The New Circuit

April 2011 - The Wharfedale and Aireborough Circuit

You will already know that as part of the reorganisation of Methodist Circuits inspired by A Way Forward for Mission, we are to join with the Otley and Aireborough Circuit from 01 September this year. The Rev Julian Pursehouse (Otley) has been invited to be the Superintendent Minister. The new circuit is to be called The Wharfedale and Aireborough Circuit, and the inaugural service will be held at Otley Methodist Church on September 6th at 7:30pm. All are welcome.
There are a total of 14 churches in the new Circuit, of which seven have over 100 members, and seven are smaller churches (ranging from 4 – 74 members), one of which (Norwood) incorporates a Day Conference Centre. Staff resources include seven Presbyters together with 33 Local Preachers and seven Supernumerary Ministers active in the Circuit. Two of the churches, our own and Trinity at Rawdon, are Local Ecumenical Partnerships, and there are good ecumenical relationships throughout the circuit with active Churches Together groups in Addingham, Otley, Burley and Menston as well as here in Ilkley. Norwood and Timble churches are part of the closely integrated Washburn Valley group of Anglican and Methodist churches.
We are still discussing the structure of the circuit, but provisionally we intend to operate as four partnerships – Christchurch is in a partnership with Ben Rhydding Church, while Addingham will join with Burley and Menston. Across the partnerships, churches will act together to tackle specific mission objectives involving, for example, children and youth work, the elderly, rural mission and the like. Your continuing prayers for the development of the Circuit are appreciated.

Mike Dixon
Circuit Steward - April 2011

October 2010
The team working on "A Way Forward For Mission" have written a Final Report for the next Church Meeting and Council. Read the document by downloading it as a pdf file.

May 2010
The following document can be downloaded as a PDF file.

PRAYERFUL CONVERSATIONS - A Way Forward For Mission

The new monthly prayer time is now in place and is praying for the conversations being held between the Otley and Aireborough Circuit and the Ilkley Circuit. These prayer times focus on the mission and outreach of our Circuits.

We meet in the Coffee Bar at the Menston Methodist Church and in the Coffee Centre at Christchurch for tea/coffee at 10:00am; we then move to a place to pray at around 10:15am for about 20 minutes.

Further dates planned:
  • Tuesday 25th May at Menston
  • Thursday 24th June at Christchurch
  • Tuesday 27th July at Menston
  • Thursday 26th August at Christchurch.

Please put these dates in your diary and join us – you are invited to share in these times of prayer.

However, the most important part of this joint venture is that existing Prayer Groups, House Groups, Study Groups should include prayers about the conversations between our two Circuits, as together, we seek to discern God’s will and way forward for us.

Diane Coleman, for the Otley and Aireborough Circuit, Angela Pearson and I, for the Ilkley Circuit, have agreed to act as a network point for any prayer concerns about opportunities for Mission and for other important Circuit matters, feeding them between the Circuits.

At present prayers are for
Ilkley Circuit
  • Rev Rob Hilton’s Sabbatical
  • Addingham: “What about me, what about God?” (Stewardship)
  • Ben Rhydding: Soup Lunches
  • West Yorkshire Synod to be held at Christchurch in September 2010
Otley and Aireborough Circuit
  • Airport Chaplaincy
  • Leeds Synod at Yeadon in May, 2010
  • Norwood Retreat Centre and
  • The Washburn Heritage Project

These prayers will evolve over time. If you have something you wish to add, please join us in prayer or contact me and I will happily take it forward in prayer for you.

Every blessing as you prayerfully join in these conversations!

Chris Eagle

May 2009
A Circuit is a group of churches in a geographic area brought together as a unit of the Methodist Church for the purposes of mission, deployment of resources, mutual support and administration. At present the Ilkley Methodist Circuit comprises

• Addingham Methodist Church
• Beamsley Methodist Church
• Ben Rhydding Methodist Church
• Christchurch, a joint Methodist / United Reformed Church

The Circuit Meeting, which has representation from all four churches, together with the staff and officers of the Circuit, has oversight of the constituent churches and has a two-way relationship with the West Yorkshire District under the Chairman, Rev Peter Whittaker.

The Circuit staff consists of Rev Rob Hilton, the minister at Christchurch, and the Superintendent Minister, Rev Arnold Clay, who has pastoral oversight of the other three churches.

• creation of a renewed Circuit identity
• more lay people in leadership as models/examples
• financial sharing
• a larger staff grouping enabling the greater encouragement, use and sharing of their particular gifts
• more preachers
• closer links with the appropriate URC Mission & Care Group and the Anglican Otley Deanery (depending on the area to be covered by a larger Circuit)
• greater support for the Beamsley Project
• the viability of additional Lay Employee posts whose duties could include some administrative responsibilities previously carried out by the Circuit Superintendent or work with specific groups within the circuit churches, e.g. children and young people, the elderly etc.

Convinced of the likely benefits, the Circuit Leadership Team is actively seeking the best way forward.

Mike Dixon
Circuit Steward - May 2009