Godalming United Church

Godalming United Church is a non-conformist church formed in 1977 of a union of the local methodist and URC churches. It is located between the fire station and the River Wey in Godalming.

Aims

"Our aim is to worship, witness and serve; and to grow in faith and love", so reads the mission statement coined in the late 1980s. A subsidiary aim is, "... to maintain the buildings and traditions we have received from the past and adapt them to meet the challenges and opportunities of the new millennium". [ [http://www.guc.org.uk/index.htm Home ] ] This latter has caused heated debate several times, notably when cost overruns occurred on the extension project in the late 1970s; when the old pipe organ was replaced with a modern electronic organ in the 1980s; and, more recently, when consideration was being given to replacing "pews" with more flexible "chairs".

Worship

Holy communion is celebrated once a month each at 9am, 10.30am and 6.30pm. "Prayer and praise" services are held monthly at 6.30 pm. Most services are fairly traditional with some usage of more modern songs. [ [http://www.guc.org.uk/gucweb3_004.htm Home ] ] .

Activities

Apart from worship, prayer and bible study session, there are brownies, "Parent and Toddler", sessions, scouts, hobbies group, youth groups and singing groups, cheap nutritious lunches for the community on Fridays, and ladies and men's group. [ [http://www.guc.org.uk/gucweb3_005.htm Home ] ]

Ministers

The post of minister has alternated between a Methodist and a URC ordained minister:
* 1977 - 1981, John Walker (Methodist)
* 1981 - 1986, Howard Starr (URC)
* 1986 - 1991, Bernard Arnold (Methodist)
* 1991 - 1992, Susan Daldorff (URC)
* 1992 - 1993, no minister
* 1993 - 2004, Trevor Allen (Methodist)
* 2004 - now, Paul Dean (URC)

Officers

Key officers have been:
* Senior steward (alphabetical order): Peter Dawes, Barbara Keene, Malcolm Keene, Sylvia Kelley, Dennis Leigh, Brian Richards, Margaret Richards, Peter Weighton,
* Church secretary (date order): Murray Ward, Richard Holdsworth
* Treasurer (date order): Len Williams, Alan Windle
* Senior organist: David Hartnell

References