New Services for Portuguese Speakers in Great Yarmouth

 

The Mayor and Mayoress of Great Yarmouth joined a 100-strong congregation at Park Baptist Church on Saturday 6^th June to share in the induction service for new Associate Pastor Revd Leda Schofield.

Leda’s appointment follows the establishment by this growing church of a weekly worship service in the Portuguese language at 4.00pm each Sunday in response to the needs of the significant numbers of Portuguese speakers now living in the town. Until now that service has been led by visitors from elsewhere – and Leda’s appointment means that the church will be able to offer more comprehensive outreach throughout the week to this group who can at times be isolated from the mainstream of town life.

 

Leda was born in Brazil and has undertaken mission work in Israel, France and London before coming to Great Yarmouth where, alongside regular pastoral duties, she will carry a special responsibility for outreach, for work with the Portuguese speaking community in the town, and for developing opportunities to draw members of the English and Portuguese speaking congregations closer together.

 

Leda explains that friendship over food is vital to those newly arrived in a new country and said “Just as Jesus shared meals with His friends, so I am hoping to invite members of our congregation and their friends to evangelistic meals at the church, where the good news that the church has can be shared. I am also hoping that our activities will encourage both Portuguese and English speakers to gain some ability in each others language as an aid to integration”.

 

Derrick Hill, the church’s pastor, alongside whom Leda will work, explained how the church had grown significantly in recent years, and now holds three services each Sunday as well as outreach through their Tuesday Friendship Centre and other midweek activities. It is this growth that has enabled Leda’s innovative appointment to be more than 50% funded by the members of Park Baptist Church with the remaining funds coming from national Baptist Home Mission funds in response to the innovative nature of the role.

 

The Act of Induction was undertaken by Baptist Regional Minister, Revd Richard Lewis whilst Revd Dr Pat Took, newly elected as national Vice President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, preached the sermon.

 

  

 

For further information please contact Revd Derrick Hill at the church: