I have a dream
Farnworth Christian Spiritualist Church has now been in existence for 24 years and is affiliated to the Greater World Christian Spiritualist Association. It first came into existence in the Community Centre of Queen St, Farnworth and the first president of the church was called Mr Lewis Trelour Pepper.
This community centre was a little, run down, wooden hut that was rented from the local council on Sunday nights for services at 6.30pm, that was unless anyone else had booked it for a party in which case we all had to go home again!!! A couple of months later the evenings were extended to include an Open Circle on Wednesdays at 7.30pm but we still had the same problems. (It was at this stage the present church president, Susan Daubney, first joined the church). It was decided by the committee that the church would have to find more suitable premises in which to hold its services.
A couple of rooms were found above a hardware shop on Higher Market St, Farnworth called ‘Ken’s Den’ and the ‘Upsteps’ nickname for Farnworth church was born!! The rooms were very damp with water running down the walls and it was decided to board the walls and partition the room so there was a room for services, a healing room and a kitchen. There was a little toilet down a step at the back of the service room and a little hallway too.
The rent for this premises was £20.00 a week and there was a lot of umms and ahhhs from the committee as to whether it was a viable proposition, would the rent be covered each week? It was decided to go ahead and a lot of hard work was done on these premises and we opened to the public in February 1986.
Some committee members were not happy that the outside steps, by which everyone had to access the premises, were unsuitable for those people who needed healing and they asked the local council if they could rent the original community centre room on Sunday mornings. After a disagreement between some committee members who were not happy with this situation those who had taken themselves back to Queen St decided to open their own Spiritualist Church and this was done. It was affiliated to the Spiritualist National Union (SNU) and eventually merged with Bolton Spiritualist Church when the local council decided they were closing the Community Centre.
Many a happy year was spent ‘Upsteps’ and it was whilst we were there that the Building Fund was created in order that having a full time premises of our own in which we could do what we wanted to when we wanted to was born. We wanted to have rooms at our disposal that could be used for one purpose only instead of having to keep setting things up each week and putting it away again.
The ‘Upsteps’ church was notorious for the slippery, outside wooden steps (which are still there incidentally), the break-ins and the recycled 50p raffle prizes!! We once had a break in on Halloween night when the burglars found candles in the cupboards and lit them whilst lifting up the carpets and making a hole through to the shop beneath whilst trying to rob the till. Ken never kept anything in the till so the only things that were robbed that time were the church’s tea and biscuits!!
This church saw many a meeting over the year and one night packed in 110 people to see International Medium Mavis Pittilla when the church only seated 40 usually. I fully expected to fall into the shop beneath that night!! The Building Fund was becoming established and was putting money in the bank, the rent kept on rising and soon it was £60 a week. Mr Trevor Burke had taken over as president and was head of the church for 2 years.
More uummms and ahhhhs from committee members saw us doing a tour of local premises and planning permissions being lodged with the local council, which were unsuccessful. When the rent was put up to £80 a week it was decided that drastic action was needed and that is when a 3-year lease was obtained for the premises above Farnworth Bus Station on King St, Farnworth. The church was still upsteps so it kept its nickname but it did come complete with its own little Charity Shop which was a Godsend for the running costs of this premises was £200.00 a week!! Although the premises were much bigger the heating was still a problem but spirit provided and the running costs were met with more money being raised for the building fund as well.
Upon moving to King St Susan Daubney took over as president and it was whilst we were here that the church became a registered charity. More services could be held and bigger congregations helped to swell the funds. The dream was still being dreamed that we would find permanent premises and, when it became clear that our landlords would not renew the lease we set off again on our search for our ideal home, for our dream.
More planning applications were unsuccessful and so we had to take a room in the local Town Hall. This was supposed to be a temporary measure but it was 4 years before we moved from there!! Susan Daubney stepped down as president for 12 months and was replaced by Ann Pendlebury. Ann was actually successful in obtaining planning permission at last for what is now the RAC nightclub on Market St and there was great excitement all round only for the financial side of things to let us down at the last minute.
Whilst at the Town Hall we only had one tiny little room, which was very cramped to say the least, and we had to leave by 9.00pm and so could not stay too long for our brew after the meetings. Occasional special services were held upstairs in the Function Room and we were able to continue to add to our Building Fund ready for the day our dream, which we were still dreaming, would come true.
Susan Daubney once again became president of the church and the search for premises was renewed with vigour. A further two applications for planning permission were turned down but then success, permission was granted for the rooms above Burtons Menswear Shop on Market St only to be withdrawn later by the owners themselves. Back to the drawing board!!!!
One further refusal of planning permission later the premises we are now in were spotted. When the committee went to have a first look around it felt like we had come home. This had to be the one. It took us nearly 12 months to get everything sorted out completely, there were a lot of arguments and hold ups with planning permission but eventually we obtained the keys in February 2001. The rest, as they say, is history. When we first walked in through the door the roof had partially collapsed, the boiler gave up the ghost and, as the building had been empty for nearly 3 years the place was very damp. A tremendous amount of work has been done to all of the church since then, some of it more than once due to circumstances, but today we can sit back in comfortable surroundings and say that we have achieved our dream. Much blood, sweat and tears have been shed in the process and every way to raise money has been used.
We are the future of Farnworth Church and it is in our hands to continue the dream, the dream to work with and for spirit in the best way that we can, helping those who are in need, giving them comfortable surroundings in which to be. Having the freedom to offer whatever services we can to our fellow man, alongside training and development opportunities. We pay tribute to all those who have worked so hard in any way whatsoever to get the church to where it is today, some of whom are now in the spirit world looking after us and still sharing our dream!!!
The song ‘I have a dream’ has come to be our anthem at Farnworth, and long may that dream live in the hearts and spirits of all those who seek the truth and the light.
