A CONGREGATION will bid a sad farewell to a church which has been at the heart of their lives for decades this weekend.

Trimdon Grange Methodist Church has served the community for more than 120 years but falling attendance and high running costs have forced church leaders to close it.

Regular worshippers, some of whom have attended for more than 70 years, will have to join the congregations of nearby Methodists churches, such as Trimdon Station and Sedgefield.

The final service, at 5.30pm on Sunday, October 26, will see members past and present travel from across the country to worship in the church one last time.

Jean Fenney, 79, attended her first service in the Rose Street building when she was a toddler.

“I feel very sad; not just for me but for the community,” she said. “I have been coming here nearly all my life. For me, what made it so special is the fellowship.”

Judith Turner, 74, said: “I came here when the church in Trimdon Village closed. We were made to feel very welcome.

“My daughter, Helena, got married here.”

Malcolm Ruecroft, 80, Jean Eliza Hardy, 85, and Rita Fulton, 86, also reflected on the warm welcome they received when joining the congregation.

Father and daughter, John and Nicola Gething, said it would be hard to imagine life without the church.

Trimdon Grange Methodist Church was built in 1892, although Methodism in the village dates back to 1850.

For a century, the church thrived, with a large congregation, popular Sunday school and a talented choir which performed regular concerts.

However, in recent years, attendance has fallen and the choir and Sunday school have folded.

The building, which is likely to be sold, is expensive to heat and no longer located in the heart of the village.

Christopher Wood-Archer, superintendent minister of the North-East Methodist Circuit, said it was a regrettable decision but one that would free-up the church to focus on finding new and more effective ways to engage with the community.

“This Sunday the church will be full again and for one last time it will be used the way it was supposed to be used,” he said.

“We will lift the roof but with a great deal of sadness in our hearts.”

He added: “I would like to think we can worship together as a group in Trimdon Grange in the future.”

Refreshments will be served after the service. All are welcome to attend.