‘To everything there is a season’, says Ecclesiastes, and at this time of year that is sharply true for Methodist ministers. Across the Connexion, we pack our books and our boxes and move to new places, to meet new people. This summer it’s my turn to be on the move, heading south to be superintendent of the West Hertfordshire and Borders circuit and deputy district chair of the Bedfordshire, Essex & Hertfordshire District. It’s all a bit of a mouthful! I’m to be replaced by Rev.Dr.Jo Cox-Darling, who is coming to Manchester from Wolverhampton, with her family, to be superintendent here and minister at Whalley Range and Manley Park.
Moving on is tough, because a minister gets to know people well, often at difficult times of life, and those relationships need to change to make space for a new minister to flourish. But it also creates space for new discoveries about each other and about God. A new minister talks about God and the world in fresh ways that resonate differently. They bring different gifts of the Spirit and have much to give and learn as they settle into new congregations and circuits – and that is particularly true in Manchester, where the city’s culture is unique.
And when a minister leaves, as I am leaving this summer, they take with them the learning about God and the world that has been built up over the years. I’m ashamed to say I still don’t know much about football! But I’m taking so much else with me. Much of what I’ve learnt is summed up by the Manchester bee, which was the symbol of the city’s resilience following the Arena atrocity just before I arrived. For me, it also depicts the value of community. I’ve seen how churches can pull together to achieve a goal they believe is God’s will for them. I’ve seen how the circuit came together in face of the threat of Covid to support each other, especially through new resources such as online worship and social media, and how our life in God was strengthened as a result. Working together, bees build the sweetness of the honeycomb – and I shall take that from Manchester to the new circuit in the south.
Thank you to all those who have worked alongside me over the eight years I’ve been here. Together, we’ve led worship, grown churches, encouraged people in discipleship. Together, we’ve sold manses, financed the circuit, built missional futures for our buildings in their communities. Together, we’ve recruited and built an amazing staff team. None of this is down to any one person, and I’ve been blessed with brilliant colleagues over the years. For all of this, thank you – but above all, I’m grateful to God for the opportunity to serve in the Manchester circuit, and I will take those blessings with me as I leave. I know that you will welcome Jo as you welcomed me, and that God will be with you as you continue to seek, serve and share Christ.