A historic church was holding its last service today after 150 years before being sold.

Falmouth Methodist Church last met in the building at The Moor which has housed the Methodist Chapel since 1791.

Community members were invited to join the service at 4 p.m. today (January 16) to bid farewell.

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Church member David Saunby wrote on Facebook: “Today, Sunday January 16 at 4:00 p.m., the people of Falmouth have the chance to say a final goodbye to Falmouth Methodist Church, before this magnificent building closes. its doors and take its place in the history books.

“I hope many Falmothians will be present on this sad day to bid farewell.”

Sarah Smith, superintendent of the church, has memories of the building throughout her life, but she believes it will bring a new beginning to the church.

She said: “I was baptized here with my twin sister in March 1970, so I’ve been coming for a very long time.

“I have very fond memories, I was baptized, married here, my daughter got married here, my children were baptized here. Obviously the church family means a lot to me.

“The building itself, although I have recovered memories, is not a church to me, it’s the people.

“It’s the end of the building but it’s not the end of us. We will go from the church on The Moor to the church on the move.”

According to the Falmouth Methodist Church website: “The first Methodist chapel was built on the present site in 1791, described as a simple building with plenty of space, followed by another building in 1837. The base of the The current building was completed in 1876. , it had a seating capacity of 1400, one of the largest in Cornwall and cost £6,000.

Falmouth Central Methodist Church is the mother church of all the surrounding smaller Methodist chapels in the district.

From January 23, the congregation will worship at the New Street Theater Hall, belonging to the parish church of King Charles the Martyr, on a temporary basis while future arrangements are made. The church has long term plans to build a brand new church when they find the right land.

According to the Falmouth Methodist Church website: “The first Methodist chapel was built on the present site in 1791, described as a simple building with plenty of space, followed by another building in 1837. The base of the The current building was completed in 1876. , it had a seating capacity of 1400, one of the largest in Cornwall and cost £6,000.

Falmouth Central Methodist Church is the mother church of all the surrounding smaller Methodist chapels in the district.

It was announced last June that the building was to close and be put up for sale after the church became unable to meet the costs of its upkeep as congregation numbers dwindled over several years.

The building required half a million pounds to repair the roof and there was around £1million needed to make the building fit for purpose. Although the building is conveniently located in the heart of the town of Falmouth, it has no parking and is not easily accessible.

The future of the building is uncertain, but the Reverend Andrew Mumford, superintendent of the Falmouth and Gwennap Methodist circuit, is reassuring people that it will not be demolished, addressing community fears.

“It’s a very emotional time, inevitably. Moving on is a big key, but there’s a relief in not having to maintain such an old building and the complexities of that.

“What it becomes is what the future owner wants it to be but, from our point of view, we like the idea that the person who buys it intends to keep the facade so that be the presence it has always been in Falmouth because it is an iconic building.

“We signed contracts but did not exchange them. »

At approximately 16,584 square feet, the building is spread roughly over three stories with separate wings housing two separate staircases. It includes meeting rooms, a kitchen, three reception rooms and even a theater room with a stage.

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