Central Methodist Church, Brighouse, was an amalgamation of four churches and was formed in November 1981 following the closure over a number of years of Methodist Churches in Brighouse.
In 1949 there were eleven Methodist churches in Brighouse, including three within a few hundred yards of one another in the centre of the town. St Paul’s closed in 1949 due to the stress of declining numbers and increasing costs. Conversations about merging had been going on between the other town centre churches, Park and Bethel and, on the surface at least, things looked promising. However the Methodist structure got in the way. Joint meetings were held and resolutions passed, but once each had returned to the safety of their own patch, difficulties raised their head which blocked progress.
In 1979 the circuit stewards began talks with all the Churches in the circuit, with each asked to look closely at their mission and how they felt their church fitted into the community of Brighouse. This precipitated the closure of Zion Church situated in Hove Edge. But the overall outcome was brought firmly into focus when the Circuit invited Rev Leslie Gregory to come to Brighouse as Superintendent, and help them sort things out. Subsequently Park, Bethel, Lane Head and Trinity decided to meet to engage the issues of Methodist Churches in the centre of Brighouse. Joint trustees and leaders worked hard into the night seeking a solution. Eventually the suggestion was made that the Churches should merge whilst all the Churches remained open. A new Central Methodist Church was established. Services were held in each Church in turn and after much debate and the inevitable sorrow for some, it was decided that Central would base itself at the previously named Bethel. Meanwhile the people occupied Park for one year whilst modifications were made to the Bethel church.
The first united service was held in Park in autumn 1982 and the first service was held in the newly refurbished Central Methodist Church on Advent Sunday 1983. Rev Leslie Gregory retired that year with the grateful thanks of the Brighouse Methodist Circuit. A new minister, Rev David Calvert seemed to give things a new beginning. However, a fire, started by playful boys, gutted the front of the Church in December 1984, damaging a glorious stained glass window, a marvellous pipe organ, pulpit and communion area.
Advent Sunday services that year were held in the school room as were services for the next twelve months. Ironically this drew the people closer together in tragedy, with all members feeling a joint sense of loss of their Church, bringing a new found sense of togetherness in the refurbished new Church. Advent Sunday 1985 saw the first service in what one can now see as the building called Central Methodist Church. What you also see is one Church, one united congregation.
Footnote by A Russell Howe, formally of Park Church
In 1979 I accidentally met Peter Lord, a dyed-in-the-wool ‘Betheler’ on a train journey to London. We decided that the separation of Park and Bethel that had lasted, according to my father’s chart, almost 200 years, should come to an end. We both thank God and Rev. Leslie Gregory and the members of all the Churches at that time for rising to, and meeting, our mutual longing.
For further information about the history of Park Church, click on the link to read the book ‘The History of Park Church’ by George Howe.
The coordinates will take you to Brighouse Methodist Church where you will need to obtain some information from the notice board.
There is a telephone number for the Minister on the board. Lettering each digit from the start A, B, C....etc you now need to go to:
N53° C K. B (E+J) (G+K)
W001° JF GH (I+K)
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
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