David Winwood – so far!
Genesis
I was born in north London, where I was brought up by my mother, with my three brothers and two sisters. Poor thing – she had six of us!
I left school on my sixteenth birthday and worked in an engineering drawing office before candidating for the ministry at nineteen years. Richmond College, London University, became home for the next four years, throughout my theological study and preparation for ministry.
Then in 1968 I was launched into my first appointment on a large housing estate in Glasgow – and what a great way to begin. Supported by my Community Development studies at Glasgow University we worked with street gangs, on housing action, setting up tenants associations and supporting people through distressing times. Alongside those things the church engaged in children’s work, opened a youth club, had a thriving club for the elderly and we built up a lively a strong congregation.
You may know one of the congregation, as Wilma and I were married there in 1970, which was also the year of my ordination. From among the ordinands a small group of us set up The Alliance of Radical Methodists, later that year, which grew to be an effective instrument in Methodism for the next twenty years or so.
Wilma was in University at the time of our marriage, before training in education at Christchurch College, Canterbury, and then teaching for about 16 years.
In the 1980s Wilma retrained in Counselling and Psychotherapy and now works
with the NHS in Kent.
Gillingham
For seven years we lived in Kent when I was Minister of St Peter’s Church and Centre in Gillingham. A full time youth worker was employed to run the open youth centre with a large group of hells angels gathering there twice a week. My role included extending the community work among homeless people, one parent families and young offenders.
Then to serve the universities who were preparing the students for professional social work, I established and supervised a student unit, which brought a group of six or seven students into the community work of the church and centre for about six months at a time.
During these years I was also involved in training youth workers with the
County Council, developing youth work in the Methodist District and
developing Christian discipleship among young people in the church.
The National Scene
In 1979 I was appointed by the Methodist Conference to lead the work among young people in the UK, as National Secretary of the Methodist Association Youth Clubs. That was an exciting decade, with a hundred thousand young people in our groups and about ten thousand voluntary leaders throughout the country. At weekends I was in different parts of the country, speaking at youth events, leading training courses and preaching at lively youth worship. A high point each year was the MAYC London Weekend, when ten to twelve thousand young people would camp in the London Churches for the weekend and fill a variety of events. Preaching to a crowded Royal Albert Hall, and calling young people to Christian commitment, twice on the Sunday morning, was both nerve racking and thrilling. The final rally filled Trafalgar Square, and put a smile on the face of the policemen! My role was in heading up and developing the church’s policies and programmes in youth ministry, promoting a clearer emphasis on mission and evangelism and sharpening the focus on the social and political dimensions of the gospel. We worked with other churches and with other national voluntary youth organisations, as well as in partnership with the statutory youth service at national level.
During this time I was often in broadcasting, a number of my leaflets and books were published and I worked with the churches in different parts of Europe. It was great being asked to speak at International Christian Conventions in the Bahamas, Australia, Zimbabwe, Jamaica, Miami and California. I’ve since returned to Australia several times to speak at parish missions. These were all wonderful and surprising opportunities, which have enriched my life and my ministry beyond description.
Zimbabwe
For five years we lived in Bulawayo after the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe approached the Methodist Conference UK to ask if I could be released to work with the church there to set up a youth department. I was Minister of Hillside Methodist Church, Bulawayo, where Shona’s Ndebele’s, whites and coloureds worshiped together, and I spent half the week moving around the country working with congregations and thousands of young people who had, unexpectedly, come to the churches following independence – bringing their new education, post-war ‘sophistication’ and tremendous gifts and challenges.
The Methodist Church Youth Department was launched at the Centenary Celebrations in Harare in 1991. This was just before severe drought and famine hit southern Africa. Two years without rain in Matebeleland brought much hardship and suffering.
With the support of Christians around the world we mounted a feeding scheme
from Hillside and carried tons of maize meal to the rural areas every few
weeks.
1993-99: St Anne’s-on-Sea
I did not expect to end up in Lancashire on our return from Zimbabwe, but that seemed to be the right church for me. There was a strong congregation, about 400 membership, a good choir, a Boy’s Brigade, youth work and good scope for developing the life of the church through music, drama, new styles of worship, social involvement and a programme of mission.
The church had also pioneered a Day Care programme, catering for about 50 elderly people who were brought each day for companionship, meals and bathing etc. This was staffed by a professional team employed by the church and supported by volunteers.
I worked with an associate Minister and set up an appointment for a lay
worker. I took a pilgrimage group to the Holy Land in 1997 and completed
the Disciple Course with another group in 1998.
Sussex, but not by the sea
Until this appointment, I had avoided the role of Superintendent, but, in the Mid-Sussex Circuit, I enjoyed working with the churches to take steps forward on the ecumenical scene – with the URC/Methodist Church in Lewes, and the Anglican/Methodist Church in Newhaven. In Uckfield the URC’s, Baptists and Methodists started working together and in Seaford the URC’s and Methodists made careful moves to come together. On top of that we added two ‘Ministers in Local Appointment’ to the staff and opened negotiations with the United Reformed Church with a view to bringing the Methodist Circuit and the URC District together – which later came to pass.
At every church throughout my ministry, with the exception of the first one in Glasgow, we embarked on a building scheme, including Bulawayo! In Hayward’s Heath, where I was Minister, it was a major development which improved the worship area enormously, equipping the church for more flexible worship, and it enabled new developments in service to the community and in mission. The quality of that scheme won a county award, and enabled us to commend the architects to many other churches including EMC – and they are still serving us well.
In 2002 a number from Hayward’s Heath and from St Anne’s formed a pilgrimage group for a trip to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor, Konya, Cappadocia and Istanbul. Working with a group of churches in Hayward’s Heath, and with NCH, we were able to establish a neighbourhood youth work project, ‘Streetmate’, and recruited an excellent youth worker who had immense impact on young people who were gathering on the estates and on street corners.
We stayed in close touch with Zimbabwe as the situation deteriorated. Together with two other Trustees we set up the Zimbabwe Victim’s Support Fund which continues to support victims of violence and poverty in the brutal and abusive situation which now prevails.
A few strides yet!
Throughout my ministry I’ve picked up quite a few chaplaincies – to the Boy’s Brigade in Glasgow, the Royal Engineers in Gillingham, HM Prison in Rochester, the Mayor of Gillingham, TocH, a College of Education in Zimbabwe, an NCH Residential Home in St Anne’s, an Aids Support Group in Blackpool and the National Methodist Youth Brass Band, but it’s not really possible to fit these things in with Superintendency of the Sutton Circuit.
To give a more rounded picture, perhaps I should include a word about my interest in travel and slide photography, a love of a wide spectrum of music (and my drum kit) my enjoyment of art, design and drama, my love of laughter and my appetite for life!
I have a few more strides to take before retirement, and then maybe a few after that! I could not have chosen a better appointment within which to conclude my active ministry, as I love the church here at Epsom, and we are very happy in this town. I am thankful to God for bringing me here and for the support and encouragement of many. The church would not be what it is without a tremendous amount of voluntary work and leadership given by faithful Christians in this community.
I am looking forward to the completion of our building scheme and I’m hoping and praying that together, we will put in a great deal of effort to build up the congregations through renewed mission and personal approaches to bring people into the fellowship of the church …. and, equally, to take advantage of our new home in extending our service and support for the community to which we belong in Epsom.
Yours David
More on the Epsom Methodist Church Redevelopment....................here.
