rural ministry
different thoughts and actions. After these words were spoken at the staff meeting of the West Devon Methodist Circuit , we waited for the thought – which was… “Why don’t we walk around the circuit – and meet everyone, and have time to talk and pray.” Great idea we all thought and all signed up to it. The realisation of what we were about to do came later!
The West Devon Methodist Circuit is made up of 22 churches, the walk between them would cover around 90 miles in five days, starting at Northlew and ending in Okehampton. It was one of those things that you might put in the diary and say yes to but as the time for setting off drew ever closer we all wondered why… Revd John Peak, Revd Doreen Sparey-Delacassa, myself and other friends set off early on August Bank Holiday Monday Northlew Chapel, fortified with coffee.
We had two thoughts – are we crazy to begin this, and will we be able to finish it? However, we came to realise that it was the support from
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Walking the circuit “
Wouldn’t it be a good idea if…” spoken at a Ministerial staff meeting can lead to many
members of the chapels that would help us to complete the walk. We received great hospitality, including full English breakfast, food at each chapel, and once even a footbath. At every place we stopped for prayer and discussion with members of the local church about how they saw the life of the church and shared something of their hope for the future.
So why take five days out of the normal time of ministry to do this. Firstly it was an attempt at connecting together a large rural circuit and we wanted to let the churches have an opportunity to talk with the three ministers about their hopes and fears for the present and future. Secondly, it was a time to slow down from the usual way of getting around the circuit by car. It gave time to discuss, to look at the countryside, to reflect and pray and to talk to people as we went by, including people who were in the villages, those whose houses we passed and people working in the lanes of Devon.
It was also hard work! Going around the circuit by car doesn’t give the impression of the hills in which the circuit is set - there are more hills in
West Devon than we realised! As we travel around now, we don’t look at the area in the same way – we remember the stopping places, the time to talk, the prayers offered at each place of worship on the route. And we also have a sense of sharing with the people of all 22 churches in the circuit.
It was, after all, a good way to spend five days and the culmination of the walk was a short circuit service which summed up our thoughts on the walk, a thanksgiving for each and every member of the churches of the circuit and remembering our partner churches in the community.
We felt that we could do ‘mini walks’ as a pilgrimage in the circuit next summer, thinking about the way that God is involved with us, taking in the views and stopping to look at the hedgerows, joining together both Methodist, Anglican and Baptist churches… but only when our feet have recovered!
Rev Philip Wagstaff
Superintendent Minister, West Devon Methodist Circuit and Minister in the United Reformed Church
www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk
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