“Leatherhead has early associations with the Methodist Cause” is how the story of this church begins. On February 23, 1791, Rev. John Wesley delivered his last sermon under a Cedar tree at Kingston House. Kingston House was once Leatherhead Town Hall. Now, it serves as office space. The Cedar tree is still there. Wesley’s text was profound. It was Seek ye the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. He passed away on March 2, 1791, in City Road, London.
A Methodist Society was established here around 1860. Effingham Methodists started it. Rev. John Mack from Sutton supplemented it later. A Society of eleven members was formed. They met in rooms in Bridge Street.
Stephen Mould came to Leatherhead in 1885. He re-established the Society in 1886. He hired a hall in the High Street. It was known as the Victoria Hall. The hall later became a cinema. Subsequently, it became the home of the Leatherhead Theatre. The theatre moved to Church Street in 1969. The Leatherhead Society became part of the Cobham and Woking circuit.
Rev. Frederick Cunningham came over from Cobham as a Missioner. In 1887, a site was purchased in Church Road. An iron building was erected. The Centenary of Wesley’s death in 1891 was commemorated. A number of prominent Methodists visited. They wanted to build a Church. It would be a worthy memorial to its Founder. Dr. Rough, Dr. W.F. Moulton, and Rev. Nehemiah Curnock spoke at a meeting. Mr. Wm. Hedges presided. The scheme resulted in building the present Leatherhead Methodist Church. It cost £2,000 with the site. The stone-laying took place on June 21, 1893. The church opened on October 4, 1893. Rev. Harry Hopkinson and Dr. Rigg led the ministry. Dr Rigg preached the first sermon.
In a few years, the debt was cleared. The School Buildings were opened in 1905. In 1983, a tree was planted by Rev. Ian Field in Kingston Hall Gardens. It replaced the Cedar tree.
The Leatherhead Methodist Church was opened on its current site in 1893. The wooden scaffolding was a common sight back then. The very first Harvest festival was held here. Look at the inscriptions and decoration on the front wall. The front window at the left was eventually bricked up. The halls were built behind it.
Outside the hall, there is a plaque. It features a relief head and shoulders of John Wesley. The original disappeared many years ago. In the late ’60s, a replacement was made. It looks like bronze. But it is made of fibreglass and resin. It commemorates Wesley’s last sermon in Leatherhead.
By 1905, additional premises were added. They included an upper and lower hall with extra rooms. The Leatherhead Methodist Church had a side garden. A trellis fence separated it from the pavement. This area was later converted to a car park.
Within a few years, a huge pipe organ was installed. The pulpit was embodied between the sets of pipes. The console was below. It became uneconomical to repair. It was replaced by a Compton organ for many years. A Johannus electronic organ replaced that for 25 years. More recently, a small Eminent organ was given to the church in 2016.
In recent years, worship has been band led. There are various musicians. They play a range of musical instruments. This allows for more contemporary music. Traditional forms are still used.
In 1993, the Leatherhead Methodist Church celebrated its centenary. We looked back at past achievements. We looked forward to future years and our mission.
In 2004, a significant project refurbished our church. Most of the money was raised by direct giving from the congregation. The purpose was to enhance our worship space. It would give us the flexibility to reconfigure the space. We could have different types of worship. We removed all of our pews. We replaced them with chairs. The failing wooden floor was replaced. All the ugly pipes and wiring were concealed. We created a more comfortable and welcoming environment. Through significant hard work, we transformed the worship space. Contractors and our own members helped. We have reaped the benefit of this exercise.