Rev Michael Payne

I am now one of the active Presbyters in the Methodist Church who is getting on in years of service. I moved to the Vale of Stour Circuit from living on the Fylde coast north of Blackpool in 2017. Prior to my 10 years in Lancashire I was based in South Wales for 17 years.

Before entering ministry within the life of the Church I worked with a firm of accountants in Rochester, Kent near to where I grew up and went to school. This does mean that I can look at a set of accounts and make a little sense of them.

Anita and I have been married for 35 years. Anita, for many years, worked in the NHS - for the major part of that time with Neo-natal care. So she will often say “I don’t do adults” when asked questions.

For me, the Church and the community are of great importance. The Church should be an important part of its community and people of faith have an important contribution to make to community life and vice versa. Over the last year, as we have all been living with a new pattern of life dominated by Coronavirus, it has been good to see the “Love of Neighbour” being expressed within communities.

God’s love is not only expressed through those of Christian faith; wherever love is there is God, recognised or not, for God is Love. Over the years it has been a privilege to journey with people through time of joy and sadness and one of the most difficult things I have found during the last 12 months is not being able to be physically present with people in such times.

As we return to a new way of living we will all be looking forward to being in the presence of others and sharing more closely in times of both joy and pain.

Pastoral Responsibilities

(with Mr Martyn Filsak liaising and assisting)

Contact

Availability

  • Sunday
  • Monday
  • Tuesday
  • Wednesday
  • Thursday
  • Saturday