A new Methodist Church for Bath is set to hold its first services in September, following the combination of four congregations in the city.

The Nexus Methodist Church in Bath | Photo © Nigel Jarvis / Shutterstock.com
The Beechen Cliff, Horizon, Nexus and Weston congregations will be coming together to create the new “Bath Methodist Church”, though all the existing church sites will be retained.
From 4th September onwards, 10.30am Sunday morning services will take place each week at the Walcot Methodist Chapel opposite Walcot Parade and at the Southdown Methodist Church Centre on the Hollow, with a combined service every fourth Sunday alternating between the two sites.
Revd Simon Topping, Superintendent of the North East Bath and Somerset Methodist Circuit, said: “This is an opportunity to strengthen our Sunday worship, to pool our resources more effectively and to come together around a common mission and purpose.
“In that mission, as Christians in the Methodist tradition, our focus is on calling people to a life of faith as followers of Jesus and on working for social justice and peace in order that the world might reflect God’s love.”
All four of the current church sites will continue to offer space and facilities for the wide range of community groups currently using the buildings, and the church hopes to further develop the use of them in the coming years in ways that fit with the mission of the new church, including opportunities for prayer, worship and Bible study at different times in the week.
The Beechen Cliff site will continue to hold services for the Korean Methodist Church and it is hoped that the Weston site will be used for Sunday afternoon services at various times during the year.
There will also be a Zoom service at 9am on the second Sunday of each month.
Bath Methodist Church will operate with a team ministry. There will be three Methodist ministers; Revd Jan Tate, Revd Simon Topping and Deacon Annie Trembling.
The ministers will be working with two lay workers, including a Student Chaplain and one church administrator, alongside the regular volunteer work of church members.
The church will also work in partnership with the Methodist chaplain at the RUH, the two chaplains at the Methodist Homes in Bath, Walcot Court and Stratton House, and the Methodist chaplain at Kingswood School.