Sheffield Methodist District

10 February 2012

Sheffield District

The Sheffield District covers South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire and North East Derbyshire. Once a major European provider of steel and coal, much of the area has been affected by industrial decline, and people, communities and local authorities struggle with some success to find a new post-industrial identity.

There are four major urban areas of population: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. The Peak, Chesterfield and Retford Circuits are mixed areas with both urban and rural communities. Worksop & Kiveton, Clay Cross, Bolsover & Staveley and Dearne Valley also include industrial communities within their areas.

Sheffield is the major city in the District and the fifth largest in England. New commerce and leisure facilities in an area of heavy population have provided some alternative

The area includes some of the most beautiful country in Britain and has some excellent parks. Sheffield itself is built on the valleys of five rivers, and even where there is a concentration of housing and industry, you are never far from the fields and hills. There are good cultural opportunities over the whole area, from small village festivals to every form of drama, music and art. The restored Lyceum theatre in Sheffield was reopened in 1990 and now attracts many national touring productions, whilst its sister theatre the Crucible is well known as a theatre in the round and also as home to the World Snooker Championships. The city has become a major sporting venue with Olympic standard athletic and water sport facilities, hosting a number of national and international events. Sheffield Arena ranks alongside Wembley and Birmingham as a leading venue.

The Chair of District

The Rev Vernon Marsh

He became Chair of the Sheffield District in 2005.

Vernon Marsh was born in St Albans and grew up in Bournemouth.

He studied French and German at Downing College, Cambridge, trained for the Ministry at Wesley House, followed by a year at the University of Tubingen in Germany.

He served in the Newcastle (Brunswick) and Gateshead and Jarrow Circuits before moving to London to be responsible for nine years for work with homeless people in the East End Mission in Stepney. There followed a period in Portsmouth, including Free Church Chaplaincy in the University, before he took up the Superintendentcy of the Rotherham Circuit in 1995.

Vernon is married to Meg. They have three children.

He hopes that the District will be able to:

support and enable the Circuits and Churches in the District as we implement together the District Mission Policy in our local settings;
support ordained and lay people in their diverse ministries;
encourage new ventures as Circuits and Churches seek to express the good news of God’s love and grace in Christ;
encourage bold and thoughtful responses to the poverty and deprivation experienced by many people in areas served by the District;
foster exploration with Christians from different traditions about how we may be the Church together;
encourage partnership with people from other faith communities;
keep alive an awareness that we are part of God's wide, diverse, colourful and struggling world.

Vernon can be contacted on 01709 364460 or via the District Office:

FAIRTRADE DISTRICT
Good News; more than 50% of the churches in the District are now Fairtrade Churches and we have set up a Fairtrde District Steering Group. This means we can now apply to be a Fairtrade District.
However, we don't want to stop there. Any churches who wish to have further information on becoming a Fairtrade church should contact the District Offcier or either of the District Fairtrade Convenors.
Further information and useful resources on Fairtrade can also be found at the Fairtrade Foundations web-site