Message from the Chair of District

Allegheny River

While I was on my exchange with Jim Tubbs, pretending to be the District Superintendent of the Franklin District of the West Pennsylvania United Methodist Conference in the United States of America, I was surprised to find a number of folk who had a real interest in Lighthouses. As I understand it lighthouses are means of guiding ships in the costal regions of our seas and oceans. Each lighthouse has a distinct signal and so the mariner is able to take bearings and set course. Sometimes the signal guides them safe into harbour, at other times it serves to warn of some hazard, which might imperil the craft. My surprise came in that the Franklin District, with all its beauty in rivers and creeks and hills and trees is land locked. I did spend a very enjoyable day out on Lake Erie, which is like a sea and indeed has lighthouses, but that is the northern edge of the next District, and we all know about boundaries.  

My exchange found me feasting on people and their generous hospitality, so I was glad to discover that the trip had not disturbed the bathroom scales! I preached each Sunday morning, sometimes twice, either in consecutive service in the same church or in neighbouring churches under the same minister (pastor). Early in my stay I preached out of the Psalms asking the question ‘What sort of God do we worship?’ 

• Righteous, in the sense of always acting out of compassion for what is right in the world. We read the feeding of the five thousand in this light.
• Faithful, in the sense of being there, ‘God with us’. Made incarnate not only in Jesus of Nazareth, but today in acts of love and compassion.
• Ever loving, having committed to creation and the people of the earth in all matters to be controlled by love. Such love for each and for all.

I hope that this does justice to my understanding of the Psalms, which are our most ancient worship songs, even pre-dating Charles Wesley, who we sang to different tunes over there.

So as I prepare to go the round of welcome services and to embark on our third year of working together, I ask myself the question in the light of such a God how will I let my light shine? And you?

I pray, using the new Prayer Handbook, ‘Amazing Grace’, that the new Connexional Year will bring new opportunities for us as we share in God’s mission and ministry in the world.

Yours in love,

Bill Anderson.

Ground Breaking at Barkeyville in preparation for new Hall	Blueberry Pie

Soft Ball	Lighthouse at harbour entrance Erie	Methodist Road