During a recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land by folk from the Pembrokeshire Methodist Circuit, Mrs Muir Bird of Tenby was presented with a certificate for 60 years service as a Methodist local preacher.

The presentation was made during a communion service by the side of the Sea of Galilee at Tabgha by Rev Hugh-John Wilson, the Circuit’s Superintendent Minister.

Mr Wilson said “it was a huge privilege to present this certificate to a wonderful person who remains an active and much valued local preacher serving the churches in Pembrokeshire”. He commented that Tabgha is the traditional site of the feeding of the five thousand by Jesus so there is no more appropriate place on earth to present this certificate to someone who has spiritually fed so many people over the years,

Pictured with Mrs Muir Bird by the Sea of Galilee are Pembrokeshire Methodist Circuit’s probationer minister Rev Lorette Hinson and Superintendent Minister Rev Hugh-John Wilson.

Christian Aid Week 11th – 17th May

‘Thomas Coke (1747-1814): From Brecon to the World’
3-16 May 2014

Thomas Coke was the minister appointed by John Wesley, along with Frances Asbury to superintend the Methodist movement in America, and who went on to play a pivotal role in organising Methodist missionary work around the world, dying on his final journey to undertake missionary work in Sri Lanka in May 1814.

On Saturday May 3rd. the 200th year celebrations commenced with a series of lectures putting Coke’s life into the context of the town of Brecon and then his legacy for American Methodism.

In the afternoon of May 3rd, the Cathedral was filled to capacity for a Gathering of Methodists from most of the Circuits in South Wales and beyond and folk from other denominations to celebrate Coke’s life and his contribution to Methodist Missionary work.   Entitled ‘Thomas Coke – Looking back, Looking forward’ the lead speaker at the Gathering was The Reverend The Lord Leslie Griffiths of Burry Port.  Contributions also came from, amongst others, Revd. Cathy Gale (Superintendent of the Gwent Hills and Vales Circuit) on Coke’s Mission to the West Indies, Revd. Jennie Hurd (Chair of Synod Cymru) on the Concern for the Welsh Speaker and Revd. Soba Sinnathamby (a former Minister in the Newport and Lower Wye Circuit) on Coke’s final journey to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon).

Those of us who were there found the Gathering afternoon extremely informative and well put together.   It is hoped that Leslie Griffiths will be making available a transcript of his speech if anyone is interested.

On Sunday May 4th. there was an Ecumenical service of Holy Communion in the Cathedral at which the preacher was Bishop Thomas Bickerton of the Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church and in the afternoon, Glasbury Methodist Church at Cwmbach (the last remaining chapel of the old Brecon Circuit) hosted a buffet tea followed by a service at which the preacher was Revd. Cathy Gale.

From 3-16 May inclusive, Brecknock Museum will be open (ground floor only) every day 10am-4pm for the temporary exhibition ‘Thomas Coke (1747-1814): From Brecon to the World’. In addition to a wealth of illustrative material, it contains many memorable personal items that will never be seen in Brecon again, including his ‘writing slope’ (with inbuilt tea-caddy) that travelled the world with him, and his memorial ring.

Free admission.

Clergy in Barry will be bringing the Easter story to life with a modern twist by cleaning shoes in the town centre on Maundy Thursday.

As Jesus washed the feet of his disciplines on this day, ministers from two churches will be carrying out their own take on this by cleaning the shoes of passersby.

Rector Ben Andrews of Cadoxton-juxta-Barry will be carrying out these ‘Acts of Kindness’ along with Revd Peter Taylor and Deacon Sam Taylor of the Crossway Methodist Church in Kings Square, Barry, on Thursday, April 17, from 11.30am until 1pm.

To read the full article on the Church in Wales Website click here

Please click on the link below to read The Synod Chair, Rev. Dr. Stephen Wigley’s Easter Letter.

Letter to Wales Synod 0414

The Act of Worship on Radio 4 (LW) at 9.45am on Friday 11th April comes from Cardiff, and is led by our Synod Chair, Rev. Dr. Stephen Wigley.

The congregation at Tondu were delighted to welcome Wales’ First Minister, Rt. Hon Carwyn Jones AM to open The Wesley Centre at Tondu Methodist Church this Saturday, March 22nd, after a £450,000 re-development scheme supported by the Methodist Church, the Welsh Government CFAP scheme, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Veolia Environmental Trust and various other funders. Celebrations continued on into Sunday with a United Area service at which Rev. David Deeks, former General Secretary of the Methodist Church, was the preacher. The photo shows the First Minister in conversation with Rev. Dr. Stephen Wigley, the Synod Chair and the Area Superintendent and minister at Tondu, Rev. Gordon Sollis, with the scheme co-ordinator Prof Jeff Jones also in the the picture.

Rev. Irfan John and his wife Raheela proudly show the Synod Chair, Rev. Dr. Stephen Wigley, the Guinness World Record Certificate they received for the largest number of different nationalities to have taken part in a Nativity Play. This follows on from the special Nativity event which they organised at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff last November (see our earlier news story). Our congratulations to Irfan, Raheela and to all who took part in it.