Who We Are
About Us
Walworth Methodist Church is located on the busy Camberwell Road,
midway between the Elephant and Castle and Camberwell Green. In 2013 we celebrated 200 years of continuous Methodist worship and witness on our site.
During this time the makeup of the congregation, like the neighbourhood we serve, has changed and both would be unrecognisable to those who founded the church. In the 1930s Revd Jimmy Butterworth, one of the pioneers of youth work, rebuilt the church premises as ‘Clubland’ – not once, but twice, after the new chapel was gutted by wartime bombing. In order to fund the work he built up a remarkable international network of supporters, including stars of the stage and screen and top sports personalities.
By the 1970s the congregation had gone into decline but found a beginning in the ministry of Revd Vic Watson, who energised the congregation to engage in improving community relations in what was becoming an increasingly multiracial neighbourhood.
The congregation has continued to grow, and today it is a mostly black congregation, with particularly strong representation from West Africa. This is reflected in our worship, particularly the 11.30am service, and has undoubtedly contributed to the growth of the church.
We support a number of fellowships and are proud of our choir which leads our worship and contributes to making our worship so vibrant.
Beginning of continuous Methodist worship on the Walworth Methodist Church site.
Jimmy Butterworth rebuilt the church premises as “Clubland” to support youth work.
The church celebrated 200 years of continuous Methodist worship.
What We Believe
Methodism has its roots in the life and teachings of John Wesley (1703-91), an Anglican minister. It originated as a revival movement within Church of England and became a separate denomination after Wesley’s death.
With this heritage it is unsurprising that the Methodist Church holds the same basic beliefs as the major Christian traditions. These are summarised in historic documents such as the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.
We are historically connected to the Protestant Reformation, with its stress on the primacy of the Bible as the source of inspiration and authority in the church. Methodism follows the so-called ‘Arminian’ emphasis on the importance of human free will, but there are no beliefs or practices that are unique to Methodists and not shared by other Christians.
A popular summary of Methodist belief is called the ‘Four Alls’:
All need to be saved
We believe that human selfishness (‘sin’, if you want the religious word) separates us from God and makes us deserving of divine judgement.
We are unable to change this of ourselves, but God can. Jesus’ death on the Cross absorbs the power of evil and the cost of forgiveness, putting us right with God. His resurrection gives us new life.
Our response is to trust this good news and turn away from our selfish ways of living in gratitude for what God has done in Jesus.
All can be saved
We believe no-one is beyond the possibilities of God’s transforming love. This good news is for everyone. God does not exclude anyone from the offer of his love. That means you and me!
All can know they are saved
What’s more, God wants us to be sure that he loves us. We believe God wants us to have that assurance. It comes through both the promises God makes us in the Bible and in an inner personal experience of God’s love through the Holy Spirit.
All can be saved to the uttermost
The Christian life isn’t just about being forgiven now and waiting for heaven. It’s about our lives being changed for the better here and now. We believe God wants to do that through the power of the Holy Spirit. We want to live differently as a sign of gratitude for God’s love. We want to make a difference in the world as a result.
(With thanks to Rev Dave Faulkner, The ‘Four Alls of Methodism’ Today)
For further information about what Methodists believe, visit here.
Our Calling
The calling of the Methodist Church is to respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and to live out our discipleship in worship and mission.
We do this through:
Worship
The Church exists to increase awareness of God’s presence and to celebrate God’s love.
Learning and Caring
The Church exists to help people to grow and learn as Christians, through mutual support and care.
Service
The Church exists to be a good neighbour to people in need and to challenge injustice.
Evangelism
The Church exists to make more followers of Jesus Christ.
A Methodist Way of Life
The calling of the Methodist Church is to respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission. All members of the Methodist Church are encouraged to live out this calling in their daily lives.
‘A Methodist Way of Life’ is a list of simple commitments that help us to put our calling into practice. They are twelve things that we can do individually and together as we grow as followers of Jesus, which help us to worship God, serve others, be evangelistic, and learn and care together.
As far as we are able, with God’s help:
Worship
- We will pray daily.
- We will worship with others regularly.
- We will look and listen for God in Scripture, and the world.
Learning and Caring
- We will care for ourselves and those around us.
- We will learn more about our faith.
- We will practise hospitality and generosity.
Service
- We will help people in our communities and beyond.
- We will care for creation and all God’s gifts.
- We will challenge injustice.
Evangelism
- We will speak of the love of God.
- We will live in a way that draws others to Jesus.
- We will share our faith with others.
May we be a blessing within and beyond God’s Church, for the transformation of the world.
Why not consider making this a pattern for your daily living?
For more information on ‘A Methodist Way of Life’, including supporting materials, visit here.
The Team
Our ministers are Rev Rachael Wilson and Revd David Markay
Rachael and David share in a team ministry which includes Walworth’s sister churches at Herne Hill and East Dulwich.
To contact the ministers please email or phone the church office 020 7703 2477.
Rev Rachael Wilson
Superintendent Minister
Revd David Markay
David is a minister of the United Methodist Church who has served in various cities in his native United States, Lithuania, Italy and the UK. David came to Walworth in 2018.
Message from the Ministry Team
Let’s get back to what we were doing before all this happened!
In one of the stories we Christians read during the season of Easter, we can sense that desire amongst Jesus’ disciples (John 21:1-19). Years earlier, when they were fishermen, he had invited them to follow him. They had put down their nets, and, for three years, had walked with him as he taught and healed and preached. They were on hand for agony of his crucifixion and the shock of his resurrection. But somehow, they found their way back to the lakeshore where it had all begun. And when Peter announced ‘I am going fishing,’ they readily agreed: ‘We will go with you’ (v. 3). There is something comforting about returning to a routine, to our well-rehearsed activities. Let’s get back to normal!
The risen Christ, it seems, had other plans. Much to their astonishment, he appeared on the beach and shouted across the water some advice on fishing. Then over a breakfast of charbroiled fish, he started an intense conversation with Peter. If you love me, Peter, if you want to do my will, then you will serve others, tend to others, feed others (vs.15-19). Ultimately, Jesus did not ask Peter to return to a routine, to get back to normal, or simply to worship him. His call to Peter and the others was much more demanding: ‘Follow me’ (v. 19).
When so much changes around us, we rest on the promise that ‘Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday and today and forever’ (Hebrews 13:8). Yet when we follow Jesus, there is no returning to normal. He keeps appearing on our lakeshores – startling us, nudging us, inviting us, correcting us, and calling us to love others in the way he loves. Whether you are a long-time member of Walworth Church, or are looking for a new start, let us listen for Jesus’ call together!
Peace,
Rev. David Markay
Since its first days as Walworth Wesleyan Chapel in 1813, the congregation on this site has lived into its Methodist ethos of encouraging ‘personal and social holiness.’ Originally set in the village of Camberwell on a country lane now called Camberwell Road, the mission of the church has unfolded in chapters, while remaining true to the Methodist calling ‘to respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission’.
Over the last century, chapters of the church’s history include the visionary leadership of Revd Jimmy Butterworth, who created Clubland — a church run by and for youth — in the 1920s (Michael Caine credits Clubland with giving him his first acting experience); the Luftwaffe destruction of the then new premises in 1939; the energetic rebuilding campaign of the post-war years enlisting members of the royal family, stars from Hollywood, and British footballers (look for well-known names inscribed on the walls of the courtyard); Methodist Leadership Racism Workshops led by the Revd Vic Watson and Local Preacher Sybil Phoenix in the 1980s; hospitality and welcome extended to foreigners during times of societal hostility; becoming a heart of life and faith for London’s West African and Caribbean communities; and recently seeing the creation of the Southwark Peace Garden (note the dove of peace sculpted from confiscated knives).
Since 2008 the congregation has been part of the Southwark & Deptford Methodist Circuit, and reflects Methodism founder John Wesley’s words, ‘The world is my parish’.
Worship, service and outreach is offered on a broad inter-cultural map. Sunday services at 9:30 and 11am incorporate the customs from many lands, combining a traditional Wesleyan reverence with vibrant cultural practices. Choir anthems, congregational singing, diverse styles of preaching, walk-up offerings, and opportunities for fellowship are all vital aspects of Sunday worship.
True to its Clubland emphasis on youth, the Sunday school offers an active ministry to children. During Black History Month each year the congregation organises a week of inter-age and inter-cultural Beauty-in-Diversity activities, in addition to sending a large delegation to the annual British Methodist 3Generate Youth Gathering in October. An annual Confirmation and New Member class explores Christian themes as individuals prepare to make important steps of faith on Pentecost Sunday each year.
As a large congregation, pastoral care is offered through the early Methodist system of small group ‘classes’. Fellowship groups from Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Ghana provide cultural connections, companionship for the elderly, care for those in difficulty, and fund-raising for charitable projects in their respective homelands. Many diaspora school organisations, choirs, national chaplaincies and local support groups use the building as a locus for their gatherings and work.
Please contact us or visit us – – our prayer is that you will sense God in this vibrant and historic place, and more importantly, feel God’s love in the people you meet here!
History
The Origins of Walworth Methodist Church
The first chapel on this site was opened in 1813, just within the Walworth side of the old parish boundary between Walworth and Camberwell. At that time new houses were being built along Camberwell Road, but most of the land behind was still fields and market gardens – Camberwell was even known for its peach trees! The opening of the Surrey Canal (which ran through what is now Burgess Park) in 1810 brought industry into the area and as the 19th century progressed, the area around the church became completely built over. As the population of the area grew, so too did the congregation and the chapel had to be enlarged in 1842 and 1881.