188 Years of The Stanhill Methodist Church

In September the new circuit was launched. Accrington & Haslingden circuit joined with Blackburn & Darwen to form the West Pennine Moors Methodist Circuit. Circuit services continued every quarter. Also sectional services were introduced. The Hyndburn section of the circuit hosting united services. As well as bringing everyone together it helped the problem of filling the plan dates with the depleting numbers of ministers and local preachers. The first Saturday in December we started to have a Live Nativity in the James Hargreaves Memorial Gardens. Gazebo up for the stable & straw everywhere ! A real donkey and a little girl from the village was Mary. Everyone else who wanted to join in dressed as Shepherds & Kings & Angels. One year we had a real live baby for baby Jesus! When we ran out of little girls to ask – our community pastor & co minister, Charlotte Rumble and her real husband, Simon became Mary & Joseph! In 2015 the event was held in the school room because of bad weather. The donkey started to eat the hay to everyone’s amusement, even attempted to eat baby Jesus! The following day we always had the traditional Christingle Service. During 2013 conversations were being discussed about Heritage. With depleting numbers at church, wise words of encouragement came from Rev. Stephen Poxon, chair then of the North Lancashire Methodist District, ‘Don’t worry, just use with what you’ve got’. To cut the story short – the vision was born! At Stanhill we have a Victorian building, stories to tell, a village with a diverse history, where James Hargreaves lived when he invented the Spinning Jenny in 1764. The birthplace of the Industrial Textile Revolution. On the outskirts of the village lived Robert Peel the calico entrepreneur, who was the grandfather of Sir Robert Peel, Prime Minister & founder of the first formal Police Force. Stanhill Hall in the village was the home of the popular Victorian novelist William Bury Westall. Yes Heritage to share for future generations. Richard Hooper, the secretary of the Stanhill Village Residents Association, was asked if the residents would work with the chapel towards a Heritage

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