Shock as historic church to close

An historic Black Country church is set to close - with members of the congregation learning of the shock news in the same week they celebrate its 125th anniversary.

Woodsetton Methodist Church will become the latest in the area to get the chop after leaders decided the £100,000 needed for repairs could not be raised.

It is thought the church, which has been listed by Dudley Council, will close its doors for the last time by the end of the year.

One longstanding mem-ber of the congregation at the Parkes Hall Road site, who did not want to be named, said she was reeling from the news."It's just such a shame," she said.

"We do need a lot of repairs, but if we'd known about it then we might have been able to do something about it.

"I think a lot of people are just shocked that this has all come out in the same week we are celebrating our 125th anniversary. Everyone is very upset about this."

Meanwhile, a battle continues to save St John's Church, in Kates Hill, which is under threat of demolition because of dry rot.

Religious leaders have been urged to delay plans to declare the 168-year-old church redundant.

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