Marston

Built in 1835, the chapel is a small one room building in good order. Situated on the green in Marston village. Although only having a few members there are many people from the village community who support the chapel and close ecumenical links are maintained with the Anglican Churches at Worton and Marston. In 2007 the chapel ceased as an independent church council and became part of St. Andrews, Devizes

Revd. Christopher Cory

Tel. 01380 724264

e-mail; ccory@wiltsunitedchurches.org.uk

Location; Turn off the Worton to Seend road (left if coming from Worton, right if coming from Seend) where it is signposted to Marston and follow the road for one mile until you come to a red phone box on the right. The church is on the green on the right hand side.

Minister with pastoral care	Revd. Chris Cory
Stewards	Mr Frank Barcham, Mr Graham Cox
Church Treasurer	Mrs Marion Butler
Organist	Mr Frank Barcham
Property Steward	Mr Rod Duckett
Flowers Organiser	Mrs Frank Barcham
Caretaker	Mr Frank Barcham

Many of you will remember that last November we sent Rohaise Haynes, [Symon’s mum] off with our love and prayers to visit her daughter Margaret in Australia. Whilst there she was warmly welcomed into the fellowship of Margaret and David’s local church, Maclean Uniting Church

They have sent her back to us with gifts and their love and prayers but they have also sent us a gift, a ‘Candle of Peace.’

In 1985, the Rev. Blair R. Monie, an American Presbyterian minister, visited the Soviet Union. In the small town of Voronezh, he was approached by an elderly woman who pressed a small sum of money into his hand and requested that he do something for world peace. He recognised a deep desire and strong devotion in her eyes and voice, and he determined he would do something special when he returned home.

What could he do with three roubles? After much thought, he purchased a small candle, placed it on the Communion table, and lit it. On hearing his story, his congregation agreed to make it a permanent accessory in their sanctuary and purchased a supply of candles so they could make a peace candle available to visitors wishing to take it back to their own church. And so a tradition of burning a peace candle during each service began.

From this beginning, candles were passed on to other churches. The peace candle they have in Maclean Uniting church came to them from the Souris United Church, Manitoba, Canada. They had received it from a long line of other churches in Canada. Today candles burn in England Australia, Ireland, Kuwait, South Africa and Denmark.

So we are asking Rohaise to bring this candle to our church at Marston on Easter Sunday evening when we will light it as part of our worship and so join with these other churches across the world to pray for peace, and we hope to make available candles of peace for visitors to take back to their churches.