The Methodist Church in Shetland
Shetland is home to 22,000 people, over 300,000 sheep and many Shetland ponies. Since the 1820’s the Methodist Church has been seeking to make disciples of Jesus Christ and be a part of God’s presence in these wonderful islands.
Today there are 19 places of worship, some with weekly services and others who worship less frequently. There is a Methodist Church in each of the larger ‘North Isles’, Yell and Unst, and, to the far south, on Fair Isle too. At present there are two full-time ordained staff, one non-stipendiary, a retired but active lay pastor, soon to leave Shetland, and three retired ministers, one of whom is a Deacon. Our services are sustained by a fine team of Local Preachers and Worship Leaders.
In the more remote areas roads are single-track with passing places, all very well maintained –but watch out for straying sheep! Frequent ferry crossings to Yell and on to Unst take 20 and 10 minutes respectively. A preacher can clock up many hours and miles in travelling. The Methodist Churches in Shetland, even those with very small congregations, have robust enthusiasm and strive to maintain their buildings well.
The Methodist people worship as part of the Christian presence in Shetland. Other denominations are Church of Scotland, Baptist, Pentecostal, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Congregational, Brethren and Independent. This wide range of expression offers opportunities for the Christian faith to be explored by many of those living here.
Fishing is an important industry, with mussel lines and salmon farms in the voes. On crofts, dairy and beef cattle are reared. Some vegetables, including potatoes and cabbages, are grown, but most food is brought in by sea. Since the early 1970’s the vast Sullom Voe Terminal, handling oil from the North Sea and now the Atlantic, has brought significant
employment – but our petrol is still the dearest in Britain! Tourism is a growing industry thanks to the peaceful open landscape and the wealth of wildlife. Shetlanders warmly welcome visitors, including the many visiting Christian speakers.
The islands enjoy excellent health, social and residential care, leisure facilities and education. Many young people travel south to attend college and university. Some subsequently stay away, while others return. A feature of life here is the generosity of the communities with their response to local, and distant crisis appeals. They actively support local events and special church events are generally well attended.
My colleague, Nigel Barton, and I travel regularly to various churches and enjoy meeting members and friends. While most Sundays we are blessed with our regular core members, many people feel an attachment to our churches. It’s very important to be available for significant family events.
The challenges we face include caring for a wide age profile. We have a majority of senior, and hence more experienced people in our churches. We seek to provide worship, learning and leisure activities for all ages. The complex social environment we work in today presents difficult challenges and opportunities. Christian input at school assembles is welcomed. We can only offer a limited amount of time, but under consideration is the possibility of employing a person with skills relating to younger people.
God gives us such encouragement and the joy of building one another up and sharing our discipleship journeys.
Revd Jeremy Dare and Mr Louis Johnson Jeremy Dare is Chair of the Shetland District and Chair of the Methodist Chairs’ Rural Group
Visit of Rev Charles Klagba and family from Togo to the Methodist church on the island of Yell. Jeremy Dare is second from left.
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rural mission
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