This is my last Secretary’s report so I hope you will overlook the fact that it doesn’t altogether follow the normal pattern – but in any case 2003 was not a “normal” church year. If there is such a thing!
In December 2002 Alison Mackay had accepted our call to the pastorate so we started 2003 in a heightened state of thanksgiving and anticipation, and don’t ever think that God doesn’t listen to our prayers – sometimes the answer is just what we asked for! Ray was a deeply loved minister and his ministry was exactly what was needed to strengthen and consolidate the fledgling LUFC, help the church to find an identity and seek a way forward, both in mission and accommodation. We rejoiced in his leadership and ministry and were sad when he retired, but through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit we knew that someone different was needed to build on the foundation Ray had helped to lay down and to take the church forward to meet the new challenge and environment, of the 21st century.
We prayed. God listened. And his answer to our prayer is here with us now! How different can you get? Prayer was answered in other ways too. We were able to purchase a lovely house in an ideal location for the manse. David was appointed as Free Church hospital chaplain at
Alison came to lead worship occasionally during the time she was still at college and we soon got to know David, Amy, Robert and Esther – and how delighted we were that, after 21 years with a bachelor minister, there would now be a family in the manse. Another prayer answered.
Alison meanwhile was quickly getting to know the church family. Quite a task when you look at the numbers:-
Received by Transfer
Alison, David, & Amy Mackay +2
Received by Profession
Angela C
Simon & Sarah T
Beverly C +5
Edie Stone 1951- 52 YRS
Maureen Pantling 1994- 9 YRS (previously 38 yrs at Trinity Cong Hackney E9)
Brian Claxton 1952- 51 YRS
Ivy Wagstaff 1932- 71 YRS
Enid Hill 1943- 60 YRS -5
Children at Church 31
Adherents (Approx.) 50
Total Attendees (Approx) 138 (2002 - 136)
Weddings:
Natasha Little & Bo Poraj
Birth: Roman Ellis
Remembering others who died: Pat Mulye, Anna Milroy, Rachel Sprules, Kitty Grainger, Ted Freeborn, Muriel Wittich, Dennis Askew – Former Treasurer.
Our formal church membership is at its lowest point ever – and since the beginning of 2004, 5 more members have died, reducing our numbers to 52. Officially we are now a small church although anyone coming to service on Sunday morning & seeing a lively congregation, and usually a full chapel, would not class us as such.
If you are not yet a member will you let the witness of Edie, Maureen, Brian, Ivy and Enid (whose combined years in membership total 243) speak to you and perhaps encourage you to talk to Alison or one of the church councillors about it?
We are a richly diverse church family each person bringing their own contribution to the overall reserve of gifts, skills and faith from which all can draw. Our faith in God inspires and prayer underpins all the work and witness of our church family and Sunday worship and private devotions nourish our spiritual lives and help us grow more like Christ, the better to reflect his love to others.
It is this love which impels us to use the church building as we do. Above all it is a Christian Church dedicated to the worship of God but it is also a resource to be used in service to the community. Regular users include: Leytonstone Learning Link,
Church activities include the Worship Group,
Last year we hosted the GB District Parade and thoroughly enjoyed a Gambian evening. Church worship and church concerts were enriched by people with musical skills.
These activities are only possible because of the dedicated work of leaders, helpers and stewards. Naming them would probably mean some were left out so please accept a global thank you on behalf of everyone to you all. And I include in this the people who arrange the flowers, organise the coffee bar, produce Focus, prepare communion – the list seems endless. And a special ‘thank you’ to the Mackay Puppet Theatre and its organisers.
We maintained our links with the Leytonstone Group of
Our URC Cluster is in a time of change and we haven’t met recently. Wood Street has closed and is now united with Marsh Street and Trinity, Rev’d Noble Samuel left the Asian Church and has a new pastorate and Revd John Danso leaves Grange Park next month for Trinity URC Methodist Church, Golders Green.
There is no doubt that the Ordination and Induction were the highlight of the year. With her family, the church family and relatives, friends from
The church too had to make promises. To accept Alison as our minister, to work with her and support her and to constantly uphold her in prayer. This we gladly did. Although Alison had been involved with the church from the time she moved to Leytonstone, it was from September that her ministry began in earnest.
Alison has been our minister now for almost a year and her distinctive style of ministry and leadership are already deeply appreciated. As a church we are incredibly blessed but we must not take this blessing as our right, or treat it lightly. In Alison the church has been given a wonderful gift of ministry which extends far beyond taking services. Her empathy with, and concern for, all who are in trouble, sick, bereaved, or need wise guidance and counsel, is one of her greatest strengths, - but also the part of her ministry which will sap her own strength and in this and everything else she does - she needs the constant prayer and support of everyone in this church. Alison runs a home and is a wife and mother as well as being our minister and, something we tend to forget, she remains a student for the first 3 years of her ministry and has college deadlines to meet.
Alison, David and their family are so much a part of the church fellowship now that it is difficult to imagine the LUFC without them. We do thank you, Alison, for everything you have done and already mean to us. And we thank David, too, for all that he does in the church. I knew something of Alison and David’s pastoral care last December and know that others have been similarly blessed.
It has been a privilege for me to be a small part of Alison’s early days of ministry here and I am sure that as the years go by great things will come from the promise of these first months.
Two other people should be thanked. Martin Addo is standing down for a time due to pressure of work and has not therefore accepted re-nomination although he remains a resting elder. So thank you Martin and come back soon.
Gordon Dykes also retires this year after 38 years as a deacon and church councillor, including 30 years as Church Treasurer. Our debt of gratitude to Gordon is huge – his treasurership was outstanding and it was his initiative, persistence and driving force which encouraged the church to seek a way forward which, with equal initiative from Peggy Sumpner at the URC, resulted in union.
I won’t say anything more except “thank you”.
It is 40 years since I was elected as a deacon and 36 since I became Church Secretary. A great deal has happened in those 40 years and I am enormously grateful to so many people who have helped me in countless ways.
My mother was always a tower of strength, The daughter of a church secretary and knowing something of the task, she begged me not to take it on but, once the decision was made, she backed me all the way.
I cannot possibly name all those I should thank – the list is endless. Our own ministers - including our present one! – friends at the LBA and BU and more recently Thames North Synod; church councillors over the years; especially Peggy Sumpner and the many friends in this and neighbouring churches. As in business, for Church Secretaries it is often a case of not “what you know” but “who you know”, and I am sure that my successor will receive the same level of help and support.
Many decisions have had to be made over the years, some uncontroversial but others have inevitably been painful. I know that some of the things which I or the church council have done caused hurt – in some cases I have been able to put things right but I’m sure that sometimes people have been too gracious to tell me. There are times when hurtful decisions have to be made – agreeing to demolish our churches must rank among the worst – but at other times possibly through too little thought or prayer hurt is unwittingly caused and for this I ask your forgiveness.
I am touched that you want to celebrate my retirement in some way but, knowing me you won’t be surprised to know that I would be most embarrassed by anything personal. The service of these years has been given with love to God and the church and, as such, needs no acknowledgement but I am happy to go along with Alison’s suggestion that some form of help should be sent to a needy family in
It is not possible to give even a brief resume of these 40 years in this report, fascinating though the story is, and in any case the last 25 years is detailed in the history that Ray is writing for the Silver Jubilee. But, looking back, the hand of God can so clearly be seen guiding the churches, particularly through the difficult days of the 1970’s when it would have been very easy for either of the underlying churches to have been totally overwhelmed by the problems they had to deal with. Out of our weakness God enabled us to find strength by coming together 25 years ago, and He has now sent us Alison who, with her distinctive ministry will lead the church on the next phase of it’s journey and witness. But she cannot do it on her own. We must all be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit and much in prayer so that through this church fellowship the light of Gods love will shine like a beacon in this district.
“ For Christ is the first and the last;
His Spirit will lead us safe home;
Well praise him for all that is past
And trust him for all that’s to come”
Gwenda Hill (July 2004)