Epworth Chalice

As a former methodist minister I was interested to read this story in yesterday's 'Church Times'.

IT BEGAN last May, when the Revd Stephen Poxon, the President of the Methodist Conference for 2008-09, paid an official visit to Epworth, in Lincoln diocese, the early home of John and Charles Wesley.

After visiting the Old Rectory, he went to St Andrew’s, where he found that the Priest-in-Charge, the Revd Ian Walker (right), was an old friend with whom he had done his ministerial training at Queen’s College, Birmingham. Mr Walker showed the president the silver chalice, dating from 1706, that is known as the “Wesley Chalice”, since it is believed to have been used when the Wesley brothers made their first communion.

Quite fortuitously, at that moment, a coach party of Methodists from Lichfield arrived at the church, and Mr Poxon took the opportunity to preach a sermon from the tomb of Samuel Wesley in the churchyard, in memory of the time when John Wesley preached from the tomb of his father because he was no longer allowed inside the church.

As a result of his visit, Mr Poxon and the Revd Dr David Perry, the chairman of the Methodist District, asked if the Wesley Chalice could be used at the next Methodist Conference, to be held in Wolverhampton in July. Mr Walker consulted his PCC and the Archdeacon of Stow & Lindsey, the Ven. Jane Sinclair, and everyone agreed.

Rosemary Wheeler (right) took it to Wolverhampton, and, Mr Walker says, “didn’t let it out of her sight”. It was only after the conference communion service that Mr Poxon, who had presided, told them that the Wesley Chalice had been used. “A sharp intake of breath was heard from around the hall, and many people came forward to see and photograph it.”

As a gesture of thanks, the Methodist Conference presented St Andrew’s with one of several specially commissioned chalice and paten sets (above), designed and hand-made by Nick Williamson in Stafford shire. Mr Walker says he has not yet used the set, but will do so at the next joint Anglican-Methodist service.

As for the Wesley Chalice: “It is quite deep; so we don’t use it very much, but we get it out for special visitors like the recent group of Korean Methodists who arrived on a Wesley tour.”