User:Gtatler

Anstey Methodist Church history.

This article is a copy of one which I wrote for our web site with the assistance of Joan Stevenson, Michael Rouse and Perce Willett (now all dec'd).

Gordon Tatler.

Methodism founded

See also Methodist. Methodism was founded by John Wesley born 1703, the son of a Lincolnshire rector. Wesley studied at Oxford and was ordained as a clergyman of the Church of England in 1725. Whilst at Oxford, Wesley and his friends undertook to be diligent and methodical in their Christian devotions and this earned them the nickname 'Methodists'.

Wesley began his preaching in churches but soon found that his zealous style met with the disapproval of both clergy and congregation alike. Together with brother Charles he began preaching in the open air - taking the message of Salvation to the people.

At first the followers of Wesley still retained their membership of the Church of England, where they received the Sacrament of Holy Communion, but they also attended weekly 'Class Meetings' run by the Methodists. However, when Wesley began ordaining his own ministers, it soon became abundantly clear that the Church of England and the Methodists would go their own separate ways. John Wesley died in 1791, but by that time Methodism had grown to such an extent that its future was assured.

First Methodists in Anstey 1797

Methodism had reached Anstey by the year 1797, for in that year a small chapel was built in Groby Road. The chapel, which served Methodism for a hundred years, has long since disappeared and its site is now occupied by three terraced houses opposite the junction with Falcon Road.

The early years of the church saw a constant struggle to continue its work and maintain levels of membership. By 1875 there were only six members. This grew to seventeen, following the efforts of a Mr Thomas Bale to convert the wayward inhabitants of Anstey, but numbers soon declined again and concern was expressed that a mission outreach to the villagers must be an ongoing cause.

Bradgate Road church 1895

As the 19th Century drew to its close the Wesleyan Church (to distinguish it from the other Methodist sects which had sprung up during the years that followed Wesley's death) had grown in numbers in this area and a fervour for building new churches served to increase numbers still further - as well as to plunge churches deeper into debt! Locally a piece of land in Bradgate Road was purchased in July 1892 and foundation stones for the new church were laid on Whit Monday, 3rd June 1895. The church was opened on 19th September of that year and the old Groby Road church sold.

A village mission in March 1902 saw twenty young people pledge their lives to Christ and the Wesleyans could now boast a membership of 26 adults and 27 juniors. Less successful, however, were attempts to clear the debt created by their new building and not until 1931 (largely due to the untiring efforts of the Murphy family) was the debt finally cleared.

Act of Union 1932

The following year the various branches of the Methodist Church nationally had combined by an Act of Union - but this had little effect on the two Anstey churches who continued to worship as separate congregations in their respective premises. The Cropston Road society was always the stronger of the two and its numbers increased as the Wesleyans' declined. The struggle was finally given up in 1941 when, following a final service on Sunday 28th September, the former Wesleyan congregation joined that of Cropston Road.

We must now go back a couple of hundred years to look at the origins of Primitive Methodism and the history of the Cropston Road church.

Primitive Methodists 1807

Taking their lead from the enigmatic and eccentric American Methodist evangelist Lorenzo Dow, who came to England in 1807, Hugh Bourne and William Clowes organised that same year a phenomenally successful open-air meeting on Mow Cop, on the borders of Staffordshire and Cheshire. Thus began the movement which became known as Primitive Methodism - 'primitive' in the sense that it sought to revive the primitive (or early) roots of Methodism by returning to the fervour and methods (especially with respect to outdoor preaching) employed by Wesley and his followers. This new Methodist sect fired the imagination of the man in the street. By taking the message of Salvation out to where it was needed it brought a 'breath of fresh air' in every sense!

Though founded on open-air preaching, the Wesleyan Church had become a building-based society and overlooking its own origins, it frowned upon these new 'Camp Meeting Methodists'. As Wesley had eventually severed ties with the Church of England, so it was that in 1811 the Primitive Methodists became a church in their own right.

The Primitive Methodists - or 'Ranters' as they were also known - seem to have fitted the mood of the times and their new sect spread like wildfire, reaching Loughborough by the year 1818. From there it quickly spread to Anstey and a Primitive Methodist society was soon worshipping in a small framework-knitters' workshop behind cottages in Cropston Road - not a stone's throw from our present church. Open-air missioning was still the order of the day and there were many occasions when the Primitive Methodists whipped up enthusiasm (and increased their numbers!) by marching through the village and inviting others to join them in giving their lives to Christ. In September 1818, on his third and final trip to England, Lorenzo Dow visited - amongst other places - Sileby, Ratby and Anstey. We can only imagine what effects this charismatic preacher had on the folk of these villages.

Cropston Road church 1840

In June 1840 the Primitive Methodists purchased two adjoining pieces of land on Cropston Road (opposite the present church premises) and there they built their first chapel. By April 1871 the Cropston Road society had grown to such an extent that larger premises were needed. A Mr Kerridge of Wisbech was commissioned to draw up plans for a new church and work on its building commenced in July.

The church continued to thrive and in 1882 the building was enlarged. In that form it served Anstey Methodists for another 88 years until its closure in 1970. It was demolished three years later and the land sold.

Cropston Road closure 1970

Since the closure of the former Primitive Methodist Chapel, Anstey Methodists have continued to worship in their Sunday School premises (erected 1892) and also, for a time, at the United Reformed and Parish churches.

Present day church building

In 1980 a new Worship Area was created on the upper floor of the Sunday School building - serving Sunday evening services until 1988 when the entire Sunday School premises were altered internally to furnish the present arrangement of downstairs church and upstairs schoolrooms.

The work of Anstey Methodist Church - amongst young and old alike - continues and is as successful now as it has ever been. Long may it continue to be so!

Gordon Tatler. Anstey Methodict Church WebMaster.