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Resourcing
Renewal
Inspiration
all the way
The Presidential Visit to the Bolton and Rochdale District (4 – 7 April 2008)
coincided with the Centenary Celebrations of the Queen’s Hall, Wigan Methodist
Mission. Even before the present
building was opened, the Mission had an amazing impact in the area.
It is recorded that between 1904 and 1907, 2,249 people were won for
Christ through the work of the Mission. One
hundred years on, the packed congregation, including civic guests and Neil
Turner MP, worshipped with the President, giving thanks to God for a vibrant
balanced ministry of evangelical outreach and social action, centred in the
heart of the town. The President was
inspired by the story of recent renewal of children’s work at the Queen’s
Hall. The Mission had no children,
and out of concerned prayer, one member of the congregation had the vision and
felt compelled to start a crèche, trusting that God would send children and
young people along. During the last
year, up to 25 children and young people have been present on Sunday mornings.
The Presidential Visit had begun at Walkden Methodist Church in the Farnworth
and Worsley Circuit, who offered hospitality to a large group of lay and
ordained preachers. The address
given by the President was in the setting of an after-dinner speech.
The
Presidential theme of “Resourcing Renewal” was expounded at a District Day
Conference held on the Saturday of the visit at Bolton Road Methodist Church,
Bury. Joyce Kimberlee, lay worker in
the Bolton Circuit, one of the President’s former students, expressed her own
appreciation to the President and that of all who had gathered.
Joyce added that she had amazed herself that through Cliff College she
had obtained a BA. So far as she was
concerned, ‘BA’ stood for “Blinking Amazing!”
Some 600 people gathered in the Victoria Hall, Bolton for the District
Celebration. The Hall’s huge
platform looked impressive, being filled by the Rochdale and Littleborough
Circuit Choir, members of the Prestwich and Radcliffe Circuit Worship Group and
the Victoria Hall Praise Band. Angie
Doherty, a member of Trinity Methodist Church, Rochdale, now a student with St
John’s College, Nottingham and involved in youth work in her own Circuit,
received a spontaneous round of applause after speaking of her conversion to the
Christian faith and some of the struggles and difficulties she had faced in
being a disciple of Jesus. The
President expounded John chapter 20, with particular emphasis on the risen
Christ offering peace, sending His disciples in mission, and the gift of the
Holy Spirit. A large number of the
congregation came forward to the Communion rail to receive anointing with oil.
After meeting with
ministers and lay workers from the District, the President’s final task was to
unveil a Blue Plaque at 80 Bradford Street, Bolton.
The Rev Thomas Champness, born in Manchester 1832, moved to Bolton in
1882, working as a district missioner. During
this time, he and his second wife agreed to receive ‘underprivileged lads’
to live with them at Bradford Street, and started the work which eventually grew
to become Cliff College. Thomas
moved to 118 Manchester Road, Bolton in 1885, but it was at Bradford Street that
the vision began. The inscription on
the Plaque includes: “In 1883, in this house, Wesleyan Methodist Minister, Rev
Thomas Champness, and his wife Eliza founded the Joyful News Mission which
became Cliff College in Derbyshire.”
We give
thanks to God for the way the President inspired so many people, and trust that
in some way he was inspired by being among us.
President
unveils blue plaque for college pioneer
A
plaque commemorating the life of Thomas Champness was unveiled on Monday 7th
April 2008 at 3pm at 80 Bradford Street Bolton by Rev'd Dr Martyn Atkins,
President of the Methodist Conference. The plaque commemorates the start in 1883
of the Joyful News Mission, which ultimately became Cliff College, one of the
foremost Bible Colleges in the country today, with a
strong emphasis on evangelism.
Thomas
Champness, born in Manchester in 1832, became a Methodist Minister and pioneered
mission work in Sierra Leone in 1857. His wife died of yellow fever there, but
he continued in West Africa until moving to Bolton in 1882 as a travelling
evangelist around the Bolton and Rochdale area. During this time, he and his
second wife agreed to receive two 'under-privileged lads' to live with them at
Bradford Street, and this was the start of the work that eventually grew to
become Cliff College.
Rev'd
David King, Chair of the Bolton and Rochdale Methodist District said, 'Bolton
has a rich heritage of non-conformism and the Methodist presence continues today
to commend the Christian faith, and enrich community and civic life. We should
be proud as a town that the beginnings of Cliff College were right here in the
heart of Bolton. The work of Cliff College has influenced the mission of the
Church in many parts of the world.'
Guests
at the unveiling include the Mayor of Bolton, Mrs Barabara Ronson and the
Mayor's Consort, Councillor Bob Ronson, and local Member of Parliament, Dr Brian
Iddon.
(Left to right) Rev David King
(Chair, Bolton and Rochdale Methodist District), Dr Brian Iddon MP for Bolton
South East, Rev Dr Martyn Atkins (President of the Methodist Conference and
Principal Cliff College), Cllr Barbara Ronson, (Mayor of Bolton), Rev Pat Brown
(Superintendent, Bolton Circuit,), Cllr Bill Ronson (Mayor's Consort)
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BOLTON
AND ROCHDALE METHODIST
DISTRICT