Our Minister with Pastoral Care, Rev’d Pat Billsborrow, sends the following Message for the month of October 2018 ….
Dear Friends
It seems very strange to be writing this letter in some ways as September 1st was the day when for the 3rd time I became part of the Ministry in this Church. The first time was around nine months after Bob and I moved to Northwich twelve years ago. I had entered the Preaching Plan in the Circuit a couple of months after we arrived but then I had a telephone call from David Goodwin, I had known David when he was a Candidate for the Ministry and he had had a day’s placement with me whilst he was in College, so he knew me quite well. “I am getting married” he said “and I will be leaving the Circuit in the Summer and it is too late for Stationing, so will you be the Superintendent and the Minister at Castle for six months until someone can be moved into place” Not being known for saying no my reply was positive and so I became the Methodist Minister here in the days before we were the Community Church. As a keen ecumenist I worked hard during those days to bring the two congregations together, for one thing to lead identical services within an hour of each other did seem somewhat strange at times, and I was delighted when the uniting process was complete.
Eventually a new Minister was appointed, I was asked to take on work in Delamere Forest when a new Probationer Minister was going to be there, the job was too big for a Probationer, whose name incidentally was Sue Levitt, and so for two years I worked elsewhere. As that was coming to an end the District had a brainwave, why not fill places which had not been easy to fill with a Team, I was asked “would you be prepared” ……again saying yes, and off to Runcorn I went, initially for 1 year and then “can you stay for one more year?”…………
As that time came to an end, there was the need for a Team to come into the Mid Cheshire Circuit, I became part of that team, not with a particular role to play here at Castle but preaching regularly and being part of the “family” because Bob’s Membership was here, taking part in many of the events and activities as well as being quite regular in the Pulpit on Sundays. The Team was released when Rev. James and Rev. Tim arrived twoyears ago, and so I became a Preacher on the Plan, back to normal one might say.
But now: Well Chris our Superintendent was left with a problem, Peter was moving on, no one coming in, how could they or indeed he cope with the extra load, another call “If I am the Minister at Castle,” he said, “will you be prepared to take on a Pastoral Role there?” and here I am, It feels a bit like coming home.
I shall be delighted to work with Chris in this role, but I am NOT the Minister just his assistant and I will do what I can to work alongside him, prayerfully and diligently as we build on the work of God in this special place. It is good to be back.
Blessings
Pat Billsborrow