About Falmouth Methodist Church
At Falmouth Methodist Church, we are proud of the central place our church has had in the life of the town, and we recognise its prime location in the civic hub of Falmouth.
History of the Church
The first Methodist chapel was built on the present site in 1791, described as a simple building with plenty of space, followed by a further building in 1837. The basis of the present building was completed in 1876, it had a seating capacity of 1400, one of the largest in Cornwall and cost £6,000. There was an impressive range of activities during the week which were well attended. The new Falmouth Circuit was formed in 1932 and our church joined.
The church suffered bomb damage twice during the war, on October 9th, 1940 and May 13th, 1941. The shell of the building remained intact but the inside was very badly damaged and on the first occasion several lives were lost. The congregation moved to Berkley Vale Methodist for ten years whilst the Central Methodist was being renovated. The cost of this was £44,000 and the reconstructed church was dedicated by Reverend Leslie Weatherhead, President of the Methodist Conference on 14th March 1956. Members would gather on Saturday afternoons and summer evenings with the permission of Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company and load up trucks of salvage, selling it in order to raise funds.
The church changed its name in 1979 to Falmouth Methodist Church when Pike’s Hill was closed, and a new joint society was formed. The church remained a central part of the town and all large civic services were held there. Since then the church has become part of the newly formed Falmouth and Gwennap Circuit in 2008 and in the same year the pews from the main body of the church were removed to enable more flexibility. Members of the Scouting and Guiding Movements meet in the building as well as the Community Choir and self-help groups. Easter Sunday 2019 saw the launch of the Regeneration Fundraising Project in order to make the building more user-friendly in the modern age.
- 1791 - First Methodist church built on the current site.
- 1940 - Church suffered bomb damage in October.
- 1941 - Church suffered bomb damage in May.
- 1956 - Reconstructed church dedicated.
- 2008 - Joined the Falmouth and Gwennap Circuit.
- 2019 - Regeneration Fundraising Project launched.
Mission
Falmouth Methodist Church seeks to be the visible presence of God in our town centre, witnessing, worshipping, caring and serving.
Vision
We want Falmouth Methodist Church to be a vibrant community, dedicated to serving Christ through serving others, and offering a place where all are welcome to worship and to seek the love of God for themselves.
Leadership
To find out more about our team click here.
