Why do we have Methodist chapels linked to Well Street United Church?
Well Street United Church is an LEP (Local Ecumenical Partnership) linking the Methodist, United Reformed and Baptist denominations. We are therefore part Methodist, which is where the link to the Chapels comes from. The Methodist Church of Great Britain is organised into circuits and each circuit is made up of a collection of churches and chapels. Many circuits have one large city or town church and a number of rural chapels from the surrounding area linked to it. We have a more unusual arrangement (though not unique) in our circuit, with three larger town churches and then smaller churches and chapels linked to each of them, in sections.
Our circuit is called the ‘Buckingham, Bicester and Brackley Circuit’ (affectionately known as the ‘3 B’s Circuit’). 3 towns in 3 counties – Buckinghamshire,Oxfordshire, and Northamptonshire. Each town church oversees a smaller number of churches and chapels.
Here at Well Street United Church, in the Buckingham section of our circuit, we support the work of three chapels:
Steeple Claydon Methodist Church, Gawcott Methodist Chapel and Thornborough Methodist Chapel.
The circuit Superintendent is Rev Sara Cliff and she is the minister of the Brackley section.(Brackley,Towcester and Silverstone). Rev Jocyelen Bennett is the minister of Bicester Methodist Church.
Circuits are then joined together to form a District. We are part of the Northamptonshire District.
The purpose of a District is to enable, support and challenge local churches and circuits as they respond to the calling of being a Methodist Church or Ecumenical Partnership in their local context. The Northampton District is a diverse area, made up of 23 Circuits from the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Rutland, Leicestershire and Warwickshire. The communities covered are city centre, suburban and rural. The District also supports chaplaincy work to universities, hospitals, prisons, industrial and commercial workplaces and encourages the full variety of lay and ordained ministries.
The 3 B’s Circuit helps fund a part time Lay Pastoral worker to support and assist Rev Tim Edworthy, Minister of Well Street United Church, with the work of supporting the Chapels in their Christian witness to their village communities.
For further information about our chapels please contact:
Gawcott: Irene 01280 814361
Steeple Claydon:
Thornborough : Louise 01280 816887
Pastoral Worker: Katy (care of Well Street office) 01280 817560