Robin Hood’s Bay Methodist Church

Englishmen are well used to seeing old chapels converted into homes. A godless population creates empty and redundant churches; architecturally boring housing estates create additional demand for quirky, unusual buildings. Thus, many old chapels have provided comfortable and quaint homes for the wealthy. Sadly, many of these were once used for worship by the people called Methodist.

Unusually, I saw a Methodist Chapel in North Yorkshire’s village of Robin Hood’s Bay which was once, quite clearly, a house. This large, Victorian villa had been converted into a place of worship some time ago. Although the turret might suggest an ecclesiastical function, and some internal stained glass which we could see from without added a religious feel, the building had not always enjoyed this purpose. An online source states:

In 1936 when the Methodist congregation moved from the old Chapel on 'Chapel Street' in the lower part of the village they converted a former manor house into their place of worship. This left much of the building empty and in 1987 work commenced to convert the upper rooms into holiday flats.

Few existing Methodist premises will survive into the second half of this century, and I do not fancy the chances of the one at Robin Hood’s Bay. Nevertheless, turning a home into a church set me thinking. All our homes should be places of worship, in which we read God’s word, offer Him praise and supplicate at His feet. I will be the first to encourage genuine Christians to attend the weekly service of worship, but may our homes first be converted to houses of prayer.

...But I and mine house will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15b, Geneva Bible