WHITEHILL METHODIST COMMUNITY CHURCH

1912-2022 (110 years old)

The church in Whitehill was originally identified with Balls Bank, the Primitive Methodist Society meeting in a nearby house until the first church was opened.  Where Balls Bank begins and ends, no-one seems to know, but if you were to walk from Kidsgrove towards Newchapel in the short distance of half a mile you would travel on Whitehill Road, Whitehill Terrace, Balls Bank and Brewhouse Bank.

At the time of the first Primitive Methodist Society, both Whitehill Road and Whitehill Terrace were unknown.  The known road was both narrow and fenced with high hedges.  A gipsy caravan was sited near to the site of the present church.  On the opposite side, now occupied by bungalows, was Brewhouse Bank known as Brewers Bank.

The date the first society was founded is uncertain, however from records, we know that the first church was opened in 1870 on 2 January.  Prior to this, the Society met regularly in a nearby cottage and we can only assume that the meeting house became so crowded it was necessary to find a more spacious building.

From a memorial tablet in brass, one Edward Leese, a founder member, is remembered for his devoted service.  Edward died in 1917 and had been a member for 55 years, which takes us back to 1862.  There are no records before this date. Again from records found,  a house was purchased in 1869 from a Mr William Mellor for £30.  It was fitted out and furnished as a church, and a license obtained to use the building as a place of worship.

Within 25 years the society had outgrown the church and during 1910 a building fund was started and a stone laying took place in 1912 with the use of borrowed funds, which were eventually settled by a bequest  from the late Edward Leese.  The bequest also included funds for a new pipe organ. Tile laying services were held later and the church was opened on 4 October 1912. In 1919 the church was granted a licence for marriages.

The early church played an important role in the development of Whitehill, particularly during the lean years post-1914 and again during the dark years of World War II, when both spiritual and financial help was offered to local families and serving members of the congregation.

Early in 1971 the Whitehill Methodist church united with Rookery on the Balls Bank site to form a new society known as Whitehill Trinity Methodist Church.  The adoption of the word Trinity within the name to represent this amalgamation.

This commitment of the church to the community and the need to reinvent itself, both spiritually and physically, continues to this day.  In 2011 extensive refurbishment of the building took place with two stages of development. Stage 1, which began in August, saw the refurbishment of the toilets and kitchen areas, followed in November by Stage 2, the ‘Footsteps Project’.  This involved extensive internal modifications to the existing chapel area, together with a new foyer extension to provide a family friendly environment to accommodate the needs of our community.

In 2022 the Church celebrated 110 years since it opened on 4 October 1912.  Much had changed since 1912, but the church continued to serve the community and to show this commitment adopted the word community into its name. The society was renamed and is now known as Whitehill Methodist Community Church.