Black Country Methodist Circuit
About Us
The Black Country Methodist Circuit
We are a family of 15 Methodist churches, serving the communities of Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. A friendly welcome awaits you – whether you have joined us before or are new to the area.
We are located in the Black Country
In the West Midlands of England, our Circuit represents just a small part of The Black Country region . The Black Country is often seen of a collection of 20 or so towns falling within the four Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
While no one quite agrees on the exact boundaries of the region, there is one thing we know for certain: Black Country folk changed the world. They built world’s first successful steam engine; put the first steam train (the Stourbridge Lion) on US soil; fuelled the introduction of the first minimum wage; produced the anchor for the Titanic; practically built the Crystal Palace and so much more.
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From the early 20th century onwards, the Black Country region became one of the most industrialised parts of the UK with coal mines, iron foundries, glass factories, brick works and more dominating the landscape. The sheer intensity of industry earned the Black Country a worldwide reputation and its goods were shipped around the globe. But industry at such scale came at a huge cost, and the landscape was turned inside out for its resources. In 1862 the American Consul to Birmingham Elihu Burritt famously described the region as “black by day and red by night” because of the ubiquitous black smog by day and the fiery glow of the furnaces by night.
The Methodist Church
Today, there are about 75 million people worldwide who call themselves 'Methodist'. We are a Christian denomination that began in the mid-eighteenth century in Britain, due largely to the strong leadership, extensive travelling and organisational abilities of the ‘Founder of Methodism’ John Wesley (1703-1791).
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Wesley was a pioneer and a travelling priest – he is estimated to have travelled 250,000 miles in 50 years to preach the gospel. An important part of our mission then was our engagement in action for social justice at home and abroad – this is something we are passionate about just as much today!
The Black Country has proud links right back to the early days of Methodism. John Wesley visited the area several times during his ministry, one of the most famous visits being on
20 October 1743 when he faced an anti-Methodist rioting mob (see here for more information) – we offer a much friendlier welcome today! Just down the road is Bishop Asbury Cottage, the boyhood home of Francis Asbury who was selected by Wesley to become one of the first two Bishops of the Methodist Church in the United States.
For more information about the rich history and heritage of the Methodist Church, please see our dedicated site.
The Methodist Church nationally (we call it the 'Connexion') is organised into Districts and then Circuits. This structure enables decision making that takes account of all concerns and views within the Church. Our Circuit is a family of 15 individual churches working together to serve the communities of Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. In turn, we belong to the Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury District.
The District is made up of 12 Circuits, including our own, serving 224 churches. For more information about the District click here.
A total of 30 Districts nationally makes up The Methodist Church in Britain, our Connexion. For more information about the Connexion click 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 its discipleship in worship and mission. We do this through:
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Worship - The Church exists to increase awareness of God's presence and to celebrate God's love
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Learning and Caring - The Church exists to help people to grow and learn as Christians, through mutual support and care
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Service - The Church exists to be a good neighbour to people in need and to challenge injustice
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Evangelism - The Church exists to make more followers of Jesus Christ
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This underpins everything we do in our churches, in our Circuit and in our everyday lives. We are called to be a growing, inclusive, evangelistic and justice-seeking Church. We welcome everyone, we point people towards God and we fight against injustice.
We live our lives in response to this calling through ‘A Methodist Way of Life’, a rhythm of discipleship that helps us to put this commitment into practice, as individuals and communities.
A Methodist Way of Life
God loves you unconditionally, no strings attached. That’s the good news.​
A Methodist Way of Life is 12 practices that help us encounter God and gives a framework, a rhythm of discipleship, to help us put Our Calling into practice in our everyday lives. These 12 practices, and how they relate to the four key areas of Our Calling, are:
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For more information about a Methodist Way of Life, take a look at our dedicated page.
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