Salem Moravian Church
Encyclopedia
Salem Moravian Church was founded in Oldham
, Lancashire
, England in 1825 by John Lees. Br Lees, who lived in the Clarksfield
area of Oldham, was associated with the Moravian Settlement at Fairfield in Droylsden
.
these services drawing congregations from the people of Lees
and Oldham. This work led to the creation of a preaching station in nearby Clarksfield, which was supported and serviced by the Moravian Settlement at Dukinfield in Cheshire.
In the 1820s, John Lees, a prosperous member of the Fairfield Moravian congregation, who originally came from Clarksfield, hired a large room in his native locality and began to hold Moravian services there. The minutes of the Fairfield Elders' Conference in November 1822 report that Br Lees had filled the room and offered it to the church 'to preach the Gospel there'. Arrangements were made to supply the place every Sunday with preachers from Fairfield and Dukinfield. In addition, Sr Elizabeth Smith agreed to teach at a girls' day school to be established in association with the new congregation.
Br Lees and two of his brothers built a new chapel with two school rooms in Clarksfield at their own expense.. They laid the foundation stones on 28 June 1824 and on 7 August 1825 the chapel was consecrated and opened by James Liley.. Br John Smith became the first resident minister in 1827.
In 1865, Salem played a significant part in creating a new Moravian congregation in the Westwood
area of Oldham.
Salem Moravian Church continues to exist at Lees Road, Clarksfield, Oldham. A late twentieth century church building has replaced the 1825 edifice.
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England in 1825 by John Lees. Br Lees, who lived in the Clarksfield
Clarksfield
Clarksfield may refer to:Places* Clarksfield, Greater Manchester, a district of Oldham, England.* Clarksfield Township, Huron County, Ohio, in the United States.Other* Clarksfield , code name for an Intel microprocessor...
area of Oldham, was associated with the Moravian Settlement at Fairfield in Droylsden
Droylsden
Droylsden is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is to the east of Manchester city centre, and west-southwest of Ashton-under-Lyne, it has a population of 23,172....
.
History
The work of the Moravian Church in the Oldham area dates back to 1772, when its ministers had preached at GreenacresGreenacres, Greater Manchester
Greenacres , or archaically Greenacres Moor, is an area of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the west side of the River Medlock opposite the village of Lees....
these services drawing congregations from the people of Lees
Lees, Greater Manchester
The village consists of a small cluster of shops and businesses on either side of the A669 Lees Road, surrounded by some terraced houses and some small estates...
and Oldham. This work led to the creation of a preaching station in nearby Clarksfield, which was supported and serviced by the Moravian Settlement at Dukinfield in Cheshire.
In the 1820s, John Lees, a prosperous member of the Fairfield Moravian congregation, who originally came from Clarksfield, hired a large room in his native locality and began to hold Moravian services there. The minutes of the Fairfield Elders' Conference in November 1822 report that Br Lees had filled the room and offered it to the church 'to preach the Gospel there'. Arrangements were made to supply the place every Sunday with preachers from Fairfield and Dukinfield. In addition, Sr Elizabeth Smith agreed to teach at a girls' day school to be established in association with the new congregation.
Br Lees and two of his brothers built a new chapel with two school rooms in Clarksfield at their own expense.. They laid the foundation stones on 28 June 1824 and on 7 August 1825 the chapel was consecrated and opened by James Liley.. Br John Smith became the first resident minister in 1827.
In 1865, Salem played a significant part in creating a new Moravian congregation in the Westwood
Westwood Moravian Church
Westwood Moravian Church was founded in 1865 in the Westwood area of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. By 1868 the church building was too small for its congregation, and a new structure was opened in 1869. This church was used for Moravian services until 2005 when the congregation sold it...
area of Oldham.
Salem Moravian Church continues to exist at Lees Road, Clarksfield, Oldham. A late twentieth century church building has replaced the 1825 edifice.
External links
- http://www.moravian.org.uk/pages/congregations/salem.html
- http://wikimapia.org/beta/#lat=53.5385166&lon=-2.0844465&z=20&l=0&m=b&v=8