St John’s Church on the village High Street in Goldenhill is to close due to a dwindling congregation.
St John's Church, High Street, Goldenhill
The Anglican Church towers above the Potteries at Stoke on Trent’s highest point and at a public meeting last week it was agreed that it is impossible to keep the building going as a church.
Visitors and local residents who attended the meeting were saddened by the proposed closure of a church that has been used for Christian Worship for almost 200 years..
Some positives did come from the meeting when the Archdeacon of Stoke upon Trent The Venerable Godfrey Stone said, a Christian Church of South Korea were showing some interest of moving into the Midlands and that Goldenhill could be a possible base for the Church.
At the Public Meeting called by the Diocese of Lichfield, it was said that they would use the S.A.G.E. website to keep local residents updated along with further consultation to the church building closure.
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I attended Church School in the 1950s and we regularly had services in the church itself.
I can remember reading the lesson to a full congregation when I was about 10 years old as part of a school service.
Even as teenagers a group of us used to go there on a Sunday afternoon when Father Craig was the vicar.
As part of our school life we used to take gardening tools and tidy up the front garden and around the war memorial too.
If I might make a suggestion, would it be possible to have an “open day” before everything is finalised.
Myself and a few other people would really like to have a final look in there before a piece of history and village life ceases to exist.
Tom, if you can start the ball rolling on this I would be happy to help to set this up.
David Wood
Hi David, To contact Father John Stather re to arrange an open day is Christ Church Vicarage, 26 Stanley Street, Tunstall ST6 6BW Tel.: (01782) 838288.
Thanks Tom, I will ring the reverend tomorrow and in the meantime I will try to create a little interest here and there.
Perhaps if not a full day at least a few hours to give us older people a little closure.
David
TOM STANIER YET ANOTHER NAIL IN THE GOLDENHILL COFFIN