Monday, June 05, 2006

Amlwch English Methodist Church

If you are visiting Anglesey over a weekend or longer why not call in and join in our Sunday worship at 11.10am? We are a small church but lively. Our local circuit is small but perfectly formed. The photo you see on this blog is that of our church and its extension.

In the 1830s the manager of the Mona Copper Mine, James Treweek, a Cornishman and a Methodist was instrumental in pioneering this tiny Methodist Church. In our circuit of 5 churches we have the second largest congregation and are noted for our singing! It was back in the 1970s that Rev Victor Tudor, a United Reformed Church retired minister was asked if he could give a couple of days a week to revitalise the church. He had settled in Anglesey to write books and ended up taking on full time (expenses only) a church. He said he would finally retire once he had got the membership from about 27 to 100. He did it! Although I never met Victor during his period in Anglesey I did meet him when he was the minister of the Spalding URC which extended a welcome to my tiny church in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire as part of a group.

Today, Victor's widow, Barbara, is a good friend with whom I work as part of the Anglesey Committee for Macmillan Cancer Support. The Amlwch Methodist Church is well known for its annual Flower Festival where a number of very artistic flower arrangers show off their art. Each year the ladies from Penmaenmawr Methodist Church make a pilgrimage to see our flowers. Barbara Tudor is the driving force (at the tender age of 89 years) of the Flower Festival which she brought from Spalding when she settled here.

Visitors are always interested to learn the history of our church when they come to see the flowers. It is a unique history where signs of resurrection have always been in evidence. As a member of the Publicity Group I am forever designing posters for various events and invites for holidaymakers to come and join whatever we are doing. The good news is that it works and we do receive many visitors over a season.

We have no organist and instead use the Digital Hymnary for accompaniment to our singing. Our minister is Deacon Stephen Roe whose family offers wonderful support to our church. The congregation is a mixture of Methodists, former Anglicans, United Reformed Church, Salvationists etc. At Christmas time our candlelit carol service is something to behold. Each Friday we hold a Prayer Fellowship for 15 minutes. Then we move into the extension for coffee and a chat. We extend a welcome to any people at all and some do come.

On Sundays we welcome the Welsh Congregation whose service precedes ours. Any Welsh speaker would be welcome to join the earlier service or, if preferred, the English Service at 11.10am. We have a number of good preachers who manage to reach parts other preachers cannot!

Amlwch is just about the farthest north you can go whlst still in Wales. Looking East your gaze would alight on Liverpool. If you wnat to go North you have to go South first! We are special people who welcome anyone at all to our services.
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