US pastors join Nomadic Community pilgrimage to Llangelynnin Old Church in Llangelynnin, Gwynedd, Wales, United Kingdom

A group of Evangelical Lutheran church leaders from Ohio recently visited North Wales on a journey of faith and understanding. The visit was part of a 10-day tour of the United Kingdom, with stops in London, Liverpool, Lincolnshire and the headquarters of Fresh Expressions UK.

The Welsh portion of the tour included an encounter with the Nomadic Community, a group that uses walking and pilgrimage to reach people who do not normally attend church. Its activities include “contemplative walking” and “Worship in the Wild.” The group is led by Rev Eryl Parry, a Pioneer Priest in the Diocese of Bangor.

The American visitors joined the group on its walk to Llangelynnin Old Church on Sunday 11 October. The walk included periods of reflection and silence as well as conversation. On reaching the church, the group held a service of Pilgrim Prayer.

Sarah Marie Kochy Schaaf of the Northwestern Ohio Synod described the day in a Facebook post. “Worship in the Wild tastes like being welcomed with Welsh cakes made from scratch using Jill’s grandma’s recipe,” she wrote. “It sounds like silence drenched with the Holy Spirit and the gentle conversation Eryl invites us to share as we journey on pilgrimage together.” She said the experience was a way of “connecting us to the generations who came this way before us,” a picture of handing on the faith to those who follow (Psalm 78:4).

Rev Eryl Parry said it was an honour to be chosen as the Welsh stop of the Fresh Expressions tour. She said, “Walking together gave us a chance to share honestly how the community has developed over the past years, and to listen and learn from one another … We began the day as hosts and visitors, but very quickly we were simply fellow pilgrims, walking together and sharing the different ways we see God at work beyond the walls of our churches.”

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