THERE were celebrations in Carnon Downs when the Community Methodist Church on Bissoe Road marked its 200th birthday.

The Grade II listed building had been closed for several months for major refurbishment work, and reopened to great fanfare on Saturday [October 6] for an open day followed on Sunday by a rededication service and a big lunch

Funds for the renovation were raised partly by selling assets including a smaller chapel in Feock; the merged congregations hope the new church, known as The Hub, will enjoy 200 more years of Christian witness and community engagement.

“This is one of the largest Methodist churches in this area,” said pastor Adrian Mitchell. “That’s what this event is about – celebrating the history of this place and two centuries of Christian witness, and projecting that into the future.”

Faced with dwindling congregations struggling to maintain ageing buildings, the decision was made to merge flocks. The church was closed for several months and services took place in the adjoining hall.

“These were not easy decisions to make, but we wanted to buck the trend and do something,” said Adrian. “That’s why it’s so special for us all to see this happening now. It makes this building the hub for this area, strategically important. It was a bold move, but it was worth it.”

A dedicated team of four parishioners worked in consultation with English Heritage to “enhance rather than take away the historical heart” of the church. Original features include listed pews in the gallery, a beautifully carved pulpit and an organ dating back to 1828, which has been restored.

However, some pews in the main atrium have been removed to make the space more flexible and appropriate for 21st century worship. This church is open daily for community events including Messy Church, a repair shop, climate-related Wild Wednesdays and even carpet bowls.

“Some would have liked us to keep the church as a museum – it took us five years to get permission to make the changes we wanted,” Adrian added. “I understood concerns that history would be demolished, but we need to worship with this community for the next 200 years, and we have put ourselves in a position to do that.”

The church now has better disabled access, wider doors, rewired electrics and a new alarm. “It ticks all the boxes for modern standards,” said Paul Braddock, who oversaw the renovation project.

New commissions include a bicentenary commemorative banner and a cross sculpture made from a former pew end by congregation member Shaun Courtenay.

Helen Hodges compiled an exhibition with the help of Kresen Kernow and the Old Cornwall Society, following the church from its origins in 1823 as a Sunday School in a shoemaker’s workshop, to the present day.

Cutting the ribbon fell to longest serving congregation member Catherine Lobb, whose grandfather was a former preacher here.

“I’ve been here the longest and I’m the oldest – the fifth generation of my family to worship here,” she said. “I have so many lovely memories of my childhood here. I’ve been blessed.