Central Meths, York

York’s Central Methodist Church is as grand a building as its name might warrant, built of a classical design of pediment and pillars. One online sources states that it is open to visitors daily, though I saw little evidence of this when I called. The outside, however, was worth the stroll. The Methodist Heritage website was rather helpful, explaining:

Built as 'Centenary Chapel' in 1840 as a 1500-seater Wesleyan preaching house to commemorate the centenary of the first Methodist Society begun in 1739. It became 'Central Methodist Church' in 1982 when the amalgamation with Wesley Chapel in Priory Street took place…

1500, indeed! I shall warrant that it does not attract those numbers now. I suspect it never did, actually; had it been a congregation of 1500 in 1840, they would surely have built a meeting house to hold 2000. Churches are to plan for growth, not just maintenance, or, worse, shrinkage and closure.

The old denominations around us are decaying and dying; national websites have become estate agents, flogging off dozens of buildings they can no longer afford to occupy and use, apparently oblivious to the reasons why. Yet we should plan for growth. This British century is characterised by woke liberals and Islamic migrants enjoying a bizarre but uneasy alliance; yet between the two remains the Church and the words of the Lord Jesus, drawing all who would come to Him, offering rest, hope, peace and joy.

Plan for growth.