Church turns to Google to reach out

The Rev Paul Plumpton outside St James’s, Derker

THE congregation at Oldham town’s oldest church building will celebrate its 180th year in September.

But St James’s Church, in Barry Street, Derker, is also harnessing 21st century technology by teaming up with the Internet giant Google in a new campaign.

The campaign, now running, means that when people type certain keywords into the search engine — like Oldham — information about the church will show randomly as a sponsor result on Google.

And if people click on the advertisement, it will direct them to the church’s website (www.sjameschurcholdham.info) to book a baptism or wedding, or hire the church hall.

Construction of the church began in 1827, and it was finished a year before the rebuilding of Oldham Parish Church, St Mary’s, costing £9,651.

After the Second World War, St James’s began to decay and by the 1970s it had been considered for closure.

But a new vicar, the Rev Paul Plumpton, arrived and over the past 30 years the church has been transformed.

More than £1 million spent on major indoor and outdoor restoration, including reroofing, dry rot treatment, a new kitchen, electrical rewiring, rehanging the church bell and work on the tower and clock face.

Celebrations on Sunday, September 20, will include a choral mass and possibly a major fireworks display, as the church did for its 175th anniversary.

Mr Plumpton has also applied to join the English Heritage list of buildings taking part in Heritage Open Days later this year.

He said: “We’re not sure if harnessing the modern power of Google to reach out to people is a first for a church in Oldham.

“We celebrate our links with the local community — happily giving donations to local causes such as Friends of Stoneleigh Park, Sporting Derker and Oldham Hospice.

“It is important for Derker, where street after street is boarded up and so many houses have been demolished.

“The population has been decimated but we carry on, because we wish to be there when it is repopulated.

“We have been much blessed over the years with the goodwill shown to St James’s from the local community, so we’re always looking for ways of putting something back.”