Church History

In 1878, Mr George Cope - who had been a soldier - left the army and became a baker. He was also a Methodist new connection local preacher. George was concerned when the nearby Heath Town Wesleyan chapel closed down its mission chapel in Heath Town Church, and tried to persuade the Mount Zion Methodist new connection church in Horseley Fields to take over the mission in Wolverhampton.

This church was anxious about the expense of such a venture, and did not back George Copes proposal. However, Copes vision was not dimmed and in the winter of 1878 he opened a Methodist society in a house on the Prestwood Road. Following this, the Methodist new connection circuit relented and agreed in October 1879 that the Prestwood Road group should be placed on the plan. George Cope went on to baptise Ellin Mattox in 1880.

In 1885, the mission was transferred to Copes' bakery at 29 Church Street, Wolverhampton. As the mission prospered, it became clear that a mission hall was needed.

In 1906, land was purchased for a new mission hall to be built on the corner of Prestwood Road and Bushbury Road. With great foresight, they decided in 1907 to accept an offer to buy a site on the corner of Bushbury Road and Thorneycroft Lane from Sir Richard Paget. On 5th September 1908, Bethseda wooden chapel was opened.

In 1936, Mr Harry Griffiths and Mr Geoffrey Hall gave land in Wimbourne Road for a new church.

Fallings Park Methodist Church was officially opened on Thursday 22nd October 1936 and took over from Bethseda Church, which was still used for Sunday School groups until set on fire by vandals in 1981. The new Church was designed by Frank Birch, with his inspiration coming from a visit he made to Spain a year or so earlier. The Spanish influence immediately becomes apparent when stepping into the church, with its broad flat planes, the Moorish line of its interior arches, the green pantiles of its roof, and the ventilator on the summit that is shaped like a bell tower.

The foundation stone of Fallings Park Methodist Church was laid on Saturday June 13th 1936, and building work progressed at a rapid pace. The cost of the Church was £5,670, and at the time of its opening some £4,745 had been raised. This left £975 to be found, and despite help being given by the Chapel Committee in Manchester, it took another 8 years to clear these costs. This was celebrated at a thanksgiving weekend on 23 - 24 July 1944.

A church hall was added in 1960, and the centenary was celebrated in 1979 with the building of the centenary hall for use of the uniformed associations.

In 1965, Springfield Methodist Church, Vernon Street - which had been built in 1885 as part of an expansion scheme - closed and many of its members along with some of the proceeds of sale transferred to Fallings Park Methodist Church. This money was used to expand school premises and to add a fellowship room known as the Springfield Room.

Church Ministers

Here is a complete list of Fallings Park Methodist Church ministers since the doors first opened in 1936.

1936 - 1939 - Rev. Stephen Fisher

1939 - 1944 - Rev. Alfred Cartwright

1944 - 1947 - Rev. James W. Chapman

1947 - 1952 - Rev. Bernard G. Franklin

1952 - 1958 - Rev. Norman N. G. Cope

1958 - 1964 - Rev. J. Clive Pugh

1964 - 1971 - Rev. Jack Dowson

1972 - 1981 - Rev. Donald H. Ryan

1981 - 1984 - Rev. Alan J. Merchant

1984 - 1992 - Rev. Roland Bamford

1992 - 1999 - Rev. Colin Barrett

1999 - 2005 - Rev. Christine Giles

2005 - 2008 - Rev. Lawrence Wallace

2008 - Present - Rev. Ruth Reynolds-Tyson

Inside the Church - March 2010

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