A brief history of the Chapel and Christianity in and about Effingham
We will celebrate our 168th Chapel Anniversary in Oct 2022 and 178 years of being a community in the village but the gospel has been preached and lives committed to Christ in Effingham since Saxon times – presumably since AD674, when the Venerable Bede recorded dwellings here as having been granted to the Benedictine Monastery in Chertsey. There is now no remnant of a Saxon church, although Saxon artifacts have been found locally the earliest part of St. Lawrence’s Parish church was probably built around AD1260.
The ecumenical impetus this gave us in the village remains and flourishes to this day. As ‘Churches Together’, a working Ecumenical Forum in Effingham and Little Bookham, we have a 3-monthly shared Holy Communion service at St. Lawrence or All Saints, and all kinds of events including Tuesday Teas, Messy Church, the Connect Groups and other Charity events. Effingham churches continue to serve the community on a wide front!
In September 2010 Effingham Methodist Church became part of a local church Pastorate with the Leatherhead Methodist, Christ Church Leatherhead and Cobham United Churches (Previously Cobham URC & Methodist). The Rev Dan Balsdon looks after the Cobham United and Effingham Methodist Churches and Rev’d Jan Hofmyer the Leatherhead Methodist Church and Christ Church Leatherhead (United Reformed Church). Unfortunately, Christchurch closed in 2021. Although the Methodist Churches are still part of the Dorking & Horsham Circuit, we hope this arrangement will strengthen the witness of the local churches and enable us to meet the needs of our local communities well into the future.
The ecumenical impetus this gave us in the village remains and flourishes to this day. As ‘Churches Together’, a working Ecumenical Forum in Effingham and Little Bookham, we have a 3-monthly shared Holy Communion service at St. Lawrence or All Saints, and all kinds of events including Tuesday Teas, Messy Church, the Connect Groups and other Charity events. Effingham churches continue to serve the community on a wide front!
In September 2010 Effingham Methodist Church became part of a local church Pastorate with the Leatherhead Methodist, Christ Church Leatherhead and Cobham United Churches (Previously Cobham URC & Methodist). The Rev Dan Balsdon looks after the Cobham United and Effingham Methodist Churches and Rev’d Jan Hofmyer the Leatherhead Methodist Church and Christ Church Leatherhead (United Reformed Church). Unfortunately, Christchurch closed in 2021. Although the Methodist Churches are still part of the Dorking & Horsham Circuit, we hope this arrangement will strengthen the witness of the local churches and enable us to meet the needs of our local communities well into the future.
|
|
The Dorking and Horsham Circuit celebrated its 175th Birthday in November 2019 with an exhibition and thanksgiving service.
The Chapel also takes part in the National Heritage Weekend celebrations each year. History by L.J. Rogers with acknowledgements to “W.I. History of Effingham” 1973. Updated by Angela & David Putland 2022. |
