Welcome to The Chapel, Week St Mary

 

We’re a friendly community of people who love God, care about others, and want to share the good news of Jesus with everyone.

Here at The Chapel, there’s something for all ages and walks of life. We gather in the mornings, over lunch, and in the evenings for times of worship, fellowship, and encouragement. Our services are relaxed and uplifting, with a blend of traditional hymns and modern music, prayer, praise, and inspiring speakers.​

Most importantly, you’re welcome here. Whether you’re exploring faith for the first time or looking for a church family to belong to, there’s a place for you at The Chapel.

 

Read more at  www.thechapelwsm.com

 

A brief history of The Chapel

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The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel at Week Orchard (built pre 1800) and the United Methodist Free Church had a chapel in the Churchtown built in 1844.

The  Bible Christians built the current Zion chapel within the village in 1843, and another at Bakesdon in 1833.

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William O'Bryan, born in 1778, met John Wesley as a boy, felt led to become a preacher but experienced confilct with chapel leaders which led to his itinerent evangelistic career.  As an independant preacher he conducted what proved to be the first service of a new Methodist denomination - Bible Christians - at Week St Mary on 1st October 1815.

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He linked with 22 friends and formed a society on 9th October 1815.  An Annual COnference was established, a pattern of circuits eveoleved and in 1831 the Week St Mary Circuit came into being.

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The year 1907 saw the demise of the title Bible Christian Society when it combined with the United Methodist Free Church and the Methodist New Connexion to form The United Methodist Church.  This union and later in 1932,  when United Methodists, Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists formed the Methodist Church produced little change.

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At Week St Mary the two chapels - Week St Mary Bible Christian and Week Green United Methodist Free Church - continued their respective societies following the 1907 and 1932 amalgamations until 1934 when the Week Green chapel was closed and the premises converted for use as a caretakers' bungalow.

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Renovations to the Chapel

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Dramatic changes have taken place to the chapel seating and organ area, the organ was lowered and the pews removed to be replaced with loose chairs.  the flooring has been carpeted and a new sound system installed to compliment a digital projector and scree.  New wooden doors have replaced the old allowing far more light into the chapel and the access has been improved by lowering the granite step into the ground at an angle.