebe]

Welcome. Hope you enjoy your time spent here.

[wayne cowley]

A very warm welcome from me too

Wayne

[simm1978]

Is it correct that all'potentials' have to have their partners/wife interviewed?
I have an issue with my wife as her father's a vicar and they disagree with my decision yet my great great grandfather was a mason I'd love to follow suit. Dilemma that I don't know how to resolve? Thankyou

[Richard George]

Is it correct that all'potentials' have to have their partners/wife interviewed?
I have an issue with my wife as her father's a vicar and they disagree with my decision yet my great great grandfather was a mason I'd love to follow suit. Dilemma that I don't know how to resolve? Thankyou

One of the first things we insist on is that Freemasonry doesn't cause problems within the family - family come first. If your membership is likely to cause family issues - particularly between partners, you would be (or should be!) advised not to continue with your application.

Wives and partners are not 'interviewed' as such, but they are normally included or invited to meet the committee so they have the opportunity to ask any questions they may have. You might like to point out though, that many high ranking clergy have been and are members - including a former (now deceased) Archbishop of Canterbury .. Geoffrey Fisher, who presided at the coronation of Elizabeth II. I personally knew (they are both dead), a Rabbi, and a Canon in the Anglican Church. In fact, when I was at school, I used to be a Server, and served that Canon .. he later became the Provincial Grand Master of Cambridgeshire.

[Trouillogan]

Is it correct that all'potentials' have to have their partners/wife interviewed?
I have an issue with my wife as her father's a vicar and they disagree with my decision yet my great great grandfather was a mason I'd love to follow suit. Dilemma that I don't know how to resolve? Thankyou

What Richard says is absolutely correct and I'd like to add a word or two. Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher, who coronated the Queen, used to be a member of my lodge in Derby. My late father was a Canon Emeritus of Derby Cathedral and Provincial Chaplain. I know of a great many of the clergy who either were when alive or are now members. Many vicars are surprised when they come to realise that if you remove all the Masons from their congregations, there would be very few people left! One of the things we do is to encourage our brethren to attend and participate in their churches and parish life - the same with the other faith systems. Further, the financial support we provide to church and cathedral fabric is quite staggering. It would be very interesting to hear what his concerns are, in factual terms not hearsay.

[Richard George]

https://www.elycathedral.org/events/fes ... ounce=true

We do this biannually; it's normally a sell-out ...

Incidentally, the ProvGM I mentioned was Canon Hugh Barker.
The Ven. James Rone (also now deceased) was the founding Junior Warden of The Porta Lodge 9511 (Old School lodge - Kings' School Ely); he was Archdeacon of Wisbech
(see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archdeaco ... nd_Wisbech regarding it's importance)

One thing I noticed about Hugh Barker ... when I served for him in the Cathedral (Ely), I could never hear what he said; the only way I knew what I needed to do and when, was by knowing the service backwards and following it in my head. Imagine my surprise therefore, when I first saw/heard him speak in Freemasonry, I could hear every word. That may go someway perhaps, to indicate what he thought about his membership. He was actually a great speaker with a fantastic sense of humour - something I suspect, he had to suppress in his ecclesiastical life.

The Rabbi I mentioned (I won't give his name as it would identify his sons and I don't have their permission) was, at one time, the Senior Jewish Chaplain to the British Army of the Rhine.

[Trouillogan]

Is it correct that all'potentials' have to have their partners/wife interviewed?
I have an issue with my wife as her father's a vicar and they disagree with my decision yet my great great grandfather was a mason I'd love to follow suit. Dilemma that I don't know how to resolve? Thankyou

You might like to give him an appropriate Christmas present - Revd Neville Barker Cryer's Belief and Brotherhood, pub. Lewis Masonic, ISBN 978 0 85318 277 1. Available from all good masonic book suppliers. It's not expensive, so you might as well get a second copy for yourself!

[wayne cowley]

We even have a Lodge which was established for ordained ministers of a number of Christian denominations in our Province. I know that there are Anglicans and Baptists represented there - not sure about other denominations presently

https://www.southwalesmason.com/lodge/s ... ics-lodge/

Wayne

[simm1978]

The response I have already received from extremely knowledgeable members of this forum shows me undeniably that joining the brotherhood would be a great aspect of my life as knowing people like yourselves can only enhance my knowledge of life, values and religion.
I will be purchasing the book for my father in law. Thankyou for the link!
I would like to thank everybody who has commented on this topic!!!

[Richard George]

Tell him to join the forum and ask his questions - we may be able to allay his fears.

Oh - and another notable clergyman; Maj Gen The Ven. John Blackburn, Hon Chaplain to the Queen.

[Mike Martin]

Tell him to join the forum and ask his questions - we may be able to allay his fears.

Or her, we had the wife of a prospective Candidate over on TFM a few years ago and she was happy to get answers from actual Freemasons about the rumours and gossip that she had heard from non-Masons.

[Richard George]

Good point.