COLLINGHAM METHODIST CHURCH
(THE RAMBLERS’ CHURCH)
The foundation stones for the Chapel were laid on 4th July 1925 and the names of those who laid the stones were:
Mrs Whitehead Senior
Frank Fletcher
G P Holford Esq
F Gerald Simpson (in memory of his parents)
The Senior Class Girls
We often wonder if anyone in the village remembers these people and could fill in some of the history for us? We are currently collecting as much information about the chapel’s past as possible so if you have any information about our past we would be very pleased to hear it. A major refurbishment of the premises took place with funds from the sale of the caretaker’s house at the back of the Church some years ago. The remaining money from that sale is held in trust for us by the Methodist Church Property Committee in Manchester and these funds have been used recently to pay of our new kitchen, the painting of the Hall and our on-going roof repairs. In even more recent times we have used our financial resources, with the aid of grants and fundraising, to completely renew the roof of the church and to modify the sanctuary to make its use more versatile.
You will often see Collingham Methodist Church (The Ramblers’ Church) on our notices. We think that the church became known as the Ramblers’ Church because it often hosted groups who came on walking holidays to the area and were looking for somewhere to worship on Sunday morning and came to the Chapel. People used to walk here from Leeds to attend worship and the service was held at 11.00am to accommodate them and give them extra time for their journey. We have hosted Brownie Pack holiday groups in recent years and that has been a great joy to us all and we hope they have enjoyed our joint worship.
At present we only have one weekly service which takes place at 10.00am on Sunday morning. Occasionally we have services at other times such as Good Friday and Christmas Eve when we have a service at 4.00pm. Over the last few years we have marked Lent with a special liturgy which has followed the path of Christ to the cross with all its darkness and then has taken us on to Easter morning when we have transformed that cross into a symbol of the glory of new life. On Easter Sunday we have covered the cross with flowers and put it outside the Church at the top of the path for all to see. Similarly during Advent we follow a special liturgy for the season.
Recently we, along with the other eight churches in our circuit have been looking at our plans for the future. Two of the features of our planning for that future are a greater involvement with the community and more joint working with St Oswald’s. In addition to a beautiful chapel we have a large hall, a modern kitchen and facilities for the disabled. We are very happy to share all that we have with others. At present we host the Men’s Forum, an embroidery group and the Collingham Bank on a regular basis as well as other groups who use the premises from time to time.
We hold joint services with St Oswald’s whenever possible and our intention is always to complement each other’s work and to share in activities together. We have always been close to East Keswick Methodist Church and hold joint services both in Collingham and at East Keswick. We hope to extend and strengthen that link in the future.
In 2004 the Revd Steve Barlow came to lead our Church together with the churches in Wetherby and East Keswick. He and his family were a wonderful addition to our worshipping community. Since that time Steve and his family have moved on and at present the Revd Steve Jakeman has pastoral charge of the church working alongside Mrs Eileen Clarkson as Local Lay Pastor. We pride ourselves on being a friendly church at Collingham and I am sure you would receive a warm welcome were you to pay us a visit. If you are seeking a spiritual dimension to your life; have lost touch with Church and want to renew it; or are just intrigued with what goes on behind those doors from 10.00am on a Sunday why not give us a try. We are keen to receive new people to help us develop. Likewise if you would like to set up a new group and need a home for it or would like to see if our facilities would suit your existing group then why not make contact and pay us a visit.
Contact details are Eileen Clarkson, 07494 050940