In this page we describe the churches that are part of our Partners Organisation or that are linked to us.
Contents
East Manchester
Wythenshawe
Penrhys
Aurora
Kerzenheim
East Manchester
The area known as East Manchester is not a homogeneous geographical entity, but a collection of industrial villages struggling to survive after the loss of the industries that created them. It is a fragmented area of high unemployment, low disposable income, poor health and poor environment, which, for many, engenders a sense of impotence and despair. Powerlessness and frustration are part of its culture, and it is little wonder that the area also suffers from violence and drug abuse. The East Manchester Group of churches (two URC and one Baptist) serves this community mainly through two schemes – youth work employment, and business enterprise at the Mill Street Venture Centre (Beswick) – together with a drop-in centre at Mersey Street Baptist Church. Our church has been able to give support to this work by providing personnel skilled in bookkeeping and management (one person has been helping since 1983!), and in a variety of other ways, from ad hoc financial support, the supply of second hand goods for sale, and individual assistance.
Wythenshawe
Located in South Manchester, Wythenshawe is essentially a vast housing estate, and St Mark's URC serves an area known as Woodhouse Park. Although Manchester Airport is nearby, Woodhouse Park still has all the characteristics of an "urban priority area", from high unemployment to despair, and the church has already established on its site a residential home (converted manse) and a family centre with a secure play area. It is now looking forward to building upon its existing work within the church building – especially the Wednesday shop (furniture, clothes and café) and contact group (for children of separated parents) – to serve the wider community. Our church regularly provides second hand furniture, personnel for management and the contact group, some ad hoc financial assistance and it supports the musical life of the church.
Penrhys
In the 1960's Penrhys was built as a "village" estate on the wind-swept mountain ridge between the two Rhondda valleys in South Wales. By the early 1990's it housed over three thousand people and, although this represented only some 2% of the Rhondda population, it accounted for about 40% of its social problems. Almost total unemployment, crime, drugs, and vandalism provided the context for people's lives. A decade on, the population has more than halved, and a much more hopeful spirit is evident, thanks to the minister and his wife, through the church (Llanfair) and the school, and through the local partnership between the church, local authority, and industry working with the people. Our church's contribution since the early 1990's has mainly been to gather and deliver a transit vanload of good, clean, sorted second hand clothes for the "boutique" at Llanfair twice each year.
The following churches have strong ties with us.
Aurora United Church
In the late 1980's, our minister Revd. Fred Noden, exchanged churches, for six months, with Revd. John Houston of Aurora United Church in Canada. Aurora is a town of about 30,000 people, 12 miles North of Toronto. In 1993 a group from our church was invited to attend the 175th Anniversary celebrations of the Aurora Church and spent a happy fortnight with them. We found them to be a lively church with a membership of around 1,200 but with Sunday congregations about the size of ours. Their services and theology are very similar to ours. In 1994 a group from Canada attended our 150th Anniversary celebrations and their Mounties Musical Ride will long be remembered! In 1998 we were without a Minister, and Revd. John Houston had just retired. We were fortunate in that he agreed to be our "interim" minister for nearly a year. We continue our links and hope that a group will visit us again soon. Aurora United Church is situated on Yonge Street. But if you walk along looking for it, beware, for Yonge Street is over 1,000 miles long!
Kerzenheim
Our church has been linked with Kerzenheim, a small village in the Palatinate area of Germany, since 1979. The ministers of the two churches independently wished to make their contribution to reconciliation between their countries and were put in touch with each other by their national churches. Exchange visits were held between parties of young people in the first two years. On the visit of Wilmslow to Kerzenheim, our minister, Fred Noden, baptised the infant son of their minister, Herman Bart. These two exchanges were so successful that adults joined in and "official" visits were held every year for a total of about six years. Although the frequency of visits has dropped, lasting friendships between Wilmslow and Kerzenheim families have been formed and many "unofficial" visits have been made. We have watched the young people grow up, marry and have families. The language barrier has never been a problem mainly because many of the Germans speak almost perfect English. The occasional slip, as when our German friends have said in all sincerity to their hosts, "Thank you for your hostility," has only added to the fun!
