Revd John Gordon

On  Sunday  13th September a special Partnership service was held at Trinity URC Lancaster to mark John’s long service and to wish him well in his retirement.

Having spent thirty years in URC ministry John has been forced to retire due to ill health.    He began his ministry at Haresfinch and Rainford, Merseyside in 1996.       Other places where John has served were Linden Road, Bognor and St. Ninians,  Pagham, Christ Church Lewes and Synod post at Hailsham Methodist Church,  Banstead and Christ Church  Walton-on-the-Hill.

In 2021 he was appointed to the Lancashire North Missional Partnership by the unusual process of a meeting on Zoom because of the Covid Pandemic.

During his time with us he had led worship  on rotation at all the churches in the Partnership,  from Forton and Garstang to Bolton-le-Sands. Each of the churches has memories  of his involvement in various activities in addition to his services. These include Shining Stars at Hest Bank URC on Tuesdays. (He could not attend Shining Stars at BLS because Friday was his day off! ) “Brick Church” on Sunday afternoons and the “Warm Hub” on Tuesdays at Sefton Road. At Bolton-le-Sands URC he encouraged us to look at the legacy we could leave as the congregation became older and less able.

The service at Trinity  URC Lancaster on 13th September was led by the Moderator of the North Western Synod, Revd Mike Thomason, and attended by members of all our Partnership churches, members of which thanked John for all he had done. Revd Dr Irene John also thanked John for his contribution to the Lancashire North Missional Partnership and expressed her personal appreciation for his sharing of the ministerial load.

John was presented with a card from each church and Alison received a basket of flowers. We all wish them both well for the future.