And when you have some spare time, why not have a go at the New Room Word Search? Just a bit of fun!

Transcription

1 T H E N E W R O O M John Wesley s Chapel & Charles Wesley s House B R I S TO L NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2012

2 EDITORIAL Phil Hewett (Deputy Warden and Editor) Welcome to this edition of the Newsletter. Wesley Week this year was an excellent time. The Sunday was one of those rare days in England this summer when rain stayed away, and David Weeks, our chaplain, led a happy band of pilgrims around the city s Wesley s sites. Many places within an easy stroll of The Chapel recall Wesley. There is a plaque at The Brickfields, near Gardiner-Haskins, where John first preached in the open air. John Wesley met Bishop Butler at the Cathedral, and later attended a performance of The Messiah there. He preached regularly at King Square for the benefit of those who didn t want to hear him in the confines of The New Room To crown the pilgrimage, a visit to Charles Wesley s house was included. The Wesley Walk is a most worthwhile exercise in every sense of the word. If you would like to go on one, ask at the Office David will not be able to resist the popular demand! Speaking of Charles Wesley, it seems to me that his memory is rather overshadowed by brother John. But it was the words of his hymns that sustained the revival, and 78 survive in Singing the Faith, many of them written in Bristol. He also acted as minister at The New Room for over 20 years. Our Warden s biography of Charles puts the record straight. It is available from the shop. We are working hard to place a Museum of Hymnody in Charles house. In the meantime, a space in The New Room will give a taste of what is to come. This issue includes accounts of some of the work done by our volunteers. Ruth Hudson (shop manager), Rachel Newton (drama), Constance Gould (schools project) and Philip Burnett (hymnody researcher) tell us something of their days spent in this special place. And when you have some spare time, why not have a go at the New Room Word Search? Just a bit of fun! Our main feature in this Newsletter is a version of the splendid sermon preached by Norman Wallwork on Wesley Day. He has prepared this version especially for us, and you will not wish to miss it! He has not overlooked the excitement felt by our whole community as the plans for the Horsefair Courtyard move on see how great a flame aspires, kindled by a spark of grace! 2

3 PROGRESS ON THE HORSEFAIR COURTYARD SCHEME What are the aims of the Project? As many of you will know from the last Newsletter, the project involves erecting a major new building alongside The New Room in order to: 1. create a far better and more spacious heritage museum by moving the current library, archives, manager s office, and small meeting room out of the listed building; 2. house the archives in appropriate conditions and create an extended library that will house part of the Wesley College Library as well as the New Room Library; 3. develop the New Room into an educational centre offering heritage and other courses at local, regional, national, and international level and, in the process, ensure the long-term viability of the building, which will also house two or three new offices for use by the Methodist District; 4. provide appropriate facilities for visitors by creating new internal toilets, a new kitchen and refreshment area, and disabled access to the Museum; 5. improve the Horsefair entrance to the building, removing unsightly pipework and the very unattractive twentieth-century additions. So far 1.4 million has been raised towards this project, which is likely to cost between 2.5 and 3 million. Progress since last Newsletter On the design and planning front: we have held a public consultation process and invited various organizations to look at our proposals. 3

4 The response has been very positive and we have received strong endorsements about what we are hoping to achieve. In particular, the public consultation has generated letters of support from the City Centre Retail Management Team and from Destination Bristol. The proposed development has been welcomed by the local MP, Stephen Williams, and the two local ward city councillors; we have held very encouraging meetings with both English Heritage and the Georgian Society and are trying to reshape our design to meet their constructive and helpful comments our proposals have met with the approval of the Methodist Heritage Committee and we are in the midst of further consultations with the Methodist Listed Building Committee we have undertaken initial investigations into rights of light with regard to neighbouring properties and are entering into appropriate discussions we have undertaken an archaeological survey and had trial pits dug in the Horsefair Courtyard. The latter have shown that there are no geological or archaeological issues to concern us we have obtained the Church s agreement to the Wesley College Library stained glass windows of Charles Wesley and Bishop Butler being incorporated into the design of the new building we hope to have made the amendments to our original concepts in order to put in our formal planning application to the Bristol City planning department in October. On the fund-raising front appeal literature is currently being produced we have completed our first round application for Heritage Lottery Fund money and the outcome of that application will be known by the end of September we are planning to make funding applications to other trusts we are planning to approach our overseas supporters we hope to launch a programme of fund-raising events this autumn 4

5 On the educational front we are continuing to develop links with Bristol University and Trinity College, Bristol initial ideas have been drawn up for two of the rooms that will be part of the new more spacious museum ArtServe (which promotes the creative arts in worship) has said that it would like The New Room to take charge of its Music Library. We are examining what sections of this would tie in with the proposed Hymnody displays being planned for Charles Wesley s house the future of the Wesley College Library has not yet been resolved by the Church, but the Fruitful Field report to the Methodist Conference did refer very positively to the New Room proposals, saying it was a rich opportunity to establish links between the learning space and the history of Methodism, emphasising the spiritual and relational aspects of gathering spaces as well as their more functional purposes. We welcome your prayers for the success of this project. Anyone wishing to look more closely at the proposals please ask when visiting the New Room to see the latest plans. Donations towards the project are, of course, most welcome. Gary M. Best (Warden of the New Room). THE WESLEYAN PENTECOST Revd. Norman Wallwork s Wesley Day Sermon The Anointing of Elisha The prelude to Elisha s Pentecost consisted of long years of apprenticeship, of sacred watching, of faithful waiting and of solemn preparation alongside Elijah. He learnt from the master-prophet how to be a challenger of kings, how to be a troubler of Israel, how to call down fire from heaven, how to heal the sick and how to raise the dead. When Elisha was anointed by the Spirit of Elijah he had been deeply trained, fully apprenticed and was profoundly ready. 5

6 2. The Anointing of Jesus The gospels make it abundantly clear that when Jesus himself was anointed at the Jordan there had been long hidden years of preparation. At his mother s knee Jesus first learnt who he was. In the synagogue school Jesus learnt the Psalms of trust and the songs of lament, from his Rabbis he first began to understand the terrible implications of Isaiah s Song of the Suffering Servant. From the prophetic Scriptures he learnt the true vocation of the Son of Man, the way of holiness and the summons to justice for the oppressed and deliverance for the poor. The Spirit descended at the Jordan on a Messiah deeply trained, fully apprenticed and profoundly ready. 3. The Anointing of the Apostles The apostles had the most penetrating apprenticeship possible. Sometimes it was slow, often undiscerning and regularly doubting. Nevertheless the disciples were apprenticed to the greatest of all Rabbis who taught them to call God Father, from whom they discovered the profound link between compassion, faith and healing, heard parables revealing the mystery of the kingdom of God, understood the foolishness of personal ambition, were led into the way of suffering obedience and encountered the call of to the Cross of self-surrender. Finally, the disciples were led through the darkness of Gethsemane and Calvary into a forty day encounter with their Risen Lord. So when the Day of Pentecost arrived the Holy Spirit kindled a fire on a community of believers deeply trained, fully apprenticed, and profoundly ready. 4. The Anointing of the Wesleys The same pattern of deep training, full apprenticeship and profound readiness was present in the lives of John and Charles Wesley as they approached the Pentecost of Grandsons of learned Dissenting ministers, sons of a scholarly father and of a classically educated and spiritually awakened mother, years for the one at Charterhouse and years for the other at Westminster School, Studentships for both at Christ Church, Oxford, an intense apostolic lifestyle with the first Oxford Methodists, Anglican ordination, immersion in the Latin classics, a total saturation in the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, the Homilies, the Puritan Divines, the Greek and Latin Fathers. All this formed a depth of churchmanship, a devotion to the way of holiness, and a longing for the assurance found in Moravian piety. All this was the rich quality tinder set alight by the Whitsuntide spark that ignited the fiery Aldersgate flames of the first Wesleyan Pentecost. All that followed - the preaching, the travelling, the societies, the bands, the classes, the centres in London, Bristol and Newcastle a school, a 6

7 dispensary, the itinerants, the assurance of faith, scriptural holiness, social righteousness, justice for the poor - the entire Methodist movement both sides of the Atlantic and across half the globe all resulted from the most profound preparation. What the Wesley s achieved under God was the result of what the Wesley s had under their belt before the Spirit s descent at the first Wesleyan Pentecost. 5. The Anointing of the New Room Community But for us there is one more application of the Elisha model, of the Jesus pattern, of the apostolic preparation and of the Wesleyan readiness for the gift of the Spirit and that is the New Room at this moment in its history and development. I doubt if the community of the New Room has ever been as seriously trained, as deeply aware and as profoundly alert to the gift of the Spirit as it is now other than in the first phase of its life and ministry. None of us here can recall a past period when there was under this roof so much happening, so great a profile, so much professional skill, so much part-time dedication, so much music, so much worship and prayer. When, apart from the earliest years - and in the days of its return to Methodist usage has there been such a state of readiness among those dedicated to the witness and mission of this shrine and sanctuary? A weekly eucharist, extra quality devotions in Advent and Lent, a breadth of sacred music, a new place in the visitor profile of Bristol, a place of world pilgrimage and a number of exciting new partnerships. Here the curious, the enquiring and the pilgrims come in numbers as never before encountering a new external peace in the chapel s surroundings and the matchless simplicity of a timeless interior. And here to a waiting, prepared, trained, praying, praising and eucharistic community the Spirit will most surely descend. To those who serve and minister here and to those who visit there is offered beyond the Wesleys story - the Wesleys secret of an incarnate and crucified God of the Shepherd of Israel and mine of the joy and desire of the heart of the God of all redeeming grace here we serve and here they will come the joyful and the broken together - to see how great a flame aspires kindled by a spark of grace! 7

8 OUR FRIENDS IN AMERICA PART THREE One aspect of my varied role as the manager of The New Room that I particularly enjoy is speaking to the hundreds of American visitors that come here annually; many of them are retracing the Wesleys footsteps on their pilgrimages around England. A comment that I often hear is that it is at The New Room that people most feel the Wesleys presence and, for many, it is the highlight of their tour. However, they also comment on how unaware they were of the importance of Bristol in the Wesleys lives prior to their visit. What surprises them even more is how significant Bristol was in the establishment of Methodism in the US. I have remained in contact with many of those groups that have visited; some of whom have then invited me over to the US to speak. As a result, I have made two promotional visits and presented my talk Methodism comes to America the Bristol connection to churches and seminaries across 12 states. I will be embarking on a third visit this November to make a further 10 presentations in four different states. The main objective is to raise awareness of the importance of The New Room as the cradle of the Methodist movement and its role in establishing the American Methodist Church. In addition, I will also be highlighting the longterm future development plans for the ongoing work at The New Room and illustrate how we use the heritage and history of this building in our ministry today. In addition to the New Room and Charles Wesley s House, I also highlight the many other Methodist Heritage sites in Bristol that are directly connected to the Wesleys, such as The Brickfields, Hanham Mount and Bristol Cathedral. Other names associated with the birth of American Methodism, including Captain Thomas Webb, Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke, are also commemorated at various sites around the city including Portland Street, Dighton Street and Pill. 8

9 Three quotations which I believe best illustrate how important heritage is as a means of telling our story, and so reaching out and sharing the Christian message are; Heritage is part of our mission because it is in our roots, that our strength and nourishment are found from it - Methodist Heritage Handbook. The heritage of the past is the seed that brings forth the harvest of the future - engraved plinth at the National Archives building in Washington DC. The better we comprehend the beginnings of Methodism, the more likely it will be that our present witness will be faithful to the founding principles of the denomination. - feedback received in response to my talk. I m most grateful to our American friends for the generous hospitality that they have showed me over the past three years. I have been greatly blessed and encouraged by their willingness to share and engage in this ministry. David Worthington - Manager The New Room only functions through the work of our many volunteers. This is the first contribution in a series of A Day in the Life of Ruth Hudson was appointed Shop Manager last year, and here she tells how she goes about her work. THE SHOP AT THE NEW ROOM A Day in the Life of Ruth Hudson - Shop Manager I am a member of Victoria Church, Clifton and have been a Steward at the Chapel with my husband Alan for a number of years. In October last year I took over the running of the shop from the Rev. Gordon James. 9

10 I have a background in sales and marketing and was only too pleased to bring my experience to The New Room. I now work in the shop as a volunteer on Wednesday mornings each week. My first duty is to reconcile the weekly takings with the Treasurer, Peter Knowles, and to report to David Worthington, the Manager of The New Room. I then check and replenish the stock and place orders with the suppliers as necessary. Since the closure of SPCK and Wesley Owen I have concentrated on items to service our visitors and church members in Bristol and the surrounding area. The stock includes: New and Second-hand Books Hymn Books Bibles and Prayer Books and other Christian Literature Wesley Publications Souvenirs and Gifts CD s and DVD s Greetings Cards My Job Description is as follows: To be responsible for finding the best and most profitable way to provide material for sale to: Regular UK visitors; Overseas visitors and group leaders; Members of churches particularly locally, who can be encouraged to treat the shop as a primary source for their communal and religious life; Persons attending special interest meetings at The New Room; To fulfil orders received on-line, by letter or telephone. I am endeavouring to carry out these duties and at the same time enjoy working with the other Stewards and Staff to promote The New Room. As part of my Christian Response interacting with the visitors is very important to me. We all have a story to share on our Christian journey. Ruth Hudson 10

11 AN EXPERIENCE OUTSIDE THE NEW ROOM A little while ago I donned my eighteenth century costume, which, with a little tweaking, serves for Susanna Wesley, mother of John and Charles, or Sally, wife of Charles, or even the housekeeper or a servant, made plainer and with an added apron.. Accompanied by John Taylor with his clip board and prepared questions, we ventured out into Broadmead to meet the public. We were conducting a survey in order to tick some boxes and get some feedback for the re-accreditation of the Museum status. It was a strange exercise as people react in three different ways; some look straight ahead as if you were invisible, some do a double-take, registering 'who is this crazy woman' and hurry on by before they can be accosted for money or being converted. others engage and will ask who you are and what you are doing, in which case you can have a meaningful conversation. We found Broadmead frustrating as, being pedestrianised, people could avoid us in the big space. The Horsefair was much more productive because of the pavement and more people talked than avoided us. Some were persuaded to come in and visit The New Room for the first time. All in all, it was a good exercise and worth repeating. I spoilt the costume with modern glasses but then I did need to see who I was talking to! Rachel Newton Our thanks to Rachel for venturing forth on our behalf. We hope to have a short article about the Museum Re-accreditation procedure next time. Ed BREAKING NEWS: The highly important Library Collection of the Methodist Church Music Society has been given to the Charles Wesley Heritage Centre Hymnody project: it was brought to Charles Street in August

12 EDUCATION AT CHARLES WESLEY HOUSE During the past twelve months, planning has taken place to help Primary School children visiting Charles Wesley House to experience Life in an 18 th Century Georgian Household through the eyes of the Charles Wesley Family. At the end of May we welcomed our first group of children from the Methodist / Anglican School of Holy Trinity at Bradley Stoke, in the developing area north of Bristol. The children enjoyed touring the house dressed in 18 th century costume. In the kitchen, they made lemon drinks and lavender bags which they took home with them. They did activities based on the portraits in the house and had a Powerpoint discussion on what life was like in the eighteenth century. As the weather was warm enough the children were able to enjoy their pack lunches in the garden where they could appreciate the herbs and the sun dial. Feedback from the staff and children told us how much they had enjoyed their visit, and we are now able to complete a leaflet, etc. with which we hope to circulate schools, so that others may enjoy the same experience. Constance Gould Besides helping to arrange schools visits, Constance organises the rota of Stewards no mean feat. We are grateful to her for all the work she puts in. Ed. This picture (right) of the Lounge of 4 Charles Street, is by English Heritage. That used on our front cover is from a fine series produced for The New Room by photographer Amanda Harman 12

13 THE HYMNODY PROJECT The Hymnody Project has seen several significant developments over the past few months. 4, Charles Street will not only celebrate the field of hymnody, with specific focus on Charles Wesley s contribution to it, but also his two composer sons, Samuel and Charles jr. There is still, however, one major obstacle to overcome before the house can be opened: finding the staff to be on duty. An exhibition of hymnbooks featuring material from the Wesley College Special Collections and The New Room Library was on display in the New Room to coincide with the visit of the Wesley Historical Society in June. It was good to collaborate with Wesley College especially as it is now very much in the twilight of its existence. Many thanks are due to Mike Brealey, the Librarian, for his help. The books will be on display again on Open Doors Day, 8 th September. Professor Stephen Banfield is retiring from the University of Bristol at the end of the year and has handed over the reins of University of Bristol/The New Room collaboration to Dr Emma Hornby. Dr Hornby is Senior Lecturer in Music at the University and is a Medievalist. We are grateful to Dr Hornby for her involvement in the project and look forward to working with her. After over a century the updated Dictionary of Hymnology is due for reprint. The final product is the fruit of Professor Richard Watson s work, his team of editors, and many, many contributors from all over the world. The launch will take place in Bristol at The New Room next year (October 2013, we understand) so watch this space! Many thanks must go to those who have been involved with the project. I would welcome any queries and suggestions. So please inbox me at philiptburnett@gmail.com should you wish to know more. Philip Burnett Philip Carter is arranging a full programme of music for the autumn please watch out for special posters and cards with details 13

14 FUND RAISING FOR THE HORSEFAIR DEVELOPMENT I write to you all as the organiser for the local fund raising schemes for the proposed developments at The New Room. As you will see from the Warden s report, the cost of this project is likely to be in the region of 3m. So far 1.4m has been raised. The project will give more space for the heritage museum, new and appropriate housing for the New Room and Wesley College libraries and archives, provision for an an educational centre and the usual visitor facilities, including disabled access to all floors. In addition, there will be works to improve the Horsefair Courtyard. We have begun making applications to various funding agencies and trusts, and are planning to approach our overseas supporters for help. But we now need to do two things for ourselves and I use that phrase deliberately -for we have to show what endeavours we are making when applying to a selected number of trusts and charities. First -we hope to promote a programme of fund-raising events this autumn. Can you or your church action a fund-raising event such as a concert a coffee morning or a supper a beetle drive, or a barn dance, or a quiz a talk For example, Watleys End Methodist Church has invited Gary Best, our Warden, to speak on Wednesday 10 October at 7 30 pm; Box Methodist Church has invited Phil Hewett, our Deputy Warden, to speak at their Guild on Monday 14 January at 2 30 pm. Could you, or others, do a sponsored organ recital, walking or running, knitting or cooking, silence or preaching, bed spreads or patchwork quilts, an auction of gifts or promises? Would your local store allow you to sponsor children (under proper supervision of course) to assist in packing at the check-outs? These are just ideas to start you off! Second we need volunteers who are prepared to write prescribed letters of support to the chosen trusts and charities. 14

15 If you feel you could do this, please telephone me at home ( ) or leave a message at The New Room office ( ) with your kind offer. Third -we shall be holding specific events at The New Room during the course of the next twelve months or so, all aimed at raising money. When details are confirmed and publicised, please try to encourage as many people as possible to come. Let them be a part of this great project! Please do all you can to make these development plans significant in the history of The New Room. Thank you. Bob Wood The New Room Fundraiser 15

16 T H E N E W R O O M John Wesley s Chapel 36, The Horsefair, BRISTOL BS1 3JE The United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0117) info@newroombristol.org.uk WEBSITE: Warden : Mr Gary Best Manager : Mr David Worthington incorporating Charles Wesley s House 4, Charles Street, Bristol BS1 3NN Registered UK Charity No THIS NEWSLETTER ISSUED SEPTEMBER