I would like to invite you all to come to Worcester Cathedral at 7.30pm on Thursday, 24th May to share in the Birmingham District of the Methodist Church’s  “SingFest”. In this setting we will seek to celebrate the many Methodist Anniversaries that have come together in 2007 and our on going life as part of the people of God.

Anne Smith has arranged for St Andrews Methodist Church, Worcester to be open from 3.30-6.30pm on 24th May for tea and coffee to aid those travelling to the SingFest at Worcester Cathedral.

Three hundred years ago, Charles Wesley was born, the person who gave so much rich faith poetry to the church, some of which we still sing, and will!  ‘Hark the herald angels sing’ remains an amazing expression of our understanding of God with us, incarnational, faith. ‘Love Divine’ is a powerful prayer of commitment. Come and see what we will sing.

Two hundred years ago, the Wesleyan Conference, for insisting on preaching in the open air and holding outdoor prayer meeting, put two men, Hugh Bourne and William Clowes, out of class. How quickly a movement ‘to spread scriptural holiness in the land’ had become a respectable institution! This event gave birth to the Primitive Methodist Church, one of the Methodist traditions.

One hundred and fifty years ago, 1857, we remember the first assembly of the United Methodist Free Churches. This tradition was in 1907 to come together with Bible Christians, chiefly from the South West of England and the Methodist New Connexion(formed in 1797) to form the United Methodist Church.

The United Methodist Church with the Wesleyans and the Primitive Methodist Church came in 1932, just seventy-five years ago, came to form the British Methodist Church of today.

But we will not only be looking back with thanksgiving for these stories, we will be celebrating our present faith. This will find a special focus in the testimonies of our three Ordinands, Janet Jenkins, Gillian le Boutillier-Scott, and Jonathan Musselwhite.

I am told that if you arrive early that in the cloisters of the Cathedral there will be this years exhibition of art by local schools. I promise you that you will treasure the experience if you can make it.

If perchance you are allowed to nights out in one week, then on the Monday at Bedworth, Maddy  Prior and the Carnival Band will pay tribute to Charles Wesley, or on Friday and Saturday the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham will stage “African Snow”, a powerful piece of drama focusing on the abolition of slavery story.

Yours in love,

Bill Anderson.

Anne Smith has arranged for St Andrews Methodist Church, Worcester to be open from 3.30-6.30pm on 24th May for tea and coffee to aid those travelling to the SingFest at Worcester Cathedral.