For a church with just seven members, it was gratifying to see the building full in late November as Bethany Evangelical in Leigh welcomed its new pastor, John Palmer.
He and his wife Rose are moving back north to Lancashire after Bethany’s call.
The fellowship has been without a pastor for over two years after the former pastor and a number of members moved away. The intervening years saw a great deal of prayer and ‘soul searching’ as they decided which was the best way forward, convinced that the Lord has been leading them to the calling of John, who was until 2013 pastor of Castle Street Church, Tredegar in South Wales.
No stranger
John is no stranger to the area, having been pastor of Hilldale Evangelical Church near Parbold, 15 miles away, from 1984 to 2004.
The joyous service was under the chairmanship of Oliver Allmand-Smith of Ramsbottom’s Trinity Grace Church, with Pastor Stephen Rees taking as his text the Lord’s prayer from Luke 11. He stressed the necessity of John and the church constantly asking for the Holy Spirit to inspire, bless and guide all they do in the coming years with the knowledge that they will never be disappointed by God.
John, 60 and a father of two, is already planning for the future with a lecture series commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
