New church finally opens after 10-year project
A new church building which has been 10 years in the making has finally had its official opening.
Wall Heath Evangelical Free Church welcomed people through its doors on April 9 to mark its official opening and dedication.
Limited by the old facility, which was too small to cope with the increased usage by church and community groups - and after many attempts over the years to extend and renovate the old building, the church decided a rebuild was the best option.
The new building took over 10 years from original vision to completion.
The church’s Pastor, Matt Jones said: “For us it was a 10-year journey of faith where the impossibilities were far greater than what was humanly achievable by us as a church.
“As a Christian faith community, we learnt to trust in the timing and provision of God and now the doors are open to our church and community facility, we look forward to it blessing all those who walk through the door.”
Mike Wood, MP for Dudley South said: “This new building will enable the church to do what they do best – which is being at the heart of the Wall Heath community and welcoming all local people through their doors.
“This new build has been a long time in the making, and the end result is a true testament to the passion of all involved.”
The church partnered with several Christian professionals, including John Hardie of Advance Architects, Nigel May of Mayway Construction and Futurekraft who oversaw the fundraising.
Gaining planning permission in January 2018, there were initial fears when the pandemic started, but through the encouragement and support of their architect and contractor, the team were able to complete the work towards planning conditions and demolition started in October 2020.
Although the church initially only had enough funding to complete phase one - which included demolition, foundations and floor to damp proof course - through the generosity of the local church family, members of the community, trusts and grant funders and a mortgage from Charity bank, the church was able to hold its first service on December 19 last year.
