SWALEDALE FESTIVAL SERIVCE On a glorious Sunday afternoon at the end of May the congregation at Keld was swelled by visitors, performers and organisers from the Swaledale Festival. It has been customary to hold a church service on the middle Sunday of the two week Festival, but this was the first time the service had ever been held in a United Reformed Church.
The minister, Rev Julie Martin, led the service and preached, John Sparke and Felicity Manning, members of the Festival Board did the Bible readings, and Anne Tunley, a member of the Anglican Church in Swaledale, who is training as a Lay Reader, led the prayers of intercession.
In the congregation were members of the United Reformed Churches in Low Row, Barnard Castle and Northallerton as well as visitors from as far away as Edinburgh. Re-decoration work in the Chapel was finished just in time for the service, so people could see it at its best.
A suggestion has been made that in future the Swaledale Festival Service should rotate round the three denominations who have a presence in Swaledale – Anglican, Methodist and United Reformed. If this happens, then in 2012 it will be the turn of Low Row URC to host it.
To visit Keld URC's website: click here