History of the Church

Court Hey Methodist Church was first established in 1943. There have been three changes of premises since then

1943: Reverend T. Johns Martin had the idea of starting a church at Court Hey. 26 people attended the first service, which was held in the canteen of J. Bibby & Sons on Sunday, August 23rd 1943.
1949: The church moved to the first Court Hey Church building, near the railway bridge.
1958: The church moved to a new building, and the previous one becomes the church hall.
1966: Proposals for the M62 mean the church would have to be demolished.
1973: Foundation stone laid for a new building on Roby Road.
1974: December 8th, first service held in the new building, which is still the current one.
2003: The church celebrated its Diamond Anniversary.

List of Ministers
The complete historic list of ministers at Court Hey Methodist Church is as follows:

Date Name
1943 – 1946 Rev. T. Johns Martin
1946 – 1947 Rev. R. E. Collens
1947 – 1948 Rev. F. Warren Davies
1948 – 1949 Rev. Geoffrey Rolph
1949 – 1950 Rev. S. Grieves – Smith
1950 – 1952 Rev. Norman Robertshaw
1952 – 1953 Rev. Vivan Harvey
1953 – 1955 Rev. Alan Cox
1955 – 1956 Rev. Staney Bowers
1956 – 1959 Rev. Victor E. Vine
1959 – 1962 Rev. Eric Powell
1962 – 1967 Rev. Norman Robertshaw
1967 – 1972 Rev. Alf Shannahan
1972 – 1978 Rev. Ken Anderson
1978 – 1986 Rev. Malcolm Carter
1986 – 1994 Rev. Malcolm Creamer
1994 – 1998 Rev. David Sharples
1998 – 2000 Rev. David Nellist
2000 – 2001 Rev. Ross 0′ Neal
2001 – 2002 Ministry Team
2002 – 2007 Rev. Robin Fox
2007 – 2013 Rev. Caroline Ainger
2013 – 2022 Deacon Michaela Doherty
2013 – 2016 Rev. Andrew Fox (Pastoral responsibility)
2016 – August 2017. Rev. Sally Binymin (Pastoral responsibility)
2017 – 2018 Rev. Caroline Ainger (Pastoral responsibility)
2018 – 2020 Rev. Paul Wilson (Pastoral responsibility)
2020 – Ongoing – Reverend Clement Matarirano