On 25 November 2025, St Oswald’s Church, Methley joined Eco Church Gold Award holders online from across England and Wales for a special online gathering hosted by A Rocha UK. The meeting brought together churches who have achieved the highest level of Eco Church accreditation to share ideas, hear updates, and look ahead to the 10th anniversary of the Eco Church programme in 2026.A Rocha UK’s Vision for the Years AheadAndy Atkins, CEO of A Rocha UK, outlined the organisation’s renewed commitment to supporting churches in caring for God’s creation. Their strategy for the next three years focuses on: Managing land for nature – encouraging churches and Christian landowners to steward land in ways that boost biodiversity. Helping Christians take environmental action – supporting congregations to care for creation as part of their worship and mission. Nature for all – addressing the growing inequality of access to green spaces, and recognising the link between nature, health and wellbeing. A Rocha also confirmed a renewed focus on climate resilience, environmental justice, and expanding support in all four UK nations.Eco Church 2026: A Year of CelebrationNext year marks 10 years of Eco Church and 25 years of A Rocha UK. Special celebration services will be hosted in Liverpool, Chelmsford, Swansea, and the South West, alongside local events in churches across the country.Churches are invited to take part in this national moment of thanksgiving, reflection and renewed commitment to caring for creation.Sharing Ideas and EncouragementIn small discussion groups, Gold Award churches shared the challenges and joys of maintaining creation care work. Many stressed the value of local collaboration, mentoring churches working towards Bronze or Silver, and supporting communities facing environmental challenges.For St Oswald’s, the meeting offered fresh encouragement as we continue to embed Eco Church values into our worship, buildings, land, and community life.Looking ForwardA Rocha UK expressed gratitude for the leadership shown by Gold churches like St Oswald’s. As environmental pressures grow, the charity emphasised the crucial Christian calling to be a prophetic, hopeful and practical witness in our communities.We look forward to marking the Eco Church anniversary year in 2026, and exploring new opportunities to work with local partners, share ideas, and deepen our commitment to caring for God’s world.
On 19 November 2025, representatives from across the Leeds Episcopal Forum gathered for an evening of reflection and dialogue on Identity and Race, exploring how Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities can work together for justice and peace. Stuart Davis, Churchwarden and Deanery Representative for the Parish of Methley with Mickletown, attended on behalf of the parish.The meeting opened with worship before Bishop Arun, Bishop of Kirkstall, introduced the panel of speakers: Revd Wayne Simmonds, Racial Justice Officer for the Diocese of Leeds Qari Asim, Senior Imam, Makkah Mosque Susie Gordon, CEO, Leeds Jewish Representative Council Revd Wayne Simmonds: The Church’s Journey Toward Racial JusticeRevd Wayne Simmonds spoke first, grounding the evening in the Church’s own story of racial justice—its hopes, failures, and responsibilities.He reminded attendees that racial justice is not a new calling but one the Church has too often avoided. Past reports such as Faith in the City (1985) and more recent work, including the 2021 From Lament to Action report, highlighted long-standing concerns, yet many recommendations remain only partially implemented. George Floyd’s murder in 2020 reopened historic wounds and confronted the Church with uncomfortable truths.Revd Simmonds urged the Diocese to imagine a better future—one where: diverse leadership is seen as essential rather than exceptional anti-racism is embedded in clergy training and theological education BAME congregations and ecumenical partnerships receive equal resourcing non-Western liturgies and music are celebrated without being exoticised justice becomes measurable through audits, benchmarks and budgets He also highlighted ongoing barriers: institutional resistance, dismissive attitudes (“we don’t have any Black people here”), a lack of meaningful data, defensiveness, and the reality that “no funding means no priority.”Racial justice, he said, is not a temporary moment but a movement rooted in our baptismal vows and commitment to the Body of Christ.Perspectives from the Jewish CommunitySusie Gordon spoke of the rising fear and vulnerability felt within Jewish communities, exacerbated by global tensions and local incidents. She described increasing antisemitism, anxiety among families, and the emotional strain following events in the Middle East.She emphasised compassion, careful language, and the urgent need for dialogue in a polarised society. Young people, she noted, are especially affected by toxic online spaces. She reminded the meeting:“We need louder voices of peace rather than voices of hate.”She also encouraged interfaith solidarity, including visible acts of support between faith groups.Perspectives from the Muslim CommunityQari Asim highlighted the rise in anti-Muslim hatred, with Home Office statistics showing that 45–50% of all recorded religious hate crimes nationally target Muslims. Leeds research suggests that around 75% of Muslims have experienced prejudice or hostility.He shared distressing examples of members of his congregation being physically and verbally abused, and reported that 27 mosques had been attacked nationally in the past three months.Yet he also offered hope, reminding the room that Britain remains one of the most tolerant countries in the world. The challenge, he said, is that divisive voices are often the loudest. He called on Christians, Muslims and Jews to model unity, build trust, and create safe spaces where difficult conversations can happen with honesty and respect.Shared Challenges and OpportunitiesAcross the discussion, speakers identified several shared priorities: strengthening relationships between faith communities supporting children and young people to navigate polarisation challenging harmful stereotypes and misinformation creating frameworks for difficult conversations expanding who is “around the table” when local issues are discussed offering positive leadership rooted in hope, not fear Community members raised concerns about political polarisation, the rise of extreme rhetoric, and the need for faith communities to counter narratives of division. One attendee remarked on the importance of early intervention with young people before social media shapes their worldview.Bishop Arun reminded the gathering that while the Church must avoid being party politics, it has a responsibility to speak clearly on justice, compassion and the dignity of every person.Next Steps for ParishesPractical suggestions emerging from the evening included: organising parish visits to a synagogue or mosque, following earlier successful visits to a Sikh gurdwara developing interfaith projects with local partners educating congregations about racial justice and solidarity creating spaces where honest questions can be explored safely The evening closed with a shared commitment to strengthen unity across Leeds’ diverse communities.
As October deepens, most of the summer colour has faded, yet a few faithful wildflowers continue to brighten our churchyard, the simple daisy, clusters of yarrow, purple knapweed, and golden cinquefoil still holding on beneath the turning leaves.These small flowers remind us that the churchyard is not only a place of rest and remembrance but also a living landscape where nature thrives. Each season brings its own quiet beauty, and even now, as the year slows, life continues to flourish in unexpected corners.We invite everyone to take a moment to notice these signs of creation’s endurance and to give thanks for the delicate balance of life that surrounds us.
Last year St. Margaret’s Hall hosted a presentation by the company seeking to develop the quarry. This month’s coffee morning at St. Margaret’s Hall had a special focus on the environment and community action. We were joined by members of the Stop Methley Quarry group, who spoke about their campaign to protect our village from the environmental and social impact of the proposed quarry development.The session linked closely with the aims of our Eco Church Group, which encourages all of us to live more sustainably and care for God’s creation in practical ways. From reducing waste and planting for biodiversity to supporting local campaigns that protect the environment, we are reminded that stewardship of the earth is part of our Christian calling.As always, there was plenty of friendly conversation, tea, coffee and homemade cake — and even a few four-legged visitors enjoyed the morning! A big thank you to everyone who helped with the refreshments and made the event so welcoming.11/10/25
