It was a warm, pleasant Sunday afternoon on 11 January 2015 when Rowthorpe Uniting Church gathered in the Sutton Community Centre to recognise the conclusion of three years of the part-time ministry provided by Dr Elaine Ledgerwood and to hand over pastoral responsibility for the congregation to Rev Dr Alison Longworth.
The service was led by Elaine who preached on the Baptism of Jesus. Elaine identified baptism as a symbol of God’s grace and of new beginnings. Elaine shared that for her the day was a time of looking for new ways to live out her calling while Alison has emerged from her recent retirement to this new experience of parttime supply ministry.
In representing the Presbytery, Rev John Barendrecht thanked the congregation for the way they had supported Elaine and in acknowledging the conclusion of the placement, sent her with God’s blessing to her new phase of life. Rev Les Renshaw, chairperson of the congregation, thanked Elaine for her ministry and presented her with a gift from the congregation.