Special service in Kibworth will celebrate 70-year ‘career’ of inspirational preacher

A special service is to be held at a Harborough village church to celebrate the astonishing 70-year ‘career’ of an inspirational local preacher.

The event is to be staged at Kibworth Methodist Church at 10.30am on Sunday June 26 to salute the extraordinary lifelong ministry of Roy Bills.

He will be awarded with a special certificate from the Methodist Conference.

Roy Bills with the younger generations of his family

Roy has chalked up 70 years of dedicated and devoted service to the church just as the nation has celebrated the Queen’s very own Platinum Jubilee.

The evergreen 93-year-old has been leading services and preaching sermons across the Harborough district since he was officially recognised by the church way back in 1952.

Paying tribute to Roy, Market Harborough-based Methodist minister, the Rev Andrew Murphy, said: “Roy is a father-figure in our chapel and a dearly-loved member of the Kibworth community.

“We are so thankful to God for Roy’s ministry of 70 years, the lifetime of service he has given to the church and the wisdom, love and cheerfulness he brings wherever he goes,” said the Rev Murphy.

“I know that the chapel will be full as we mark this occasion with great gratitude and joy.”

Roy is still an active and extremely popular member of the Methodist Chapel in Kibworth.

He began preaching in his youth when he was encouraged to try it out as a 17-year-old following an inspiring talk he gave at a church youth group meeting in 1946.

Devout Roy has never looked back.

His rock-strong Christian faith has helped and sustained him through a long career as a schoolteacher, work in the chapels of Tur Langton and Kibworth and raising a family with his beloved wife Beth.

The veteran preacher has enjoyed a long retirement from teaching as he increased his work for the church.

As well as working tirelessly on the Methodist circuit and district, selfless Roy has also been a prison visitor at Gartree Prison, near Market Harborough.

He is also a much-loved father, grandfather and great-grandfather.