Greenacres Congregational Church celebrates 350th Anniversary and legendary milestone.

Greenacres Congregational Church will celebrate its 350th anniversary this Saturday, April 30, with a special free concert. 

The church also marks a legendary milestone, as they are among the nonconformist churches with the longest continuous existence on one site in the country.  

Dobcross Silver Band, who have a long tradition of accompanying the church on Whit walks,  will play at the event and they were recently awarded second place in its division in the Northwest area brass band championships. The band is now looking forward to competing in the national championships.  

The beginnings of Greenacres Congregational Church has a colurful history and can be traced to the Act of Uniformity in 1662, which set out the beliefs and practices to which all Ministers of the Church had to subscribe.  

There were many whose consciences would not allow them to do so, and they were summarily ejected from their livings.

One of those ejected in 1662 was the Rev Robert Constantine, the Minister of Oldham Parish Church. 

In 1672 he began preaching to the people of Greenacres in a thatched cottage. After a short time they moved to a larger building nearby, and in 1699 yet again.

In the 1780s, as the cause flourished, it became evident that those premises were inadequate and they decided to erect a larger and better chapel suited to the requirements of the congregation and the surrounding community, which  opened in 1785.  

The church continued to grow and in 1822 major alterations were carried out to provide larger and better facilities. A Sunday school had been operating in conjunction with the church since 1812 but had outgrown its premises.

Plans were made for the building of a new Sunday school, which was completed and opened in 1851. In August 1853 the Church Meeting decided that a new chapel ought to be built containing 800 seats and at a cost of £2000. The new building was opened in August 1854, and is the one still in use today.

In the 1970s it became clear that the struggle to maintain two old buildings (the church and Sunday school) was adversely affecting the health of the church, and after lots of deliberation, the School was sold and the Church was converted into a dual-purpose building.

Ironically, after disposing of the Sunday School it was found that more room was needed for Church activities, and in 1982 a multi-purpose hall was added to the church.  In 1991, a major reconstruction and renovation of the church premises began after a severe infestation of dry rot was found.

The church was completely renewed, a new first floor was added, a lounge and Minister’s office replaced the old vestries and a new entrance tower constructed.

Sunday worship takes place weekly at 10:45am. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month. 

This Saturday's free concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets can be sent out if you email; greenacrestickets@gmail.com. 

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