Neighbouring parishes in Durham Diocese have enjoyed welcoming a visiting party from Germany.
Pastor Antje William and a group from her church in Hamburg made the trip to churches in Blaydon, High Spen and Rowlands Gill in September, as part of the Diocesan link with Nordkirche in Germany.
The five-day exchange in September saw the group of five German visitors welcomed into the homes of host families, while there were memorable trips to Durham Cathedral and Hexham Abbey.
The Revd Diane Ryan, Vicar of the Parishes of Blaydon and High Spen & Rowlands Gill said: “We were delighted to meet Pastor Antje William and the group from her church. As we got to know each other we discovered that we are facing many of the same issues, and we pledged to pray for each other and look ahead to ways in which we can learn from each other.”
Pastor Antje proclaimed the gospel in German at the Sunday service at St Cuthbert’s Blaydon, while others from the group attended a café church at St Barnabas, Rowlands Gill.
Another highlight involved a music night featuring a local band, before the exchange concluded with a farewell service and meal.
“It was very much a success,” said Diane. “There were some very good conversations and where possible, people were using both languages.”
The exchange came about following Diane’s visit to Hamburg earlier this year, when she discovered Pastor Antje William and her church were looking to establish a new link parish in Durham.
“I do hope we can build on this,” she added. “In today’s world we have Zoom and other ways of keeping in touch. We are exploring ways of supporting each other through prayer and hopefully some good friendships can come of this.”
Diane thanked all from her parishes who contributed to the visit, particularly the host families and those who provided transport.
Above: An image from the exhange visit at St Barnabas Rowlands Gill.