Dwight was a third year student when I arrived at Nazarene Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Kathy, already had two children and the third was on the way. Before he graduated, my Kathy and I visited their Kansas home where he pastored a small Free Methodist congregation. He graduated to pastor in Manchester England; he visited us when we were in WInamac during a general assembly and we've passed in crossing one other time. Dwight gave me my first lectures in Hellenistic era Judaism as the teacher's aid for Alex Deasley.

Dwight and Kathy moved to Manchester, and has been part of the Longside church except for teaching assignments at European Nazarene Bible College and Asian-Pacific Nazarene Seminary in the Philippines. While pastoring Dwight began studying at the University of Manchester -- whose John Rylands University library was only a 20 minute walk from his house. Eventually he received a full grant and studied with George Brooke on the Dead Sea Scrolls, particularly the Temple Scroll and its relationship with Chronicles.

The Church was in an economically depressed area of Manchester -- made much worse by changes during the Thatcher era. Today in the service were persons from throughout the world -- Russia, Uganda, Carribean Islands, Pakistan, the United States, and even some English! We went to the "ancient-and-future worship service" -- probably a type of "emergent church" take on "Word and Sacrament" (the 9:00 service). The college helps the church as well because of the international students and the fact that many are graduate students. They patch together a pastoral staff on part time, bi-vocational pastors with heavy team building. They then share their building with a "social service" program that is funded by various grants that they try to keep tied to the congregation. And of course, after the service, there was the mandatory coffee, tea, and "biscuits" (really good cookies!) on the way out.

Dwight and Kathy invited Tasha and I over to dinner. We spent several hours getting caught up, reviewing the time, speaking of the differences between the United States and England. Dwight left the United States just after Ronald Reagan was starting his presidency, as the Republican Party began politicizing the southern Evangelicals in the US for their own ends. If the 1960s mark a broad cultural change in the United States, Dwight reminded me that the early 1980s set in a broad change within the discourse of the church in the United States -- reinforcing some lectures that George Marsden gave at PLNU a few years ago.

Tasha and I were treated to a real English dinner: roast lamb with mint jelly, vegtables, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, and gravy -- and a pudding and tea for dessert. It was great fun and a real treat -- maybe there is some hope for English cuisine.

Dwight drove us back to the campus, where I began attendance at the Charles Wesley Society -- a small group of about 17 persons. Among one of the fascinating things I heard was that Charles' wife was a gifted musician and played for Handel -- who also came to some of the concerts that Wesley had to raise money -- and who knew of the musical giftedness of Charle's children in London. It gives a different view of the Wesley's and early Methodism to know of such interactions.

Tasha went back to the Church of England service, before rejoining us for a evening of Charles Wesley hymns. One interesting point -- people want to hear Tasha speak because they enjoy her accent! Ah, the irony.

I'm still processing things from the week, but I'm thankful. I miss Kathy very much; but I'm trying to make progress and continue to learn more and see things very differently than before I came.