Church in the Dale

What is The Church in the Dale?

The Church in the Dale is an ecumenical alliance of the Methodist, Roman Catholic, United Reformed and Anglican churches within Nidderdale.

We serve the area from Middlesmoor through to Darley and Hartwith, covering twenty churches of differing style, size and character. In supporting the life of each church we also work ecumenically through laity/clergy teams, sharing the life of the Church.

It includes the Pateley Bridge Methodist Circuit, the Anglican parish of Upper Nidderdale, the Anglican parish of  Dacre with Hartwith and Darley with Thornthwaite, Providence Chapel (United Reformed Church), and the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady Immaculate.

The Church in the Dale seeks to proclaim the good news of Jesus, nurture and support Christians, and promote unity and service among the Christians of Nidderdale.

Church Contacts

• St Cuthbert’s Church Vicar : Revd. Darryl Hall 
• Holy Trinity Church, Dacre – Vicar: Revd. Alistair Fernley
• Roman Catholic Priest: Very Revd. Canon Chris Willis 
• United Reform Church Secretary: Margaret Kendrew 
• Methodist Church Minister: Revd. Neville Simpson

Launch of The Church in The Dale

The official launch of the Church in the Dale took place on Sunday 27 May 2007.  The Memorial Hall in Pateley Bridge was packed with over 200 people, who came to witness the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding by church leaders and to celebrate this historic agreement.

Leaders and representatives from all of the member churches took part in the service, as did denominational representatives.  The Memorandum of Understanding had previously been signed by all those in leadership positions in the local church, and during the service it was signed by senior clergy representing each denomination: Rt Rev James Bell, Bishop of Knaresborough; Rev Michael Townsend, Chair of Leeds Methodist District; Mgr Michael McQuinn, Vicar General of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds; and Mrs Val Morrison, Synod Clerk to the Yorkshire Synod of the United Reformed Church.

During the service, a tree was created which carried prayers for the Church in the Dale.

Source Magazine

A church and Community Magazine for the parishioners of Upper Nidderdale produced monthly.