I arrived in the Shetlands just as the national weather
forecast was warning of extreme weather in the north of the UK. My visit there showed that there is no such
thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing! Luckily the warmth of my clothes along with the welcome of the people
there made this a really special visit for me.
Methodism came to the Shetland Islands in the 1820s with
John Nicholson, a former soldier, who returned home to Shetland and began
preaching. Very early on, the Methodist
Conference provided practical support, in the form of ministers to station and
additional funding. This recognition of
the particular needs of Methodism in these islands has continued with
additional financial support for the ministers stationed here, and a recognition
that a higher proportion of ministers is needed than the membership might
suggest.
The islands are run by the Shetland Islands Council. With a population of under 25,000 this would
be the equivalent of a small town council.
Yet it owns ferry services and power companies, runs schools (with
boarding pupils), and does all the things that a large metropolitan borough
would be expected to do. Together with
Revd Andrew Fox, the Superintendent of the Shetlands, I met with Malcolm Bell,
the elected Convenor of the Council and Frank Robertson, a Methodist member and
councillor, and learned about the issues facing the islands’ population. The meeting ended with an invitation from Mr
Bell to explore more of the ways in which the Churches and the Council could
work together.
The Shetlands are rich in their archaeological history, with
Iron Age and Viking settlements. The
Shetland Archaeologist, Dr Val Turner, is a Methodist and is much respected
internationally for her contribution to the understanding of Shetland
history. Val took us on a tour of Old
Scatness where she led the excavations beginning in the 1990s. At the centre is a large Broch, a form of
tower found around the Shetlands and beyond, surrounded by round
dwellings. At the corner of the site a
dwelling has been reconstructed to give a sense of the way people lived. It was so cold, with snow and hail falling – I
was wearing six layers of clothing yet I still felt numb – I did wonder how
people used to cope before the invention of central heating and Gortex.
On Tuesday I went to the farthest reaches of the Islands. Andrew drove me, via two ferries, to the
island of Unst. I met folk at the most
northerly Methodist Church, Haroldswick.
This church was re-built a few years ago, and the members of the church
did it all themselves. It is a much
loved place. Then we drove onto the
island of Yell and met people at East Yell Methodist Church. They are a tiny chapel, facing all the
challenges of small societies everywhere and more, but I had a real sense that
they are up for growth. They are looking
at ways in which they can reach out to their small community, offering love and
sharing the good news. In the evening I
joined a small bible study at North Roe, near where the Atlantic meets the
North Sea, and again witnessed the desire of these people to engage with the
bible and respond to the love of God.
On Wednesday I visited a Methodist local preacher, Alma, who
lives on a croft. She soon had me kitted
out in wellies and waterproof trousers, and we went off to feed the ducks and
hens and collect eggs. Then she gave me
a shepherd’s crook, and had me catching a young lamb, just a few hours old, and
iodine its cord. My second encounter as
Vice-President, after my West Yorkshire visit, with a newborn lamb! Alma spoke about the hard life experienced by
crofters, most of whom also maintain at least one other job in order to earn a
living. But she also spoke movingly
about the delight and privilege of living close to the land, seeing the birds
and animals around her. 
In the evening I joined the well-attended Shetland Easter
Offering service. I spoke about my visit
to the Church of Pakistan last year, about the experiences of Christians there
and the way in which the British Methodist Church World Church Fund supports
the work of the Church. The Shetland
Island Methodists, with a membership of just over 200 people, raised an
astonishing £1,500 for the World Church Fund, a real example of the generosity
of the people on the islands.
The British Methodist Church has a history of supporting
Methodism in the Shetland Islands, and it is good to see this continuing with
the imminent arrival of a new probationer, who I met at Queens earlier in the
year. The membership may be small, but
it is disproportionate in terms of population and strong in faith.
Thank you to Andrew and Susie Fox, and all the people who
welcomed me with such generous hospitality.
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