About Us
More about our vision and aims, and introduction to our Minister and Leadership Team.
About Us
Heswall Methodist Church has been serving the local community since the mid-1800s following the dedicated and enthusiastic work of our forbearers. The Church is part of the Wirral Methodist Circuit and enjoys a long association with the many Methodist churches on peninsular in mutual support and shared purpose. The Church is led by the Minister, Rev Phyl Fanning and stewards Christine Anderson, Andrew Boswell and Stephen Pillow, together with an excellent Church Leadership Team who lead in the general life of the church.
Find out more about the latest church News via our Facebook page.
Our vision is to see Christ proclaimed and lives transformed in the love of God.
In the next five years in evangelism, worship, discipleship and caring we want to see:
- New people wanting to become Christians as the church shares the good news of Christ in word and works.
- Leadership that motivates, innovates and envisions, prioritising growth.
- Vibrant worship with passionate worshippers transformed by the Holy Spirit in awe of God.
- A deeper faith and love the Lord, with a new passion for God through renewal who long to see God’s kingdom increased.
- People increasingly experiencing healing and wholeness through knowing the love of Christ.
Reverend Phyl Fanning though most people know me simply as Phyl.
I was born in Wallasey in 1950, and over the years my journey in ministry has taken me to a wide variety of places and people — all of whom have shaped my understanding of faith, community, and service.
I’m delighted to be part of the Heswall Methodist Church family, where faith and friendship go hand in hand. My ministry is rooted in a belief that the church should be a welcoming, compassionate presence in the community — a place where everyone feels known, valued, and encouraged to explore life and faith in their own way.
Outside of church life, I have a love of the sea and spend as much time as I can on the water. In the summer months you’ll often find me sailing a historic yacht, while the winter sees me swapping full-size sails for model yachts, which bring just as much joy (and sometimes just as much frustration!).
Faith, for me, is about journeying together — through calm seas and rough waters alike — discovering God’s grace at work in every part of life.
If you spot me around Heswall, please do say hello. I’m always glad to meet new people and share a good conversation over a cup of tea.
I am Paula Dewhirst, the local lay pastor for Heswall, Greasby and Irby Methodist Churches
I was born in Wallasey and have lived in Greasby most of my life, with the exception of seven years in Manchester where I trained and worked as a General nurse and Midwife.
My faith has always played an important part in my life from coming to a place of commitment in my teenage years within the Methodist tradition and also being a part of a House church in Manchester.
Outside my role as a local lay pastor, I continue to work in General Practice and also enjoy creative hobbies of baking, knitting , sewing and more recently crocheting.
My calling to be a local lay pastor has been a significant journey of seeking and discernment but many Christian brothers and sisters have aided this decision by years of confirmation and encouragement. This role is different in each context and will be shaped by the churches and communities in which I serve.
My prayer is that, as I seek to serve you, God will guide me into a deeper relationship with you all and this will bear fruit both in ministry and service in our future history.
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