Our church, situated at the corner of London Road and Beaconsfield Road in Dover, is now 100 years old... having celebrated its centenary in January 2002.

Built by the Primitive Methodists in 1901 at a cost of £5,500, and officially opened on New Year's Day 1902, it was originally twice the size it is today, and had accommodation for 600 people.

In 1928 the building was enlarged still further to provide schoolrooms, but damage in the Second World War led to the demolition of the part nearest London Road, leaving a church that could seat about 350. In 1961 a new church hall and rooms were built and opened in Bartholomew Street linking up with the back of the church.

Over the years, the condition of the church building has deteriorated, partly due to the damp, and in recent years we have been discussing plans for the future. We considered whether to draw up a major restoration scheme, or demolish the existing church and either build a new one or use the church hall for services. Within the past year we have been having talks with our friends at St. Columba United Reformed Church, who have been facing similar problems, and we have been holding joint services once a month for some time.

Now, the decision has been made to bring our church, St. Columba and the Methodist Church at Tower Hamlets in Dover together. On 6 April this year, we held a special service at which we signed a Declaration of Intent to form a Local Ecumenical Partnership. Further talks and meetings have been held, and it has now been decided that the last services will take place at Tower Hamlets and St. Columba on 31 August 2003, and our three congregations will combine at the London Road church as from 1 September. The first services will be held on Sunday 7 September. By then the church will have a new name - we are currently considering what this will be.

This is an exciting time for our churches, and we would appreciate your prayers as we explore the way forward, and face the challenges that lie ahead.

Joining together in this way does not solve our problems with the building, of course, and we have already decided that the London Road building will have to be demolished, and a new church built on the site. This has not been an easy decision. For example, unusually for a Methodist Church - and especially one that began life as a Primitive Methodist Church - it has stained glass windows, many of them given in memory of people who devoted their lives in the service of their Lord, and of our church. And we have a fine pipe organ and many other furnishings.

But, the Church is the people, not the building, and so we are facing up to the challenges which this decision presents us with.