Many thanks for your letter earlier this year informing me of the Silver jubilee of the United Church in Wednesfield.
Time passes very quickly and I was glad of the reminder of what was a significant event.
Warmest congratulations on the continuing life of the church. I trust that all goes well with the congregation and the members who were involved in the union. Closing churches for such a union is never an easy matter but it would appear that you continue a healthy church life. My prayer is that you will continue to be blessed by God in all that you do together and maintain an effective witness in the community.
These are not easy days for the life of the church, and moving beyond ones earlier traditions leads a deep dependence on God and a living faith in His love and strength, enabling you to be sensitive to, and respond to Him and the contemporary needs of the world.
I pray too that you are developing your membership and appropriate activities and finding joy in doing so. I offer greetings to any who remember me, and prayers for the future to you all, I am not often in the Wednesfield area in these days but look back with appreciation . to an area which was close to my wife's home area of Wednesbury.
I am afraid age and its limitations, and especially a very poor memory, means I am unable to make a great contribution to the life of the Church these days but my wife is active in the Church and we are regular worshipers in Oxford. She joins me in my greetings and good wishes for the future.
God bless you all and give you joy and peace in His service. We trust the Jubilee celebrations will be worthy of the occasion in every way.
Very sincerely yours
Nigel L. Gilson