The new kid on the block

Dear WWN Readers,

Please forgive the formal introduction, but I am conscious that many of you will not know me or anything about me.

When I was asked to write the lead article, it was suggested that it be of a topical nature from a Christian viewpoint, however, being the “new kid on the block”, I thought I would introduce myself and tell you something of my story thus far.

I was born and bred in the village of Bignall End, which is in the middle of what used to be the thriving North Staffordshire coalfields, and situated about seven miles from the city of Stoke-on-Trent, which as you know was once the life blood of the pottery industry.

Like all the surrounding villages, mining was the main source of employment, and it is said that following a major explosion at the local mine in 1918, which took the lives of 155 men and boys, every household in the village lost one or more of their men folk.

Interestingly, it was the school room of the Methodist Chapel that was used as a temporary mortuary during the months before the last of the miners was recovered from the pit bottom. In those days village life centred around the chapel, the Male Voice Choir and the Prize Brass Band.

It was in 1990 that I first felt that God was calling me to a ministry of local preaching, having first let me serve my apprenticeship at the local Parish Church!

In 1995 an even stronger call to ordained ministry started to manifest itself, and after three years training with the Northern Ordination Course based in Manchester, I was ordained at Lowestoft Methodist Church during the 2001 Conference held at Ipswich. I served first of all in the Chester and Stoke District and in the stationing process of 2004 was asked to look at an appointment in a place called... Kineton.

Two days later, having frantically searched the map to find it, and driven through torrential rain, we finally arrived at Kineton Methodist Church, and immediately fell in love with the area. I say we... my wife Rosemary and I were married in 1967, and were delighted to spend our 40th anniversary here among our new friends in what was then the Kineton Circuit. Prior to entering the Methodist Ministry, I worked with Stoke-on-Trent City Council for 30 years, latterly as Marketing Manager.

Someone once said to me... “If you can sell the Council's services...selling religion will be no problem”.

There is of course much more to tell: I have only scratched the surface, but I feel sure that as Rosemary and I get to know you over the next 12 months we will both enjoy telling more of our story... and listening to some of yours.

Take care and God Bless you all.

Revd John Taylor

Well this is all a bit new to a fella (see page 5).


A quiet get together (see page 6.)


Vicarage cream teas and more