A Black Country Methodist Church said goodbye to its current building (2024)

Express & Star

Providence Methodist Church in Colley Gate is having to vacate its church due to the rising costs involved in keeping the building open. They held their last services before they move to a function room at the Laurels Club just over the road

Transcript

00:00So we're here at Colliegate Providence Methodist Church and Landmark Day really,

00:05last day of the service here. Not the last day of the church but so fill us in

00:10on who you are and what's happening today.

00:12Hiya, I'm Hannah. I have been coming to Providence for many many years and it's

00:17a very sad day as we say because it's closing but we are moving forward into a

00:22new venture just across the road with some of our current congregation.

00:27And Martin, you've got the honour of doing the last service. Well, there's an afternoon

00:30service as well. You're taking the morning one. Quite an honour isn't it really?

00:34It is. It's a historic day. I've had 44 years of involvement with Providence

00:40one way or another. Going back to the time when my father was a minister

00:44in this group of churches back in the 1980s and early 90s. So it's a sad day

00:51because it's the end of an era but there's hope for the future as well.

00:54This is not the end, it's just the beginning of the next part.

00:57So I'm looking at the building. It's obviously not a brand spanking new building.

01:00Is that kind of where the problem comes in? Why are we moving?

01:04The building is old but also our congregation is dwindling and the bills just keep going up as they do for everybody.

01:12Energy bills and so on. So it's bye-bye for this place but it's just over the road isn't it?

01:19It is, yeah. How many do you normally get on a regular congregation?

01:23Between 20 and 30 I'd say. Something like that.

01:27So there's some good numbers come out today to say goodbye.

01:31So the new services will start from when?

01:33The 10th of November at 10.20 over at the Laurels with Lighthouse Christian Community.

01:38Great stuff. And it must be a range of emotions you're going through, both of you today really.

01:43I guess first off just panic because I'm holding you up.

01:47But yeah it must be kind of... although the church is, you know, you come to love a place don't you?

01:54A place represents something so it must, yeah, like you say it must be sad, yeah?

01:57It's very sad, it is. And there are people that were coming with us over to Lighthouse

02:01but we're also going to not see some people as regularly as well which is really sad.

02:07Yeah and it's these focuses for the community isn't it that kind of, you know, in one form or another

02:13whether it be your local pub closing or your church, it's the places where we gather and we meet and

02:18but I'm glad that that's continuing in some form just over the road.

02:22Martin there'll be some special words I'm sure at the end of your service to mark the special day, yeah?

02:27Well there will. I mean I would make the point that God is all over this and he's got a message for

02:33the locality, this nation, everyone who's here this morning and yeah he's got a plan for our lives

02:40and we can all be part of it.

02:42Well thank you and thank you for letting us join you on this special day folks and good luck in the new venue.

02:48Thank you, thank you.

02:50174ish years but this is an obstacle, something that God has control of and knows what he's doing.

03:00Whether you're coming over the road next Sunday to Lighthouse with us or popping in when you have the chance,

03:04whether you're going to another Methodist church or finding another denomination to explore,

03:09maybe you're going on a completely different path but God will guide you and look after you. Let's go.

03:15Congregation, who knows what the future holds for this building?

03:19You know Lord but we are dedicated to you just as this place has been dedicated to your worship

03:25for the last 60 odd years. Lord we too are dedicated to you and we give our lives, we offer our

03:36monetary gifts in your service, we offer ourselves, all that we have and all that we are and we offer

03:41you this day, we offer you our worship, we offer you our very mixed emotions, we give you ourselves

03:47and give you all the praise and the glory. Amen. And we sing together a hymn that is I think very apt,

03:57reminds us of God's faithfulness throughout the generations and it's Lord for the years.

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