Remembering Pauline at St John's

Another duty-free Sunday meant that I could walk into town this morning and attend the Eucharist at St John the Baptist City Parish Church, and commiserate with old friends in the congregation at the loss of Pauline Grainger, one of the stalwarts of St John's over the past forty years. She was the same age as me, and was active in the church's ministry of hospitality, sidesperson, church warden on occasions. Most important for church life was her role in developing the church Tea Room in the choir vestry from its tentative beginning, under my predecessor Mac Ellis, to a properly equipped, not for profit enterprise run by teams of volunteers, open six days a week under her quiet guidance.

She was intelligent, versatile and creatively gifted, and could have gone to university, but when she left school, she trained as a Midland Bank clerk, working down the Docks and in the city centre. Her dad ran his own garage and car dealership, so Pauline acquired her sound business sense at home. She found a spiritual home at St John's when the renowned Canon Edwin Davies was Vicar. She understood his vision for church in the marketplace and spent much of her life putting it into practise. She loved singing in various choirs, and ended up running one of them 'Oriana' which would put on a Christmas fundraiser in church every December. Although she'd occasionally sing in the church choir, she could usually be found on Sunday mornings near the door, welcoming people and giving out books. 

For the past five years she'd lived with bone marrow cancer, but none of the treatments, including trialling the latest experimental therapies were able to do more than slow down its progression. Yet, she remained actively engaged in St John's life until just after I returned from  Spain, when she had a stroke. Even so, two weeks before her death, she was brought to church in a wheelchair, in effect saying goodbye to the people and place she took to heart and served for so many years. She'd asked at the onset of the final crisis if I could take part in her funeral with Sarah the outgoing Vicar, when wasn't expected to last quite so long. Sadly, it happens on 6th August, four busy days after I arrive in Montreux. I couldn't even fly home after next Sunday's service, as I'm up at Villars for a service at six, too late to travel. I've written a tribute to her and sent it to Sarah to use in the service as she thinks fit.

Without a little research, it's impossible to say exactly how much money was raised over a twenty year period by the Tea Room but it was certainly a six figure sum, enough to contribute substantially to the organ restoration fund, and pay for a complete interior decoration of the church. A couple of dozen volunteers each week helped out with cooking, serving, washing and clearing up, Pauline among them, when she wasn't visiting the Cash and Carry shopping for supplies. She was one of those quiet natural leaders who don't feel compelled to be forever up-front, but are content be with and among people to guide and encourage. A marvellous example of the kind of lay ministry which enables the church to live and fulfil its purpose, with or without sufficient clergy. She will be greatly missed by so many people from different walks of life. I'll miss her, both as a good friend and partner in the mission of an outstanding church in the marketplace. May she rest in peace.