Methodists get their first woman minister (From York Press)

Methodists get their first woman minister

7:54am Friday 3rd September 2010 in

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A SCOTSWOMAN has become the first woman superintendent minister of the York South Circuit of the Methodist Church.

The Rev Jennifer M McKenzie will be formally welcomed to the circuit at a special service being held at Southlands Methodist Church in Bishopthorpe Road, York, at 7.30pm tomorrow.

The address will be given by the Rev Stephen Burgess, chairman of the York and Hull District.

York South comprises 16 churches and three local ecumenical projects and Jennifer takes on pastoral oversight of Southlands, Melbourne Terrace, Bishopthorpe and Acaster Malbis.

She succeeds the Rev Keith Himsworth, who came to York from Birmingham Central Hall Mission eight years ago and is now superintendent minister of the Hornsea Circuit.

Jennifer grew up at Portessie, a village on the Moray Firth in Scotland, and was a primary school teacher before going to Zambia as a chaplain to Chipembi Girls Secondary School.

She said: “Two years later the local retired presbyter was recalled into active ministry and moved from the area. I then found myself with the school, a clinic, a farm college and 11 churches.”

This made her a consistory chair, or circuit superintendent, for more than 100 square miles of African bush.

After returning to England she trained for the Methodist ministry and has served in the Accrington and Haslingden circuit (1988-1992) and the London Forest circuit (1992-1996) before taking on responsibility for the development and delivery of a multi-faith chaplaincy service at Manchester College of Arts and Technology.

For the past six years, she has been part of the superintendency team of the Manchester circuit.