Introduction
Welcome to the Blackheath Central Methodist Church Website.This
website provides information about the church, its worship life, its activities,
and its role in the community. It also offers some general
information about Methodism and what Methodists believe. We
welcome any enquiries you may have and can be contacted as detailed
at the end of this page.
Formation
Blackheath Central Methodist Church was formed in 1996 by
the merger of five local Methodist churches. It was based at the former
Birmingham Road Church until May 2002, when the present building
was
opened.
The
church was designed as a multi-purpose building so that it could serve the
community both spiritually and practically.
It consists of a worship area,
two meeting rooms, offices, a vestry, a
coffee lounge, a children's
activity room and a comprehensively equipped kitchen.
From 2008 it will
also have a second activity room. Car parking is available at the rear
of the building (entrance via John Street).
Facilities are provided for the
disabled and during services a hearing loop is in operation. The versatile
layout of our church provides excellent facilities for a wide range of
activities. Take a look at the many activities based at the church by
using the navigation menu on the left.
Methodism in
Blackheath
Blackheath Central Methodist Church is part of the Blackheath Methodist Circuit. Its sister churches are Hurst Green
Methodist Church (in Narrow Lane) and Long Lane Methodist Church. The
superintendent Minister with responsibility for all three churches is
Rev.
Richard Wilde. The Blackheath Circuit is part of the Birmingham
Methodist
District, one of the thirty three districts which make up what our founder
John Wesley named the Methodist Connexion (which covers England, Scotland,
Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of man).
Beyond that, the Methodist Church is present in many countries
worldwide.
Minister Profile
(by
Rev. Richard Wilde)
I
have been minister at Blackheath Central since September 1998. These have
been years of change and renewal in many ways for individual members and
for the church as a whole. I try to support people through their times of
struggle and share with them in celebration. Blackheath
Central members have done that for me as well: they were kind and
cared for me and for my family through difficult times.
In 2002 they
turned out in strength to share the celebration of my marriage to Olive at
our marriage service in the
building completed only the day before!
My roots are in the soil - Olive and I
were both born and
raised on farms - her family in Warwickshire, mine in South Northamptonshire. After ten years running a small fencing and rural
property and land maintenance company and doing
Christian youth work I
responded to a call to ordination and was sent to Wesley College, Bristol
for Theological Training in 1981. From Bristol I went to Zimbabwe as a
mission partner taking my young family - Noel, Stephen and Andrew. The
nine years in Africa were challenging and rewarding.
The churches are full
of young people and are growing rapidly. The pattern of ministry is very
different from England - at one time I was overseeing 96 churches with
only a part time minister to assist. It taught me to use and trust
lay-people to lead congregations and care for each other. As well as
church-based work I was a regular broadcaster on national radio and TV
producing and presenting epilogues, services and 'thought for the day'
slots. In Bulawayo it was a privilege to chair the steering group that
gave birth to the Bulawayo Shelter, a charity still meeting vital needs
for up to 120 people each day. Frustratingly I was an early victim of the
ethnic cleansing that began with the Zimbabwe government not renewing work
permits for ex-patriot staff.
After five years in Warwickshire I
came
to Blackheath to be
a
catalyst for
change and a pastor to the people. We have seen gentle growth in congregations in recent years so that more than half the membership at
Central have been part of the church less than ten years,
three Lay
Witness weekends helped the church to grow in depth of faith and
fellowship as women and men have shared their stories with each other. A
sincere welcome is vital for ongoing growth in congregations and some of
our folk excel in this gift. We have sourced funds from all sorts of
trusts and donor organisations to fund firstly a circuit youth worker who
facilitated the Friday open youth work in 1999, then a children's worker who works jointly with the Church of England has helped outreach among
younger folk. The Live at Home scheme is a partnership with MHA and reaches older people many of whom live alone.
Central Methodist Church is a busy and good place to be.
In October 2006 we built a new hall for games
and other activities as the existing four year old building was no longer adequate!
Please pray that the growth and consequent changes will continue.
Pray
for the newly appointed Elders team and Service Stewards (AKA vestry
stewards). Please pray for me, for Olive and our grown up children: Amy,
Andrew, Noel, Richard and Stephen.
Rev. Richard Wilde
Central
& the Community
There are many varied groups based at Blackheath Central
and details can be found of all these by using the navigation bar on the
left of the screen. Our building is also used for numerous one-off
events. These include not only weddings and funerals but also conferences
and private parties. It is also the annual venue for local elections.
Please contact us for further information and bookings.
Live at Home
Based at this church, this is a befriending service
for the over 60s, giving practical support, information and advice.
It offers a wide variety of social activities
including day and residential trips, exercise classes, coffee mornings and
tea dances. If interested in these services or maybe interested in information. Additionally an Acrobat
PDF brochure is available which can be downloaded or printed. You will
also find links to the MHA national website which details a range of
additional services offered.
Office Hours
The church office is staffed regularly at the following
times:
