Posted on: 31st July 2025

On a Sunday in June, I was invited to visit Headingley in Leeds.  It was a real joy to witness something deeply hopeful: a friendship that has reshaped two congregations.

The story begins at a funeral. In 2022, Pastor Joseph Nelson of St Luke’s and St Matthew’s Lutheran Church was attending the burial of ashes for a man who had worshipped at St Michael and All Angels’ Church of England.  His late wife had been Lutheran, and the couple had faithfully attended both churches. There, Pastor Joseph was introduced to the curate, Rev. Joshua Peckett.

What followed wasn’t just a polite connection between clergy — it was the beginning of a friendship that would gradually draw two churches closer together in mission, worship, and shared life.

“We didn’t set out to build an ecumenical partnership,” Pastor Joseph reflects.  “We just got to know each other.  We became friends.”

Friendship, it turns out, can be a powerful theological force.  Over cups of tea, shared services, and honest conversations, the relationship between Rev. Josh and Pastor Joseph deepened.  Together, they helped revive Churches Together in Headingley, bringing local churches into closer cooperation.  But the real magic happened between their two congregations.

Read the full article here.