The civic ecosystem of Shropshire relies on the participation of many different parts, and it was an honour to be present this weekend at the annual Mayor-Making service at St. Chad’s Church.
St Chad’s in Shrewsbury – tower over to the left
Shrewsbury has maintained the tradition of leadership through a mayor for centuries. Attending this service is an appropriate way to acknowledge that heritage and show support for the individuals who step forward to serve the county.
The service marked the formal conclusion of Adam Wagner’s term as mayor. He has served the town with great energy and sincerity, and we owe him thanks for his hard work.
The responsibilities of the office have now been undertaken by Berny Bentick. Both men have been welcome visitors to Soulton Hall recently, most notably when they attended the lecture delivered here by Lady Arden.
Lady Arden and Lord Mance join the High Sheriff of Shropshire, the Mayor of Shrewsbury, and the Mayor of Shrewsbury-elect in the Base Court of Soulton Hall. They appear here alongside former High Sheriffs and distinguished guests following the Magna Carta Lecture.
It was excellent to see them both at St. Chad’s as the leadership transitioned.
Inside the 2025 service, Cllr Wagnar receiving the civic sword of Shrewsbury from Rev’d Samuel Mann, Vicar of St Chads. Image: Ben Jephcott.
During the service, Rev. Sam Mann preached a thoughtful sermon based on readings from the Book of Acts and the Gospel of John. He explored the idea that a mayoralty functions as a living embodiment of the behaviors we wish to cultivate across our society. A key theme of the sermon was the importance of the different organs of a town, including its schools, community groups, and faith groups. Rev. Sam Mann emphasized that the value of these entities lies precisely in their diversity and difference, each contributing uniquely to the social fabric.
The minister also shared a fascinating linguistic insight regarding the opening of the Gospel of John. He explained that the phrase “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God” is better understood in its original language as being “towards God.” This implies active relationship and movement. Drawing a creative parallel to the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place the previous evening, he described this as a form of choreography—a dance of civic harmony.
This social allegory of there being a dance of this sort is a deeply established perspective here.
Through the historical work of Sir Rowland Hill and the themes of civic and cosmic harmony visualized in As You Like It, we can see how ancient this understanding truly is.
The famous Soulton Dancing Pavement
It reminds us that for a community to flourish, its various independent parts must move together with mutual respect.
While Soulton Hall is just one small element within the wider Shropshire landscape, that message of harmony and cooperation is a theme that always feels very familiar and worthwhile.
We wish Mayor Berny Bentick the very best as he begins his year of service to the town.
