Meet the Members

Hazel Percival

I was born in Huddersfield to a working class family. I am the 2^nd of 5 daughters, we had no brothers. I guess my childhood was fairly normal and I was Christened as a baby and I thought that, that made me a Christian. We went to Sunday School each week and learned the basics of Christianity, I guess it was enough to know where to go in times of trouble. When I was 13 we emigrated to Australia. I married young and had a child before I married. In those days that was a terrible sin, unlike today.

When I reached my late 20s and into my 30s I was working full time helping to pay the bills. Lots of things were happening around me and my family. Some deaths, abuse and I got cancer. I was not coping so I asked the doctor to help. He just prescribed pills which just made me sleep. I decided that that was no use. I was very unhappy at the time and afraid that I would die from the cancer. The pills were no good for me because I could not function. I started attending my local church. They were very welcoming but I never told them what I was going through. The Lord saw fit to cure my cancer and I have been free of it ever since. Thank you Lord Jesus for that.

The most important thing I did at that time was buy a bible and commenced reading it every day. This was when I knew that Jesus is my saviour. I have never stopped reading my bible and now I read it online every day. I do that bible in a year and have done it for several years now.

I know I have let some people down and I have asked for forgiveness especially from God. God is truly good to me. Though I am weak and could see how easily I could have gone on drugs or more likely alcohol, because it does make the world go away if only for a few hours. I praise the Lord that He saved me from that existence.

I was also a smoker and I can still remember the lies the devil told me when I started thinking of giving it up. Things like, “no I can't give up smoking my nerves won't take it, I will be a nervous wreck”. I can tell you that is the biggest lie out because the nicotine makes your nerves more taut like caffeine does so therefore when you stop using them your nerves will feel better.

We returned to England in 1993 and have lived in various places since being here. I have been to many churches ( they were always C of E ) but when they closed our church in Dallam several of us went around the district to try other churches. After some time I felt a need to pray about where I should stay and I felt God telling me to stay at Wycliffe URC. I feel blessed by my brothers and sisters in Christ there. I truly feel that this is where I am meant to be.

Chris and Maureen Sudlow’s Wycliffe Story

Chris and I Joined the Wycliffe family in 1974 when invited to help with a presentation called “Come Together”.. It was early days of the charismatic awakening in Warrington and house fellowships were springing up in the area.

Eric and Mabel Mayer had recently begun their spirit filled ministry at Wycliffe and many people were being drawn to the fellowship that met on Friday evenings for the bible teaching and prayer that was “feeding” those hungry to experience God’s Blessing in a new way.

Music in general and hymns in particular had always been important to us both and when the post of organist was offered to chris he was happy to accept. In those days, this involve playing an impressive instrument with three keyboards foot pedals and a massive array of organ popes which, some years later during the rebuilding, disappears to a church in Holland, (another story for later)

These were exciting and life changing times for many and we shared them with Ann and Howard Klein who are still worshipping with us today. We saw miracles in many lives and my own father was miraculously healed of an “inoperable “Bowel cancer by the Great Physician “in 1975.

These were years that saw the Billy Graham rallies at Liverpool and evangelical tent meetings in Bank Park led by Dick Saunders (some of us joined in the choirs for these) Many well Known Christians ministered in the town such as Jean Darnell, Eric Delve, George Duncan Alan Redpath and Selwyn Hughes. Wycliffe was always involved because of Eric’s Leading, and our fellowship gradually changed.

I remember, vividly, the Sunday when Alan Redpath welcomed he members of the Emmaus house group into membership pf Wycliffe and over forty young people with their children joined us. In the event, they only stayed “For a season” But when the majority decided to go the faithful remnant remained and played a vital part in the building of the Wycliffe of today.

After Eric moved to minister in Ireland we had many people worshipping with us “For a Season” as their work took them to many parts of the country and, because of the horrendous spear of dry rot in the roof timbers, our sanctuary became a roofless ruin and worship moved to the “Upper room “ in the Memorial Building .

I’ll Leave the story for another time but I can say with certainty that God is Still “Working his purpose out” and no one past or present is part of this fellowship by accident We have never had a large congregation but God provided for our needs in every circumstance and these is still “a work for Jesus that only HE can do “So we keep on keeping on and pressing towards the prize.

“To God Be The Glory! Great things He Has Done “and as we praise him for all That is past we can Trust Him for all that’s to come.

Sheila Barton

Hi my name is Sheila Barton I became a member of Wycliffe Church after my local Church closed down after visiting many local Churches I felt Wycliffe is where God wanted me to be I feel very settled with new found friends and some friends I have shared worship with for many years.
I wish to share how recently God changed a young ladies life , along with my husband we fostered children as our own four boys where growing up we felt we could help less fortunate children many came and moved on, however one little girl never found a suitable place to move on to and stayed with us for seven years.
As she grew older and became independent she moved into Liverpool and reconnected with her siblings which didn't go well , eventually she moved to Scotland with a boy she met that didn't go well either she ended up in a abusive relationship and a baby after a beating Police intervened the baby was taken into care and the boyfriend removed. We spoke regular then one day she asked me to pray with her which we did many times over the phone, one day she said she was feeling much better after praying and wanted to reconnect with God and the Church as this was missing in her life since leaving our care . After speaking with one of Wycliffe elders who pointed me towards Assemblies of God website looking for a suitable Church that would not only give her spiritual guidance but help and friendship, we found "Rekindle" .
By this time we had booked a week end visit as l needed to see she was ok on her own in Scotland fighting to get her baby back, we booked a room at Sterling University campus , after we booked in and went to visit she told me Rekindle sounded ideal but she hadn't managed to find it, after searching we found it at a meeting place in Sterling University where we were staying ! she had been apprehensive about going on her own now we were able to take her to the service the following day. We thank God for putting all this in place and coming back into her life when she needed him, life is looking up for her she has friends support and God plans are going well to getting her baby back.

Wycliffe URC

Wycliffe United Reformed Church, Warrington