Mission Statement
St John’s Methodist Church is a diverse community worshipping, learning and working together to share God’s love in our neighbourhood and the world
Our Minister: Reverend Hilary Howarth
Our minister grew up locally in Harwood and was in accountancy before she was in ministry. She enjoys theatre and live music, reading and photography and is a Bolton Wanderers supporter.
She is married to Les and they have two daughters and six grandchildren – three boys and three girls.
Hilary served 16 years in ministry in Chorley and Cheshire before coming home to Bolton in 2014. She is also the minister at The Triangle Community Church. In recent years this has enabled our two churches to work more closely together in a number of ways, especially in group study for Advent, Lent or in Bible month.
About St John’s Church
St.John’s Methodist Church was formed in 1974 from three local churches who were all facing challenges. It is therefore a church with a wide diversity of personalities and experiences which are now used to develop Christian faith within the church itself and to promote the love of God in the community.
Though our church building is comfortable and welcoming, we are first and foremost a friendly community of all ages who meet together for worship and fellowship.
Our worship tries to cater for all preferences in style from traditional to more adventurous and offers opportunities for the congregation to participate. Many people are also involved in supporting roles within the church.
A particular strength of St John’s is the Fellowship Group which meets every Monday morning. It is attended by a large proportion of the Sunday congregation allowing
members to share thoughts about their faith in a relaxed and supportive environment. The group links with the work of other groups at certain times such as Lent, Advent or Bible month to share the material and allow members to attend whichever group is most convenient.
St John’s Church sees itself as part of the local community with excellent facilities for groups of many sizes to meet. There are many church and community-based groups who meet to share their particular interests. The Church also supports a number of local charity projects including Food Banks, refugees and asylum seekers.
There is an organised network of pastoral care for church members and friends as well as a more informal tradition of care for one another in all the joys and sorrows that life throws at us.
In our quietness and exuberance we hope to show the love of God to one another and to those around us.
St John’s – a History
In June this year (2024) it will be 50 years since the official opening of the new Church names St John’s. St John’s began as an idea in the late 1960’s due to the deterioration of the premises of the three other Methodist churches in Horwich. These were Victoria, situated at the corner of Victoria Road and Church Street; Fall Birch, situated at the corner of Chorley New Road and Crompton Road, and Brunswick, situated where the Wesley Room and the grassy area before it is on Victoria Road.
After much discussion it was agreed that the congregations unite and new premises be built to accommodate them. It was decided very early on to name the new venture St John’s after the Apostle as there were at that time two other churches in the Circuit named St Peter’s and St Andrew’s.
Early in the 1970’s the three congregations moved into the old Brunswick premises. They were next to the chosen site for the new building. It was an act of faith, for Brunswick was the most in need of repair. On the last Sunday, as the congregation were gathering for worship, rain poured in through the roof! The following Saturday afternoon, 22nd June 1974, after the removal of furniture, much cleaning and hard work, St John’s was dedicated and opened by Paul Bartlett Lang of the Joseph Rank Trust.
Hours of work had gone into planning the church building, which was built at a cost of around £44,000. A joyful packed congregation consisting of people from all over the Bolton Methodist Circuit witnessed the proceedings. At the time the premises consisted of the large flexible worship area, the hall with its stage plus ancillary rooms.
Some years later, the Wesley Room was added to supply extra space, for what has become a busy thriving church.