Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 17th June, 2022)

Methodist Association of Youth Clubs (MAYC) - I still have the badge, even though I was not a Methodist. Annual competitions in singing, dancing, biblical knowledge, in the late 60s this chapel was the place to beat, especially a female bible knowledge team.
Ministers, lots of them! Messrs Stott, Bradley, Cornah come to mind - also Brian Sherrington - and legions of chapel-goers with "proper jobs" at Pilkington's, Ken Joynt Estate Agents etc etc.
I was last in this chapel in 1968, but recognised it long before reading the caption.

You still here????

That's a lovely old building, as Methodist churches tend to be....there is something homely about them. I was christened a Methodist as the vicar at our local Church of England in Ince refused to christen me. I have always found the Methodists to be caring and practical people. Mick, I suspect you are still here in Wigan despite all your plans re "going off to somewhere better". Perhaps you've had an "over the rainbow" moment, and realised there's no place like home!

Jeanette, Irene, this seems to be an old photo no leaves on the tree on the right.

The bare leaves tell me it’s from a cache left behind Irene. I think the Vicar who refused to christen you should have been given his marching orders never mind Holy Orders.
I know of a priest who refused to perform the burial service of one poor soul but in that instant the Cof E came to the rescue. Makes me wonder as Shakespeare wrote
“ The quality of Mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from Heaven upon the place beneath…”.???

The vicar Irene is talking about was very opinionated,he tried to suggest to my Mum who she should have for my godparents !

Some times the clergy want people to abide by what they say not the religious thoughts are at the time. We know 1st hand because my wife's family all used a certain church and her grandfather was at one time the choir master. We got married there and our eldest son was christened there but the vicar refused to christen our youngest son because we had moved out of the parish. I thought religion held no boundaries but I am wrong. Neither of our grandchildren have been christened and we are not bothered

My young granddaughter baptised her baby brother because the local priest refused to.Somewhere along the line I heard that if the intention is truly meant that anyone can Christen or baptise a child. When she told her mum she said she did it twice to be sure. She was five at the time.

In 1603 , the Puritans put before James 1st the Millenary Petition demanding that baptism ought be conducted by lay people , principally the mid wives in attendance at birth .
James refused because he needed the power of the church to back his claim of rule by divine right and thus wafted the first imperceptible embers of the English Civil War .

Pauline, I hope it wasn't full a immersion baptism.

A friend of mine baptised her grandson unbeknown to her son who didn’t want him baptised in the church. I also believe it was common when nurses did the same for an infant if it was in danger of death.

As Poet mentions the Puritans and James 1st , I ponder, this could be a mosque in the near future . This hope or even dream , that this change has not yet even started or is elsewhere , is an delusion housed in the vast areas of history , where great minds of science fought with passion to give reality a truth and indeed a grounding. The idea of a church now in a ever growing multi cultural society , will in my view ,be hugely challenging to what we value and know . The fool who said , we are all the same , is / was , an idiot , we are not , we are separated by our experience , values and our culture , like those coming here, holding onto there’s .. but there’s are completely different . Faith against a democracy likes ours , where liberal and expansive thought is allowed , can only cause problems to those who see only religion as the beginning and end .

Ozy, I think I’ve spotted a new pupil for you to make up for the loss of Mick!
Mick, Mick are you still there? Knock once for yes or twice for no!

Veronica, your comment at 11-43 am reminds me of a joke, to be read with an Irish accent.
Pats dog died, so he went to the parish priest,
'' Father, could you bury my dog please'' ?
''Sorry Patrick i don't bury animals''
''Do you tink if i took it to the Presbyterian church down the road
and offered them 5,000 Euros they would bury it''?
Be Jaysus Patrick, why didn't you say that the dog was a Catlic''

Well dey do say money talks Roy.
Oi wouldn’t be surprised..;o))