History of Our Church

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Sandal Methodist Church

 A Brief History

Going back to the 1820’s, several attempts were made to establish a Wesleyan methodist meeting in the Sandal area of Wakefield. There were numerous false starts; the first meetingng room was established over a barn in Shaw Fold off Castle Road in 1897. The efforts were firmly brought to fruition with purchase of the present land for £150.

A total of 27 members were registered on the original Application for a Grant in 1903 from the Twentieth Century Fund – set up to commemorate two hundred years since John Wesley’s birth.

Much fund raising followed and the foundation stone was laid by the Mayor of Wakefield on 14th October 1905.

The school room, now known as the Hall, was the first usable space to be opened on 17th January 1906. Initially services were held in this temporary chapel, including the first baptism of one Wilfred Alfred Church on 25th April 1905, conducted by Revd Benjamin Dodd.

The current Chapel was formally opened on Wednesday 15th May 1906, the sermon was given by Revd Dr Allen, a former President of the Wesleyan Conference; it was reported to be attended by 250.

A Caretaker's House was built in 1912 off the side of the Hall. The church has benefitted from a resident caretaker ever since.

The First World War intervened in the further development, with six members lost to the conflict. Their names are recorded on a brass plaque in the Church.

During this time, the first wedding was held in 1915.

An open brook ran down the side of the church forming a boundary with the adjoining council land. This was piped in around 1920 by Wakefield Council.

Following the union of the Wesleyans and the Primitive Methodists in 1932/3 there was an uplift in numbers and by 1938 there were 88 members and almost as many adherents – regular attendees but not members. 

In 1936 the 23rd Wakefield (Sandal Methodist) Scout Group was formed, closely followed by the 33rdWakefield (Sandal methodist) Guides Company.

A tennis club with a court behind the church was in existence in the 1930s.

During the Second World War, two bombs exploded in the vicinity, one destroyed a house across the Barnsley Road; the other in a school field behind the church.

Following the evacuation from Dunkirk, the school room was requisitioned for temporary troop accommodation and an anti-aircraft gun was installed on the tennis court between the main buildings and the Scout Hut. A sum of £66 per year was received from the War Office for this use. This, however, spelt the end of the tennis club.

In 1953 the coal fired heating boiler was replaced by under-pew electric heaters, much reducing the manual workload of the then Caretaker.

A further boost to numbers was felt in late 1960s when both Belle View and Doncaster Road Methodist Church closed. Some 300 members were recorded at that time.

1966 saw the replacement of the pipe organ with an electronic organ.

In 1967 the stained glass windows from the primitive Methodist Chapel on Doncaster Road were offered. This was readily accepted and the three windows, which depict the Flight for Egypt, the Crucifixion and the Ascension, were installed inside the church and are backlit.

1974 was the time when a new kitchen was installed, an extension built to form the Small Hall and indoor toilets constructed.

In 1987, following a study to determine the church’s future needs, a large project was undertaken. Several notable enhancements were made: dry rot eradication was carried out to the underfloor and the roof, the church was rewired, and the large church foyer was completed all at a cost of £150,000.

1995 saw the construction of a new office over the toilet block; the hall was given an overhaul and a new sound system installed.

In 2006 we celebrated the Church Centenary. There was a year of activities ranging from coffee mornings to a Legends Concert with the Revd Paul Glass giving a memorable rendition of Elvis. One of the other notable centenary events was a church weekend away at Ravenscar.

A major refurbishment to the Church interior took place in 2010 at a cost of £130,000. The driver behind this was to make the interior of the building more flexible and versatile. The pews were removed along with the pulpit and other fittings such as the communion rails. The under-pew electrical heating, being 50 years old, was replaced by a conventional hot water, gas-fired central heating system, with programmable settings. Light oak fittings of a pulpit, reader’s lectern and choir vanity boards complemented a movable communion table and comfortable, upholstered chairs. The resulting space provides the flexibility for conventional worship, through in-the-round worship to concert layouts.

Relatively minor works since, of a less dramatic nature, have been undertaken with a constant eye on providing high quality premises.

Lettings income is now important with several community groups making good use of all facilities from concerts to small regular classes.

In 2024 the Hall received a facelift and the gas fired heating system was extended to the Hall, replacing a combination of electric and free standing gas heaters. New seating was purchased and new curtaining is planned.

Not being exempt from the major changes affecting society at large, membership today is around 100, with a small but dedicated team of volunteers ensuring that Sandal Methodist Church continues to be a strong hub for worship and a focal point for many community groups.

Appendix

List of ministers 1906 to date

1906 – 1914 was a time when the services were shared between a number of Ministers from the Circuit. The names found in the archives include:

Revd Benjamin Dodd, 

Revd J W Jackson, 

Revd George C Coed

Revd J Holmes, 

Revd Wv Hollngs, and

Revd E Bulmer

Date appointed

1914 Revd A J Bromwich

1918 Revd P S Watkinson

1922 Revd W Salisbury

1926 Revd A D Phiipson

1927 Revd George Brown

1930 Revd A J Rosser

1933 Revd E H Hardy

1936 Revd T E Deacon

1940 Revd G H Daniels

1942 Revd N B Cooper

1945 Revd R W Salmon

1949 Revd L H Sugden

1954 Revd W T Rose

1962 Revd W H Dixon

1970 Rev Guy Saunders

1975 Revd James Mills

1980 Revd Gordon Ryder

1985 Revd Trevor Grewcock

1995 Revd Christine Hawke

2002 Revd Paul Glass

2007 Revd Terry Keen

2009  Revd Neil Bishop

2012 Revd Barry Lotz

2018 Revd Neil Bishop

2020 Revd Rob Cotton

2024 Revd Dr Julian Pursehouse