A brief history of Methodism in Loddon


Methodists have been meeting together in Loddon for over 230 years. When John Wesley, an Anglican priest, and the founder of Methodism, made the first of his 18 visits to Loddon, in 1772, he noted in his Journal that: 'The preaching-house, at one, was thoroughly filled with serious and attentive hearers. From all these blossoms will there not be some fruit?'

In the early eighteenth century the general level of morality in England was low. This was not helped by the rapid growth of towns and cities in the Industrial Revolution, with a failure of the Anglican parish system to adequately cover the needs of the new urban populations - the Church of England remained rooted in a rural parish system. There were many social evils, such as drink and gambling, and perhaps also a deep sense of guilt.

Against this background, the key feature of the Methodist revival was an individual's own experience (first of conversion, which led to an assurance of salvation, and an impetus to missionary activity). This was seen most spectacularly in John Wesley himself, in his 'heart-warming' experience of the 24th May, 1738.

Shortly after this, a friend, George Whitefield begged Wesley to join him in open air preaching. For the next 50 years, Wesley devoted most of his time to travelling the country, 'field preaching'. It has been estimated that he preached forty thousand sermons, and travelled some 250,000 miles, mostly on horseback. He visited the Society at Loddon at least 18 times.

His first visit was probably to the home of Sarah and Mary Allen, which had been licensed as a preaching house on the 1st January 1772.

In 1775 'a newly erected building called the meeting house belonging to William Crisp, grocer, of Loddon' was licensed for preaching. This is almost certainly the building that Wesley refers to, on his visit of 1st December 1786 ('In the evening there seemed to be a considerable shaking even among the dry bones at Loddon; and such a company attended at Mr Crisp's in the morning as I never saw there before.')

It is reputed that John Wesley stayed at Mornington House (the building to the east [right] of the library). If this is correct, it would have been either on his overnight stop on the 1st December 1786, when he preached at Mr Crisp's, or on the two day visit in October 1789, when he was staying at brother Mallit's. This throws up another possibility for a site of a meeting-house!

More settled premises came with the move to George Lane, where, in the 1700's, an extensive malting complex stood, comprising a malthouse, millhouse, kiln, stores etc. Around 1800 a piece of land to the west (i.e. further down George Lane, out of town) was bought, and a stable was built at the west end, leaving a vacant plot between it and the main complex. Between 1817 and 1820 this stable was demolished and a new Malting Office was erected ('office' in this period could mean merely a workplace, in which case this could, for instance, have been a new malting floor).

The Wesleyans bought this new office (and the vacant plot of land between it and the main complex) in 1835, for the sum of £290. The office still stands, as the most westerly part of the St Johns complex, now known as 'the Old Chapel'.

Between 1838 and 1840 a new chapel was built on the vacant land (this is now the site of the Lecture Hall). In 1841, with a growing congregation, a gallery was added at the east end, with two rooms below (looking, therefore, much as the present hall does today).

In 1883, the remainder of the malting complex (which may have been derelict by this time - certainly it was a very old building) was bought, and demolished, and the entrance hall, kitchen and a school room (now the vestry) were built (these only extended to the current corridor - beyond this was an open yard, with a well, toilets and a store shed).

In 1893 the main chapel was built, with a large central pulpit (the outline of which can still be seen in the plaster) and with two aisles.

During the First World War, the Lecture Hall was taken over by the Red Cross as a hospital. This lasted until October 1918, when the Hall was destroyed by fire. The Lecture Hall was rebuilt in 1923.

Following the national Wesleyan-Primitive re-union, in 1932, which formed the Methodist Church as it is today, the church (which had previously been known as the Wesleyan Methodist church) was re-named St. Johns, while the former Primitive chapel was known as High Street. Prior to this, there had been both a Primitive and a Wesleyan minister stationed in Loddon, now this was reduced to one (the Revd Reginald T Wagstaffe, the incumbent ex-Primitive ministers staying on).

Both churches continued to hold their usual Sunday services for a further thirteen years, and it was not until 1946 that united services were held, in the morning in one church, and the evening in the other.

In 1955-56 St Johns was closed for 15 months for re-modelling (the pulpit, pews and other fittings from the Primitive chapel were installed) and the car park was acquired. The church was re-named again, now being known as Loddon Methodist church.

Following the formation of the LEP, and the Church in Loddon, it would clearly have been inappropriate to retain the name Loddon Methodist church, and so it reverted to the title St Johns.


The Primitive Methodists came to Loddon in about 1845, with worship taking place in cottages, possibly off High Bungay Road.

In 1850 they built the first Chapel in High Street, and Hugh Bourne (one of the founders of Primitive Methodism) visited, probably for the official opening.

In 1900 a new chapel was opened, in front of the old one, which was then used as a schoolroom (the stone above the entrance door of this building has the date 1899, but correspondence shows that the builders were late in completing the work, and the chapel did not open until the following year).

In 1955 this building was sold, and many of the fittings were transferred to St Johns. It is now known as The Hollies Community Complex.


SARAH MALLET

One of the most celebrated women preachers of early Methodism was Sarah Mallet, who was born in Loddon.

Sarah's name appears in the list of members at Loddon in 1785-7. She began her public ministry in February 1786, speaking at her uncle's house every other Sunday evening.

Wesley records in his Journal that, on the 4th December 1786 (3 days after a visit to Loddon), whilst at Long Stratton, he met 'Sarah Mallet, two or three and twenty years old' who explained to him her calling to preach. She recorded the fact that 'Mr. Wesley was to become a father and a faithful friend'. His encouragement was a continual source of strength - indeed, his influence won for her the full support and authorisation of the Manchester Conference of 1787: 'We give the right hand of fellowship to Sarah Mallet, and have no objection to her being a preacher in our connexion.'

For further details about Sarah Mallet, and her newly-published biography, then we highly recommend a visit to: http://www.women.preachers.faithweb.com


WHY METHODIST?

John Wesley and his brother Charles were part of a group of students at Oxford University, who met together to study the Bible and to pray. Their fellow students gave them the nickname 'the Holy Club', or, because of their systematic way of going about their devotions, 'Methodists'.

Wesley had no intention of starting a new church, but did form small groups - societies - within the Anglican Church, intended to act as 'ginger groups'. These societies effectively became a second church within the Church of England - although Wesley insisted that Methodists should still attend Anglican services, and receive communion in the parish church. Methodist services were usually held in the evening, to avoid competition with Anglican services. These services were characterised by preaching and hymn singing.

Wesley encouraged people who had full-time jobs to become lay preachers. This gave working people valuable experience of speaking in public. Later, some of these went on to become leaders of trade unions and reform groups.

By the time John Wesley died in 1791, the Methodist movement had over 76,000 members. After Wesley's death the Methodists formally separated from the Anglican Church, as the Wesleyan Methodist church. Later, various offshoots took place, notably the Primitive Methodist church.

In 1932 the main branches of Methodism reunited. 141 years after John Wesley's death Methodist membership amounted to 838,000.


LOCAL ECUMENICAL PARTNERSHIP

On the 1st September 1976, Bungay, Rumburgh and St Andrews Methodist churches united with the URC in Bungay; Loddon, Norton and Burgh St Peter formed part of an ecumenical experiment with the Anglican Raveningham Group and Loddon parish; with Woodtson, Kirby Cane and Broome remaining as Methodist churches. This new venture was called the 'Loddon and Bungay Ecumenical area'.

It became apparent that the ecumenical three-way split was not the best way of working, and the obvious answer was to divide the circuit into two. Thus, on the 1st September 1979 the Loddon Circuit was created, comprising Loddon, Broome, Kirby Cane and Norton.

In 1985 the Roman Catholic Church started to use St Johns church too.

By 1987 it was felt appropriate to include Kirby Cane (and therefore also the Anglican Waveney Group) within the LEP, now called the South East Norfolk LEP.