Reverend preaches final sermon in Berwick before leaving Northumberland
Berwick Parish Church was full last Sunday morning as Rev Ray Simpson preached his last sermon before his move away after over 30 years in the area.
Ray is the author of some 40 books on Celtic and general spirituality, and the founding guardian of the Community of Aidan and Hilda.
His final sermon focused on the need to maintain a clear vision of the faith in these troubled times, accompanied by his favourite hymns and anthems from the choir.
Afterwards the Parish Centre was crowded with well-wishers and he was presented with a cheque, card of good wishes, and framed drawings of the church and bridge by Susan Hughes.
Ray moved to the area in 1994, initially to Holy Island where he served for many years, until his move to Berwick in 2018, where he continued his internationally recognised studies and contribution to the community's ministry and retreats, as well as supporting the worship of Berwick Parish Church.
He is now moving south to the care community of St Barnabas in Lingfield, Surrey. His extensive library meantime is headed for Durham, where it will be available to scholars for consultation.
His autobiography, Monk In the Marketplace, was published in 2021. The chapter on Holy Island tells of transforming experiences of pilgrims from Africa, Australia, Netherlands, Norway and USA and of the ups and downs of the Community’s retreat and study programmes. The final chapter explores both Berwick’s role as a Border town, and the borderlands between life and death – particularly poignant during the Covid pandemic.