Islip Methodist Church
There has been Methodist witness in Islip for over 200 years.
The first recorded mention of a ‘house solely for the worship of God’ by Methodists was in 1788, the year that Charles Wesley died.
The present chapel was built in 1886.
Islip Methodists had a rich and varied church life with an active Sunday School and Choir. Students from the John Wesley Society lead occasional services during term time, always enjoying the hospitality of local church members.
It ceased to be used as a place of worship in 1988.
An excerpt from the Oxford Methodist Circuit Plan for June to August 1988 reads:
Islip Methodist Church will close for worship on Sunday 24 July. There will be a service of Thanksgiving for the Methodist witness in the village that day at 6 p.m.
We assure our friends at Islip of our continuing prayers for them as they become members of other churches in the Circuit. A weekday morning fellowship will continue to meet in the village.
The final Service of Thanksgiving was conducted by the Circuit Superintendent minister Revd Nigel Collinson, with a welcome being given to all by the minister for Islip, Revd Brian Spencer.
The readings were given by the then Rector of Islip, Revd Dr Richard Sturch and Methodist Lay Pastoral Assistant, Mrs Helen Paige.
The chapel building, in Church Lane, was subsequently sold.
It is now a private house.
The organ was moved to St Andrew’s Parish Church, Oddington.
Further information about Islip’s font can be found in the Objects section of this website.
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Thanks very much for sharing this Brian.
It is great that the organ has a new life and that a plaque on it, records its story!
I hope you get back to playing it again soon.
Together with some volunteers from Oddington I removed the organ from Islip Methodist Church and after massively rebuilding the workings of it with another windchest and new action components I set it up at St Andrew’s Oddington where I play it normally twice a month (The Covid lockdown and repairs to Oddington Church at the moment in 2020 are preventing this)
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