Our Early History – Cottage Meetings
A statement in the church’s membership book reads “The first eight names were the founder members of this church, who finding an effectual witness denied them in their previous place of worship, decided on the night of Thursday February 5th,1959, to form a Pentecostal Church in Congleton. “Cottage meetings” were held during the week in their homes and on Sundays they worshipped at the Biddulph Assembly of God.”
The founder members of the church were: Jim and Joyce Sweet, George and Ann Parrott, Horace Whitehurst, Terence Pemberton, Eileen Bowyer and Roy Ecclestone. On Saturday 17th October 1959 a youth rally was held in the Town Hall to officially start the church. The preacher was Nelson Parr and about 500 people attended. On Sunday 18th October 1959 the church began meetings in a hired hall and Jim Sweet became the church’s first Pastor.
Our First Church Building – The Wooden Cathedral
On 30th June 1966 an ex-army hut was purchased for £295 to be used as a church ready for when they had some ground to put it on. It was kept in sections at Mr. and Mrs. Dean’s house in Key Green (picture above). One of the local mills was selling some tables and chairs and they were bought and stored in Mr. and Mrs. Sproson’s garage. A piano was bought and stored in the Sproson’s front room. They had everything they needed except a plot of land to build on.
When a plot of land in Nursery Lane came up for sale Pastor Sweet went to the estate agents and discovered that the land was owned by the Council. The Mayor had seen the work that the church was doing and the bus loads of children that were picked up each week for Sunday School and he was so impressed by what he had seen that he allowed the church to buy the land for just £100. Work began to build the church and the foundations were dug (picture above) and the building was assembled and decorated by church members and friends of the church.
Finally, the church was finished, and on Saturday 29th June 1968 services were held to mark the official opening (pictures above, ).
It was reported in the Congleton Chronicle that this was the town’s first new church this century (cutting from the paper above with Terence Pemberton turning the key and Pastor Jim Sweet to his left). The article went on to say that although from the outside the wooden building is not of the classic style of Church, the interior is most attractive and practical with entrance hall and adjoining toilets, a main hall, convertible by partition into two separate rooms and at the rear a vestry and classrooms. This building became affectionately known to many as the “Wooden Cathedral”.
Baptismal services at the church and sunday school parties at the old Pavillion in the park were regular features of church life (see pictures above).
Our Current Church Building – Cross Street Church
In 1972 Pastor Sweet moved to Rochdale and Fred Howell was inducted as the new Pastor. The church continued to thrive, and Pastor Howell felt that a larger premises was needed so when the former Unitarian Chapel in Cross Street went up for sale the decision was made to purchase it.
The Unitarian Chapel had been built in 1883, with the Church hall built slightly earlier in 1865, all of which had fallen into disrepair. The building was purchased in 1978 and two years of hard work renovating the premises ensued (picture above with Pastor Fred Howell and Howard Dean working on renovation). Pastor Howell spent all his spare time at the new church doing renovation work and every Saturday there was a work party with members of the congregation as well as some members of other churches using their skills in the renovation work.
On 18th October 1980 the new building was officially reopened with the Words ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’ now boldly painted across the main chapel wall, declaring the building’s break from its Unitarian roots and its new start as Congleton Pentecostal Church (see opening service picture above with Jim Sweet and Fred Howell).
On 1st February 1987 Andrew Calvert, who had been attending the church since he was a teenager, was invited to become the Assistant Pastor; this was a role that he fulfilled until Fred Howell retired and then Andrew took over as Pastor of the church.
Our Recent History
In 2004 an extension was added to provide wheelchair access, toilets, an office and a beautiful entrance area (see before and after picture above). The old Sunday School Hall has also been refurbished and now provides excellent catering facilities and fully equipped rooms with high quality equipment for youth and children’s activities.
In 2019 the church was refurbished with a fresh coat of paint, underfloor heating, new carpet, a side entrance/fire door and some new pendant lights (see before and after picture above). New more comfortable chairs have replaced the old pews, although for those who like a bit of nostalgia one row has been kept at the front of the church.
The new chairs allow the space to be used more flexibly such as for the monthly “Nourish” meals and also when the Rode Hall Silver Band visit for Carols by Candlelight at Christmas (see picture above) and when the venue is used for the Congleton Unplugged Festival.
Andrew continues to be actively involved in the church but on 28th February 2025, after 38 years of pastoral ministry, he retired (see retirement service picture above) and handed over to Pastor David Robey who is the church’s current Pastor (see picture below).
