a warm and welcoming church with a mixture of traditional and modern styles of worship

 

Centenary Celebration - The Story Of Providence Methodist Church

1.  Author's Note

Having been associated with this Church for over half a century I have been requested by the Trustees to prepare a historical record in book form to mark the Centenary Celebrations.

For the first time a serious attempt has been made to collate all the information available. It is regretted that the record is not complete, and inevitably there are considerable gaps. It is unfortunate that so little is known about the Founders — photographs are available of only two of them.

Many of our living members have given outstanding service and because it is not desirable to discriminate in any way it would be invidious to mention them by name, other than for the purpose of making the story more complete. One exception has been made to this rule by referring to our three Octogenarians, all of whom have given life-long service. The record of service of the present generation will be left to future historians.

Thanks are due to our Octogenarians for information supplied in connection with this history; to Mr. D. E. Tate who has contributed most of the section on Character Studies, having intimate knowledge of the people mentioned and particularly of his father and grandfather, also for considerable assistance in editing; to Mr. F. Blackwell for his contributions of two of the Character Studies, and preparation of most of the various lists; and to Mr. S. Taylor who provided the list of those who served in the 1939-1945 war.

Acknowledgments and thanks are due to those who have loaned photographs, supplied information, anecdotes and helped in various other ways. These contributions are too numerous to mention individually.

Special thanks are due in particular to Mrs. D. E. Tate for many valuable suggestions and criticisms.

Finally, the guidance and help in the many matters relating to the printing and publication of the booklet by Messrs. H. Parkes Ltd. of Halesowen, is gratefully acknowledged.

F. WILLETTS
Hagley
September 1956

 

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