History of Cromwell Hall Christian Fellowship
Introduction
For over a century, Cromwell Hall Christian Fellowship has been serving the Levenshulme community. From its pre-World War I origins in a rented room above a gown shop, to its current home, the assembly has remained dedicated to maintaining a faithful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ. What follows is a history of the events and challenges that have shaped the fellowship from its humble beginnings.
Estelle Modes
By 1913, Christians were meeting in an upper room at the corner of Stockport Road and Cromwell Grove, above the Estelle Modes gown shop. Since the entrance to this room was on Cromwell Grove, the assembly became known as Cromwell Hall. Throughout the years of World War I, the assembly remained a small company. By the mid-to-late 1920s, the group faced significant struggles and received vital support from the nearby Moorfield Hall in Heaton Moor, when Tom Shepherd and his family moved churches to help with the gospel work. Over the next decade the assembly grew, though it faced difficulty when war broke out in 1939. During the conflict, the testimony at the hall remained small.
Following World War II, growth in the assembly was driven by the leadership of Tom Shepherd’s son, Neill, a local GP as well as servicemen, with a fervent zeal for evangelism who had been moved by their front-line experiences.
The assembly was also bolstered by the arrival of John and Grace Wyatt to the area, talented musicians who became integral to the fellowship’s worship. Later, in 1973, John and Grace established the Charnwood Nursery and Family Centre in Heaton Moor.
By the mid-1950s, the original room, heated by a simple coke stove, was frequently packed beyond capacity. This led the fellowship to seek a larger building. It was clear that the assembly had outgrown its existing accommodation. The need for a dedicated, larger building became a matter of constant prayer.
Relocation
The answer to those prayers came in an unexpected way. It wasn’t just the assembly that was flourishing and outgrowing its premises; business for the shop below was also booming and also needed more space! In early 1958, the assembly was given notice to vacate the room that they had occupied for some 45 years.
Over the next eighteen months, while they secured premises of their own, the assembly temporarily met in a variety of buildings located in the immediate neighbourhood. For Sunday services the former Wesleyan Mission on Chapel Street was used before later temporarily meeting at Levenshulme Town Hall, while midweek meetings were held at the former Baptist Church on Essex Street (now Elmsworth Avenue).
The congregation resolved to build a new, permanent hall and so a plot of land on Marshall Road that had never been built upon was purchased. To preserve continuity of the assembly’s name, the new building was named “Cromwell Hall”.
The project was a profound work of faith, as reported at the time by the local newspaper:
“Work on a new £5,000 building is now well under way at Marshall Road, Levenshulme… The new hall… is being built entirely from voluntary subscriptions, without recourse to the usual methods of raising funds… the Christians who will meet there emphasise their belief that ‘God dwelleth not in temples made with hands’ and that the church is not the building but the company of Christians who meet there.”
The construction of the new hall, like most building projects, was a period of significant trial. However, despite a number of setbacks, the new hall was completed in time for a scheduled wedding in September 1959.
Marshall Road
The new Cromwell Hall opened its doors for the first time on 5 September 1959. Mr. Fred Hughes of Birmingham served as the inaugural speaker. Fears that the move would hinder the Sunday School proved unfounded: the outreach work of the assembly flourished and, within the first decade of the new hall, an extension had to be added to provide a counselling area as well as a crèche. During this time, various gifted preachers were invited to lead gospel campaigns. By 1972, the prayer list included approximately 100 adults.
Over the last half-century, the fellowship has continued serving the spiritual needs of the local community through activities such as Sunday School work, children’s clubs, and coffee mornings. In 2003, the name was changed to Cromwell Hall Christian Fellowship.
With much thanksgiving, in September 2009 special celebratory events were held to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the opening of the present building, where Mr. Laurie Waller gave an address on the necessity of looking forward. Many friends and former members came from all over the UK to mark this milestone.
Today, nearly 70 years after the move to Marshall Road, a dedicated congregation continues to maintain a faithful testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ in the multi-cultural heart of Levenshulme.
