Rev. Leslie Richards

1986 - 1997

Leslie and Valerie Richards

From time to time I am asked; “Having worked in six circuits during thirty nine years of ministry, where were you happiest?”  I usually give the diplomatic but nonetheless sincere reply that in all the churches we have served we have found a mixture of delight and satisfaction together with frustration and challenge.  Every church consists of a cross section of people who can be irritating at times but who, for the most part, prove themselves to be amazingly loyal and supportive.  This is just as true when you are approaching a centenary as when a church is first built and this is what makes ministry and church life so fascinating and stimulating.

If a length of stay in a circuit is an indication of happiness and fulfilment then our eleven years in Rushden, our longest stay anywhere, suggests that we were made to feel very welcome during our appointment with you.  In a way this is all the more remarkable when we recall that when Tom Thacker, as circuit steward, enquired if we would consider an invitation to Rushden we had to check its exact location on the map.  Although we had often passed close to Rushden we had not been into the town so it was something of a step into the unknown when we arrived in September 1986.  Our stay in the circuit marked a very important stage in our family life.  Not only did we see our three children move into higher education, but Valerie held a teaching appointment at South End Infant School for virtually the whole length of our stay – her longest period of continuous service.

It was during our stay in Rushden that the church at Park Road celebrated one hundred years of Methodism in the town and it is good to be able to go one step further and give thanks for the fact that the building itself has now attained the grand age of one hundred.  We recall the property issues in which we were involved as we worked to keep the premises in good condition.  Removing the wooden spire, renovating the kitchen, removing the asbestos from the boilers, searching for the water leak and extensive decorations to name but a few.  We also have many happy memories of G.B. pantomimes, B.B. camp, music group productions, carol singing on freezing evenings, as well as sharing in the regular meetings of fellowship.

Anniversaries, particularly ones as special as a centenary, are occasions for remembering the past with gratitude and pleasure, but they are also an appropriate moment to look to the future.  You will all know only too well that maintaining the work of the church in the generation is no easy task; it demands the very best of commitment and service that we can give.  We shall need to be enthusiastic, generous, welcoming and adaptable if we are to make any impression on the world around us.

As we approach your special birthday we gladly join with you in giving thanks to God for your wonderful one hundred years of history in which we have been able to play a small part.  We pray for every blessing on the members and friends at Park Road as you move into a new century with all the challenges and opportunities that lie head.

Sincerely yours,

Leslie and Valerie Richards