A WEEKEND of celebration and events took place on Saturday, September 1 and Sunday, September 2 for the reopening of Bude Methodist Church.

A major reordering of the church has been taking place since April.

Work to remove pews, install a wet-room and disabled toilet facilities together with an upgrade of the existing toilet and installing underfloor heating and a refreshments bar at the rear of the church have been carried out by local builders and tradesmen.

Formerly known as ‘Central’, the Grade II listed building whose foundation stone was laid in 1878, was first opened in 1880 to cope with Bude’s development and growth in Christian witness.

In 1905 it was decided more space was needed, and so a new Sunday school hall was built and opened in 1911.

Following this, a wall dividing the chapel from the Sunday school room was demolished to create an enlarged worship area and the chapel re-opened in May 1912.

In 1923, alterations were made to the choir pews and a communion area and a boundary wall were erected around the site.

Further alterations and improvements were made on a number of occasions, including 1962/63 and in 2001, the area around the communion table was extended and raised to allow for more contemporary styles of worship and drama, and the communion rail, which had been sited between the choir pews, was moved further from the communion table and extended across the full width of the church.

The latest, significant change, after many years of planning and negotiating with the property division of Methodist Church UK, is necessary to meet the needs of a modern worshipping congregation that is growing each week.

Worship styles have changed somewhat from when the church first opened and people’s needs both as worshipping Christians and members of the public have also changed, therefore the requirement to change the building yet again has been uppermost on the minds of church members for several years.

A church spokesperson said: “It is hoped that folk coming into the church will feel a sense of welcome and a desire to find out more about what being a Christian means as members take full advantage of their new facilities.”

Bude Methodist Church hall is already host to numerous weekday activities including a very busy ‘Meet and Eat Club’ for the over 60s, a parent and toddler group that is bursting at the seams, craft groups, choir practices, a Scottish country dancing group, Zumba and exercise classes, Street Pastors and the new Beach Pastors initiative, which was developed by Deacon Debbie Marsh, who is Minister at the church.

Debbie, together with members, have more plans to develop further activities, including an Alpha Course.