Highlights of our churches past

Offington Park is a thriving community, built on the enthusiasm and commitment of the past. The history of Methodism in Worthing as a whole is not one of smooth progression. It is full of ups and downs and much hard work has gone into keeping the spirit of Methodism alive. A booklet called “The Widening Way” documents the story of the Movement from the very beginnings in the area, while our Jubilee Souvenir Brochure printed in 1982 covers Offington Park specifically. (Both booklets are available in our Office.)

Our mother church at Steyne Gardens

It was through the vision and energy of members of the Steyne Gardens Chapel (now called Cornerstone) in the town centre that our church at Offington Park was conceived and built. A group of members decided that Worthing needed another Methodist church to the north and in 1928 took the plunge and bought our present site for £1,135. It was something of a leap of faith because there was no nucleus of people worshipping in each others’ homes, ready to move in.

A mapof the area taken from Kelly’s Directory of Worthing 1929 shows the situation of the land:

The first church at Offington Park            

The new church was opened in 1932 and both church and car park were packed on that Saturday to hear the first sermon, preached by the President of the Methodist Conference. The newly appointed – and newly married – minister, the Rev. William Freeman, waited in trepidation the following Sunday, praying for people to return. And they did. The first official record notes that there were 77 members.

The Mary Humphrey Hall                     

After the War, membership had risen to 243 and the congregation raised funds to build the Mary Humphrey Hall. This was opened in 1949 to house the youth activities of the church.

The new Offington Park Church               

As membership grew from strength to strength it was obvious that an entirely new church building would be necessary. So it was, that only 25 years after the original building was dedicated, and riding on the energy of the Rev. Allan Fletcher, our present beautiful church opened its doors in 1959.

The Rev. Clifford Pattison was struck by the inheritance he was receiving when he became minister in 1962, remarking on the impressive building and the strength of the congregation.

The Allan Fletcher Hall  

By 1970 membership had risen to 469 and so again more space was needed. An airy new hall, fittingly named the Allan Fletcher Hall, and flanking the old church, was finished in 1976.

The Pastoral Centre                           

Outreach was very important to the Rev. Clifford Johnson, and three years later, during his time as minister here, the Pastoral Centre extended the front of the church to serve as a hub for the organisational side of the church’s work in the community at large.
His passion for a strong Sunday School was also his hallmark and all three halls were full of children on Sunday morning while the twenty strong YPF (Young People’s Fellowship) met in each other’s houses in the evening.