The Wales and Cymru Synods were delighted to welcome Rev. Steve Wild and Dr Jill Barber to Wales in the spring sunshine last week. We began with their coming to the meeting of Y Cyngor (in Shrewsbury!) on the Thursday after which Steve came down to South Wales to share in a meal hosted by the Tongan fellowship in Pontnewynydd and then to address the hundreds gathered in Blackwood for the Big Sing, while Jill visited places of historic interest in the Llanfyllin area. On Friday Jill travelled to Aberystwyth to renew contact with old friends from the time when her husband Peter was minister there in 1984-94 while Steve visited Mary Jones World in Bala and was able to hold a facsimile version of Mary Jones’ Bible. On Saturday we travelled to North Wales where Steve and Jill together addressed a gathering at St Paul’s, Abergele, before Jill returned home to lead a special service at Englesea Brook commemorating the centenary of the recognition of Conscious objection to serving in the armed forces. Steve continued on to visit St Winifred’s Well in Holywell and then shared in a Circuit tea at Mold, before leading worship on Sunday morning at St John’s Llandudno (and then flying out to the Isle of Mann to address a youth rally on the Sunday evening!)

It was an action packed visit shared across the 2 Synods – but one full of energy and encouragement, and there will be many people who will have had their photo taken with the President via ‘selfies’ taken on his tablet. We wish them both well for the remainder of their Presidential year – and note that a fuller account of their visits across the year can be found on their BlogSpot at http://www.methodist-presandvp.blogspot.co.uk/