“Sitting Down” as a Local Preacher after 64 years ‘on the plan’
June to August 2025 was the last time I took services ‘face to face. In June I was joined in my service at Bromborough by two of my fellow preachers Peter Collyer and Andrew Clough), a good experience
I was recognised as a fully accredited local preacher in Sheffield in 1961 before we moved to Bromborough in January 1962, but I preached my first sermon when I was 16.
1953 was a memorable year for me. Of course, we all remember it as coronation year of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; but personally, I had just finished O levels (GCSE), and had a breathing space before I entered the sixth form to start work for my A levels. Then my church steward, Mr Fisher, who was also Sunday School Superintendent at the church where I had grown up, said to me “Pat we’ve not got anyone to take the service at the end of August, it’s time you started – go away and think of a text and prepare a sermon and then come and talk to me and ‘Auntie Nellie’, and we’ll look it over”. Forerunner of ‘Own Arrangements?
I was 16 and a member of a small church – Kent Road in Brunswick circuit in Sheffield – I was a Sunday School teacher and a member of Christian Endeavour, and ‘Auntie Nellie’ was our leader. She and Mr. Fisher her brother-in-law were preachers in the circuit. After the service, they on behalf of the church submitted my name to the circuit and I was duly given a ‘note to preach’. Certainly a different expression of a ‘Call to Preach’.
My ‘On Note’ and ‘On Trial’ were duly carried out in that circuit, but took longer, first because I was away at college for two years (55-57) and then after Keith and I married in September 1959 we moved to live in Germany, so I was given permission to study for exams by correspondence course, and exam papers sent to Keith to invigilate in Germany. He was a tough invigilator! Fortunately, all that was completed by the time we returned to Sheffield, and my final service and interview took place, and my recognition service arranged before we moved to Wirral in October 1961.
The rest, as they say, is history. I arrived in the then Bebington circuit and have very happy memories of the churches in those days, Over the years I have been privileged to preach in all the churches in the Wirral circuit, as well as many in Liverpool. One of the questions that was asked about us when we were presenting ourselves for Recognition, to be admitted to the company of the preachers, was “Do they have the gifts and graces?” Preaching is a privilege and a high calling.
Pat Jones
