It was a privilege and a blessing to welcome the Revd Steve Wild and Dr Jill Barber, President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference 2015-16, to Synod Cymru and Wales Synod between Thursday 17 and Sunday 20 March 2016. They arrived in Shrewsbury on Thursday morning. After spending time with members of both Synods in a meeting of Y Cyngor, Revd Steve Wild went onto South Wales with Revd Dr Stephen Wigley, Chair of Wales Synod. Dr Jill Barber spent the afternoon visiting the Tanat Valley, Powys, with the Chair of Synod Cymru. Jill received a warm welcome with tea and a chat in Tabernacl chapel, Llanfyllin, before going onto be enchanted by the beauty of Pennant Melangell. The afternoon ended with a visit to Seion Chapel, Llanrhaeadr YM, and a warm welcome, tea and chat there once again. Many thanks to all.
On Friday afternoon, while the Vice-President was visiting Aberystwyth (where her husband, Peter, was a minister, some twenty years ago), the President joined members of Synod Cymru on a visit to Mary Jones World near Bala. The centre, which tells the story of Mary Jones and her Bible, made a big impression on Steve, and he was delighted to receive a copy of beibl.net, the new translation, as a gift from the Synod. It was a complete coincidence that Mary Jones’ Bible itself was visiting Bala at the same time, so everyone had the chance to see the Bible at Barclays Bank in the town at the end of the afternoon.
Following a meal in the manse of Revd Sue Lawler (formerly of Synod Cymru but now Superintendent of the Welshpool and Bro Hafren Circuit) on Friday evening, Revd Steve Wild and Dr Jill Barber were together on Saturday morning in St Paul’s, Abergele. The theme of the meeting was their theme for this year, namely “Heritage and Mission”. In the evening, the President joined members of the Buckley and Deeside Circuit for tea, before spending the night with Revd Phil and Mrs Catherine Barnett. On Sunday morning, Revd Steve Wild preached in St John’s Church, Llandudno, in the presence of several members of Synod Cymru, before flying the Isle of Man for Holy Week. The Vice-President’s responsibility on Sunday was to lead a service to remember Conscientious Objectors at Englesea Brook, the Methodist Church’s museum in Staffordshire where she is director. The year is very busy for both of them, so we pray every blessing on Steve and Jill as they travel on in the name of the Connexion and of our Lord.