Saint Paul's Church, Landkey
In Brief
Next Service:
29th April at 10:00 am.
Holy Communion
(Fifth Sunday of Easter. This will be a joint service for all of the churches in our Mission Community. No service at St Paul's today. Note the earlier start time!)
The next village event will be Public Exhibition - Westacott Development on 2nd May 2018 at 2:00 PM in Youth and Community Centre, Whiddon Valley, EX32 8NG
Diocesan Magazine
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A link to the magazine is available on the Home page.
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More ImagesWelcome to the website for St Paul's Church, the Church of England church for the parish of Landkey.
The tranquil village of Landkey is situated just three miles from the busy market town of Barnstaple in North Devon. With a growing population in excess of 1800, a strong sense of community exists within the village and, of this, the church is an important part. As well as offering regular Christian worship, the church provides valuable links to other areas of the community such as the local Primary School and the Mothers' Union.
St Paul's is a friendly church in which the Christian message is heard regularly by a congregation of around 25 worshippers. All are welcome to attend our services.
News
Annual Parochial Church Meeting
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting was held on Sunday 22nd April 2018 in the church after the morning service and was attended by members of the congregation as well as officers. The meeting was chaired by Revd Shaun O'Rourke and the business was conducted in a friendly manner.
These are the main decisions that were taken:
- Eileen MacCaig and Hazel Price were re-elected churchwardens. It was noted, though, that Eileen intended to retire as churchwarden at the end of this new term of office.
- The Annual PCC Report and Financial reports were approved.
- Eric Price and Peter Elder were re-elected to the PCC (Parochial Church Council) following the completion of their previous three-year terms of office. Jean Loveridge was also elected to the PCC.
- Sidespersons were appointed, these being Cynthia Ashley, Eileen MacCaig, Elizabeth Nunn, Margaret Perryman, Hazel Price and Jean Loveridge.
At the PCC meeting which followed the Annual Meeting, Eileen MacCaig was elected PCC joint Chairman, Peter Elder Vice Chairman, Eric Price Treasurer, Charles Waldron Secretary and Peter Elder Electoral Roll Officer.
Thanks were expressed for the efforts of all who contribute their time and effort to enable the word of God to be regularly heard in our church.
Bishop Sarah's visit
We were delighted to welcome the Rt Revd Dame Sarah Mullally to lead our Easter service on Sunday 1st April.
This was a visit which had been arranged many months ago to mark the re-installation of the organ which had been restored following a successful fundraising campaign.
Dame Sarah was, until very recently, Bishop of Crediton, but was elected in December 2017 to the post of Bishop of London, the highest position ever to be held by a woman in the Church of England. This engagement at St Paul's was one of her last before she moved to take up her post in London.
Many people joined the regular congregation for this occasion, helping to fill most of the pews in the church. In her sermon, Dame Sarah focused on the wonder of the Resurrection, explaining that the hope that it offered was available to all. Referring to the stone which had been inexplicably rolled away from Jesus' tomb, she related from personal experience just how difficult large stones are to move. Her husband (who was among the congregation), having purchased an ornamental stone for the garden, discovered on its delivery to their driveway, that it was far too heavy to be moved into the garden by anything other than a mechanical hoist, much to the intrigue of neighbours who witnessed grown men struggling with it in vain!
She also went on to liken the promise of the Resurrection to the passages in C S Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" in which the permanent winter is finally broken after Aslan's return.
The usual Easter Sunday liturgy was paused after Dame Sarah's sermon in order to allow her to rededicate the organ. She offered a prayer that it would be used to enhance the worship at St Paul's.
Dame Sarah and her husband stayed for a while afterwards and enjoyed refreshments, which included hot cross buns.