Bell ringing as a Sport?

I gave a talk last night to our evening group on bell ringing and the part it has played in my own faith journey, bringing me back into church at the West end of the building before progressing up the nave as a church member, joining the choir in the chancel and now as a priest in the sanctuary, about as far towards the East end of the church that you can get!  I repeat this journey most Sundays as a committed bell ringer and Christian minister.

I shared how we begin our ringing on a Sunday morning with a prayer that the bells will call people to worship and that bell ringers are doing a great service to the church in this form of ministry, pointing out that many ringers will not stay to join the congregation because they move on to ring at another tower in a neighbouring town or village.  Indeed, without such committed ringers, the number of churches having their bells rung on a Sunday would be far fewer.

So, inevitably the question of whether bell ringing should be recognised as a sport came up as a result of the article in the Times.  My reaction: Why not?

17th century dumbbell at Knole House, Kent
(drawing on p.58 of History and Art of Change Ringing,
Ernest Morris) from www.jrnorris.co.uk/dumbbell.html

It is certainly physical, still known as “the exercise” and the place where the “dumbbell” originates, as gentlemen would go for a workout on a tied bell so that it wouldn’t disturb the neighbours.  I pity all the people who sign up for gym membership when there is a free gym in most church towers, although you will have to be suitably trained to use the equipment!  Ringing involves considerable commitment to take control of a bell – a skill-level requiring several weeks of regular practice before being able to join in with the rest of the band, and then open to a lifetime of further improvement, greater challenge and complexity.  It involves teamwork, and also healthy competition in the form of striking competitions which also encourage bands to aim for a higher standard, removing the clashes and gaps that spoil the rhythm.  All this goes on to make the ringing on a Sunday morning the best that we can offer.

Whilst I understand that some may have objections in case the sporting aspect were to detract from their main aim of ringing to the glory of God, my natural instinct is always to break down any sacred/secular divide.  We welcome the arts into church, so why not sport too?  I’ve been a long term supporter of Christians in Sport and encourage Christians to witness to their faith in this or any other environment, whether at home, workplace or leisure space (one of the aims of the Cursillo Movement).  Most football teams in Victorian times were started by churches, and even the secularists would struggle to prevent “Abide with me” or “O when the saints go marching in” from being sung at a football ground – sport and religion do mix, as do science and religion or anything else that you care to name.  God is in all things – he created us and everything around us.

Bell ringing had a large part to play in my own faith journey.  It was only after walking away from church after ringing, and seeing the late arrivals rushing to get there, that I questioned my own beliefs and was challenged to read the Bible.  If sport can bring people into a place of faith, I think Jesus would say “Let the sporting come unto me and do not stop them”.