History of St Michael's
The History of St Michael's Anglican Church
Early 1900's: Rev'd George Gardner, the vicar of All Saints (established 1868), set up a Sunday school in Cleeve View Road.
1907: A wooden Building was bought from Inholmes Boys School and put up at the end of Whaddon Lane (Site of The Post Office).
1920's: The Sunday School become a mission church run by All Saints Church.
1930's: The Whaddon Estate was built and a larger church was needed. AS wooden Building was put up on the site of the current Cornerstone Centre, at the cost of £2000.
1937: The new church building was opened for wordship. The original budling, now known as 'little St Michael's was moved and was used as a surgery and Infant Welfare Clinic.
1947: A 'Conventional District' ( a sort of experimental parish) was formed from parts of All Saints and Prestbury St Mary's parishes and Rev'd Hubert Goddard was appointed as minister in charge.
1953: A new Ecclesiastical District (parish) was formed and known as St Michaels Church, Lynworth. The vicarage was built at the cost of £4,500 and 'Little St Michael's' to the site of the present church.
1964: The building fund, which begun in 1950, now had sufficient money for plans to be drawn up for a brick building which started in 1965.
1966: The present building was Consecrated by Bishop of Gloucester and the name of parish formally altered to St Michael's Cheltenham. The Rev'd Peter Walker was the first Vicar. The former church was converted to a hall and continued to serve the church and local community. On the 15th July a declaration of intent to form a Local Ecumenical Partnership with the Methodist Church was signed.
The History of Whaddon Methodist Church.
1766-72: John Wesley visits Cheltenham.
Mid-nineteenth Century: several Methodist Chapels built in Cheltenham.
1937: King Street Chapel sold, and the money was used to buy land in Whaddon for a Church.
1938: £2,050 from the sale of Royal Well Chapel was paid into the newly formed Whaddon Trust. The trustees agreed to a cost of £2,800 for the building of a school Chapel.
1939: May Bence, Percy Gardener and Cleo Cook started a Sunday School in the day school premises. on the 6th May a stone laying ceremony took place at Mersey Road. Rev'd H. Stanley, Chairman of Oxford District spoke, and stones were laid on behalf of the trustees from King's Street and Royal Well Chapels as well as by generous individuals and representatives of other Methodist Sunday Schools in Cheltenham.
1940: 200 children marched to the completed building on the first Sunday in August. a dedication service weas held on Wednesday the 7th august by Rev'd Ezra Kendall. The Minister at Winchcombe, the Rev'd Wilfrid W. M. White became the first minister in charge of Whaddon.
1990: The Church building became increasingly subject to vandalism.
1995: The church was burnt down. On the 10th December the formal move to St. Michael's was marked by a special service and procession. The Cross from Mersey road was placed to behind the Alter where it remains as a symbol of our unity.
1966: On the 15th July a declaration of intent to form a Local Ecumenical Partnership with the Anglican Church was signed.
The United Church of St. Michael's.
A new Phase of the church life in Oakley.
1995: The Methodist congregation began to share the Anglican building because of the vandalism of their own property and it was then proposed that the two churches should join as a Local Ecumenical Partnership(LEP).
1996: A declaration of intent to form the LEP was signed on the 15th July.
2002: Rev'd David Lawrence (Vicar of St Michaels) and Rev'd John Turner(Circuit Superintendent) ensured that a proper legal 'sharing agreement' was drawn up that was acceptable to all parties- The Diocese, The Archdeaconry, St. Michael's Parochial Church Council and to the Methodist Connexion, District, Circuit and the Whaddon Methodist Church Council. this was signed on the 9th April.
The 1930's Church building was demolished to make was for the Cornerstone Centre. the destruction of the Whaddon Methodist Church resulted in insurance money to be used for the benefit of the Local area and this formed the basis of a fund for replacing the old wooden hall with a modern community centre. A generous grant from the South
West Regional Development Agency as well as from Gloucester Diocese, The Methodist Connexion Fund, Church Urban Fund and Gloucestershire Environmental Trust, along with support from the Local community enabled the project to go ahead. The Centre was officially opened in May 2003.
2008: Major repairs to the Ambulatory roof were carried out due bequest from Miss Barbara Blake a life long member of the Methodist Church.
2018: Internal re-ordering carried out due to bequests received, including from Rev'd Margret Thame.