Pentecost in the Pit

Sunday 8th June should have been our 98th Chapel Anniversary Service here in Truro School. But this year we decided to go on tour! We were invited to take part in a much wider celebration across Cornwall, involving all of’ Churches Together in Cornwall’. A celebration held at Gwennap Pit to mark the 1700th anniversary of the creation of the Nicene Creed – a creed that is shared by all major Christian communities around the world, created at the Council of Nicaea in 325AD. 

Sunday was also Pentecost – the celebration of the birthday of the World Church. So, we were delighted to be able to join the celebrations, with some of our pupils providing the music, an enjoying the experience of playing in the centre of the pit!  

A World Methodist Heritage Site, Gwennap Pit is famous for John Wesley’s visits to preach there, it is recorded he preached to as many as 25,000 miners at a time in the pit, now a much-loved amphitheatre and still a place of worship for Methodists in Cornwall.  

People gathered from across the county: Methodists, Anglicans, Quakers, Catholics, Congregationalists and many more – all coming together to give thanks for the continuing work of the church in our communities today.   

The service began with a beautiful rendition of the Nicene Creed (circa 1400 years old), sung by one of our Girl Choristers, Oriana, who stood where Wesley had preached many years ago. A momentous, historic moment that connected us all with the past, present and future.  

Our next Chapel Anniversary Service will be back at school, as we look towards celebrating 100 years of having our own sacred space here, to give thanks and continue the work the early church leaders began.  

Rev Helen would like to personally thank Oriana, Trystan, Jenny, Noah, Kes & Mr Osmond who took part in these once in a lifetime Celebrations.   

‘There’s a spirit in the air, telling Christians everywhere: 

‘Praise the love that Christ revealed, living, working in our world!’ 

[Hymn writer Brian Wren (b.1936)]