Holmer Green Methodist Church

       Our Minister     Rev. Mike Hill

Mike is telling us about William Holmamn Hunt picture
“The Light of the World”
 which had been recently donated by
Joan Boudreau to celebrate her 90^th birthday
December 2011

Our minister Rev. Mike Hill and his wife Gwen came to Holmer Green in September 2008 from the Reading and Silchester Circuit where they had been living in Woodley for seven years. Before that they had been in Doncaster for five years and Sheffield North East for eight years

Mike's first career was in Science, mainly in electronic materials and he says that this still colours his view of life and understanding of God. His wife Gwen was a teacher of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics for GCSE and A-level. She is now Tuition Tutor in Literacy at Great Marlow School. Mike says that teaching is Gwen's calling where she serves the Lord, and has opportunity to speak of God with teenagers who are mainly not reached by church.  She has also worked with teenagers in churches and presently works with the children’s Craft Club at Downley.

Mike and Gwen have two daughters: Mari-Anne and husband Eric have a little boy called Zach and they live in Liverpool.  Mari-Anne is trained in Chemistry and Pharmacology and more recently in Psychology; Charlotte and husband Peter have a little boy called Barnabas and they live in the Peak District. Charlotte was a senior social worker.

As well as Holmer Green, Mike is also responsible for 3 other churches (Naphill, Tylers Green, and Downley Sunnybank). In these 4 communities he works actively with churches of other denominations, and has recently been appointed as the Methodist Ecumenical Officer for Buckinghamshire.

Mike has long been involved with Boys Brigade (and also Girls Brigade in past appointments), and is Chaplain to our BB company. He is a school governor, and is often in schools for assemblies and other activities. He is chairman of Holmer Green Methodist PreSchool.

Mike has links with residential homes for the elderly, including Cherry Garth in Holmer Green, and The Heights at Downley where many of the Cherry Garth residents went during the rebuilding. Mike emphasises the importance of weekday worship in such homes: for the residents, that is their church. Likewise, the Tuesday Fellowship at our church is important because it provides an alternative worship opportunity, now that many people have to work on Sundays.

Mike's scientific background (he is still a member of the Institute of Physics) leads him to the links between Science and Christianity, and more recently the environmental issues of climate change, recycling etc. A few years ago Mike spent a sabbatical studying the science and the spirituality of rainbows. In the summer of 2012 during a sabbatical he will study dinosaurs and their significance for our understanding of God.

2011, the 400^th anniversary of the King James Bible, saw Mike chairing the group which has overseen the celebrations across Wycombe, including the special service in our church in November, and the exhibition in Wycombe Library.

Prayer is important to Mike, and he encourages us to join with the Prayer for Wycombe initiative, as well as taking opportunity to pray together. Mike likes nothing better than to pray with individuals or small groups, and will gladly come and pray with you. Just ask him!

Mike's  email address is:-

michael.hill2@methodist.org.uk