How did Christ Church Methodist and United Reformed Church begin?
The Chichester Council of Churches was formed in 1941 and soon became the means by which Christians of Chichester worked together. An important national project “People Next Door” was launched in 1968 and adopted by Chichester Churches. The aim of the project was to help churches get to know each other and the community.
Three churches took this on board:
St Peter the Great, the Congregational Church and Southgate Methodist Church.
Led by Canon Cecil Bennett, Rev’d Robert Smith and Rev’d Guy Stanford, monthly united evening services were started, ecumenical house groups were formed and the three churches were joined by St Richard’s Roman Catholic Church in a house to house visiting campaign.
Unfortunately, St Peter the Great was unable to enter into the covenant owing to a parish re–organisation; however, the other two churches decided to go ahead and a covenant was formed in July 1978. At the time, the Methodists had a scheme for modernising their churches but, before they went ahead, they asked the United Reformed Church if it was now time to unite in one building. It was agreed to go ahead. A steering group was set up in 1979 and produced the Constitution under which the two churches would unite.
The firm decision to unite was made and
a service of unity took place at the URC church in South Street on 3rd January 1980.
Following the decision to unite, and while the new church was being built, the united congregation worshipped at Bishop Otter College Chapel, (in College Lane). After much debate concerning how the churches would come together, it was decided on an entirely new building including shops within it.
Accordingly, Epworth House, the ancillary building to the Methodist Church, was pulled down and the new church was built on that site in Old Market Avenue.
It must have been a difficult decision for the leaders of five churches in the Chichester area to close their doors but the closure of the South Street United Reformed and the Methodist churches in Fishbourne, the Hornet and Broyle Road provided the funding for the new church.
And so, in only two years from the service of unity,
Christ Church was built and officially opened its doors on 2nd October 1982.