Welcome to Wokingham Methodist Church

We are now part of the Blackwater Valley Methodist Circuit, formed by the merger of our previous circuit, the Berkshire Surrey Borders Circuit, with the circuit to the south of us, the Hants-Surrey Border Circuit, effective from 1 September 2025.

Our previous minister, Revd Catherine Bowstead, has retired.  We welcome her replacement Rev Wes Hampton, from 1 September 2025.

Starting on Sunday 21^st September, evening service (with Holy Communion) will resume on the third Sunday of each month at the new time of 6.15 pm (new time chosen so you can park in the Rose Street car park without having to pay both an afternoon fee and an evening fee).

Future worship and recorded services are on this page.

10.30am Morning Worship - Local Arrangement

Company and Fun  2pm-4pm  more details here

from Rev Wes Hampton

Dear Friends,

The annual meeting of the Methodist Conference is under way. Representatives have gathered in Telford to consider matters from the possibility of on-line communion services to the membership statistics, from the Methodist Church’s ‘net-zero’ aspiration to its relationships with other denominations. There is plenty more to be crammed into a few days.

Among the highlights of Conference are the Reception into Full Connexion, and subsequently the ordination, of those who have been serving as probationers. In our own circuit, Kyung Mi Banks has completed her second year as a presbyteral probationer, and will be ordained this afternoon (Sunday 28 June, 4pm) at Shrewsbury Abbey – if you wish to follow the service on-line, you can do so at

https://www.youtube.com/live/oTKwpOqC2Ps

Ordination services inevitably lead to a focus on the individuals. The service includes recognition that they are called by God to this particular ministry, and a summary of what their own order of ministry involves. However, all this takes place in the context of the Church’s whole ministry. The congregation is reminded that “All who are received into the Church by Baptism are called to proclaim the mighty acts of God in Jesus Christ our Saviour, and to serve him in the Church and in the world.”

Indeed, the very idea of a “Conference” is that we are a people who discern God’s intention by conferring. We arrive at our policies and practices through shared consideration, because we recognize that there is no class or group of people set over us. How we govern ourselves as a denomination, and how we make decisions as a local church, should reflect our understanding of the Church as the Body of Christ.

We acknowledge that different people have different gifts, and different roles have different responsibilities. In ordination, we celebrate that Kyung Mi, and others are set apart for a lifelong role of ministry. At the same time, we commit ourselves afresh to the ministry of the whole people of God.

Wes

from Kim Tame

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."  (John 10:27)

Dear friends,

Recently, some former colleagues wanted to organise a reunion; and with the assistance of technology, we started a process of tracking people down.  Some people were easy; some were very difficult.  I spent hours on social media, squinting at tiny photos trying to figure out if they were that person I worked with 40 years ago.  There were disagreements; "Isn't that...?"  "No, it can't be..."

Then on the day, there was a little anxiety. What if I don't recognise people?  Will it be awkward? We had changed, of course, in 40 years.  The group of people I remembered as young and full of energy, were now grown up - just a little greyer, a little heavier, a little slower, perhaps, and with not a curly perm in sight!  Many of us have become parents and grandparents and have done all sorts of interesting things since working together.

As more people arrived, there was a little nudging.  "Oh, is that...?"  "I'm not sure..."

And what struck me was that though my eyes sometimes struggled to recognise a former colleague, my ears didn't.  As soon as they spoke, I recognised them at once.  Time went quickly as we shared old photos and memories.

I started to appreciate what a powerful metaphor Jesus used; sheep do recognise the voice of their shepherd and know whom to follow.  In a world subject to radical and rapid change, with conflicting information from all directions, may our ears be sensitive to the voice we should follow.

Kim Tame

Some previous Pastoral Letters are available here.