From [Leonard Glyn] James at 20 Victoria Road, Hanham, Bristol to ex-United Methodist ministers.
One of the happy features of last year's Bristol Conference was the opportunity for people to meet again. The experience was so enjoyable that brethren expressed the wish that future events for ex-United Methodists could be arranged.
The meeting was emphatic in its determination not to foster distinctions within the Methodist Church, but merely to allow people to enjoy something of the old fellowship. Graduates of Richmond and Didsbury Colleges have their old colleges as a point of contact, but the closure of Victoria Park have made things more difficult for ex-United Methodists. It is true that some have a connection with Hartley Victoria College for which they are grateful, but even for those ministers the link is somewhat tenuous while many of their brethren have no link with Hartley Victoria. Them meeting was therefore unanimous in deciding to form a Ranmoor-Victoria Fellowship, membership of which would be open to all ex-United Methodist brethren regardless of any link with those two Colleges [Ranmoor and Victoria Park].
It was agreed that a good time for the Fellowship to meet, would be in conjunction with the Annuitant Society meeting during Conference.
On the back of the above is a manuscript poem by Lewis Court entitled `In Memorium PD', the first line of which is `True son of Somerset thy journey ends'.
Notes .
- Leonard Glyn James (1901-90) was born in Swansea. He entered the United Methodist ministry in 1924 and trained at Victoria Park College. James served his ministry in home circuits and retired in 1966. Source: Beckerlegge and M R 6 September 1990, p.19