On Sunday September 27, I had the privilege of joining the congregation and invited guests at Bowthorpe Church in Norwich as it celebrated the 40th anniversary of the dedication of its present church building.
It was a wonderfully joyful and well-attended occasion, bringing together members of the congregation, representatives of the Church’s four sponsoring denominations, former ministers, community organisations and ecumenical guests. Among those present were Revd David Mayne, Baptist Regional Minister and Chair of the Local Advisory Group; Revd Lythan Nevard, Moderator of the URC Eastern Synod; and Revd Graham Wilkins, Anglican Rural Dean.
Bowthorpe Church has an important ecumenical story. When the new community of Bowthorpe was being developed in the 1970s, Revd Ray Simpson was licensed in January 1978 as its first full-time Christian minister for nearly two hundred years. His commission was strikingly ecumenical: to establish a family of Christians from different traditions in this new community. The present church building was dedicated on 27 September 1986, exactly forty years before Sunday’s celebration.
That history was not simply remembered during the service; it was made visible. Members of the church and local community brought forward symbols representing different aspects of Bowthorpe’s life and ministry: the Bible, bread and wine, children’s ministry, the Hope Café, Food Bank, Community Trust, local schools, Christian Aid, Scouting and support offered to those seeking asylum. Members of St George’s Syrian Orthodox congregation, which regularly worships at Bowthorpe, also took part.
Revd David Mayne, offered the reflection, taking as his starting point Jesus’ words in Matthew 5: “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world.” An anniversary, he suggested, is an opportunity not only to remember a building or particular achievements, but the countless stories that make up the life of a church: prayers offered, friendships formed, acts of kindness, people finding hope and, sometimes, people simply walking through the doors and discovering a place where they belonged.
Looking back over forty years, David emphasised that the Christian story is not one of a perfect Church, but of a people who need grace, receive grace and learn to extend that grace to others. The real legacy of Bowthorpe Church, therefore, is not simply found in “bricks and tiles and glass”, but in being a community where the grieving are comforted, the overlooked are seen, the weary find rest and people discover that they are loved by God.
But the reflection also looked firmly towards the future. Jesus calls his disciples to be the light not merely of the Church, David reminded us, but “of the world”. That calling takes Christians beyond the walls of the building and into streets, neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces and homes. Forty years therefore marks another beginning as well as an anniversary: there are still people to welcome, prayers to pray, lives to touch and opportunities to “show mercy, make peace, and shine the light of Christ”.
Read Revd David Mayne’s anniversary reflection here
I was kindly invited to pray particularly for the four denominations sharing in the life of Bowthorpe, Churches Together groups across Norfolk and Waveney, and the wider work of Churches Together in England. At its heart my prayer asked that the Holy Spirit sustain all who work for Christian unity, giving us the grace to “keep showing up for one another and to keep hope alive”, even when the journey towards unity is slow and challenging.
The strongest impression I took away from the service was that Bowthorpe’s anniversary was not simply a celebration of a building or even of forty years of history. It was a celebration of what can happen when Christians commit themselves to living, worshipping and serving together in one place.
The service concluded by giving thanks for all who have worshipped and served there and by asking the Holy Spirit to equip the Church for its continuing ministry. And, of course, appropriately for a celebration of Christian fellowship, there was plenty of conversation afterwards – accompanied by a great deal of lovely anniversary cake.
Article by Dr Ian Watson, County Ecumenical Officer for Churches Together in Norfolk and Waveney.
Photo by Ian Watson of the Altar showing the symbols representing different aspects of Bowthorpe’s life and ministry brought forward by Members of the church and local community.
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