The History of Great Wyrley Wesley Methodist Church and Metthodism – 100 Years and Beyond. Guest Speaker – John Devey
This year we celebrate 100 years of the current Wesley Methodist Church building, which opened in 1925 at the corner of Shaws Lane and Walsall Road. It is the third building to stand. But the story of Methodism in Great Wyrley goes back much further, nearly 240 years. So really, we’re standing on the shoulders of generations who kept the flame burning long before these walls were even built.
Let’s start right back at the beginning, with the man whose name we all know: John Wesley.
He was born in 1703, became a priest in the Church of England, and through his very methodical approach to Bible study and devotion, gave rise to what we now call Methodism. That’s actually where the name came from: his “methodical” way of living out his faith.
Wesley travelled thousands of miles across Britain and Ireland, mostly on horseback, preaching in fields and market squares, anywhere people would listen. He gathered ordinary folk into small groups to pray, study, and look after one another. Under his guidance, Methodists became leaders in many causes of the day; from education to the abolition of slavery, and he even encouraged women to preach, which was quite something in the 1700s!
Now, we believe that John Wesley himself or possibly his brother, Charles, passed through Great Wyrley sometime around 1754. There are stories that he preached from Home Farm, just along the Walsall Road near the Wheatsheaf pub. Some say it was John, others swear it was Charles and after all this time, who’s to know? What we do know is that his message wasn’t lost here; the seed was planted.
So, how did Methodism really take hold in this area?
Well, it was brought by coal miners from the Black Country, men from places like West Bromwich, Wednesbury, and Tipton — who came here in the late 1700s to work the pits at Essington Wood. They were tough, hardworking people, and they brought their faith with them. They built rough shelters on the common ground around Wyrley Bank and started meeting in their homes to pray and sing together.
By 1789 — 236 years ago! — they’d converted a thatched barn, known as Gasser’s Barn, into their first chapel. They even built a pulpit and fitted windows. That barn became the first recorded Methodist place of worship in the area, and it marked the start of something that would shape Great Wyrley for generations.
Now, one of the great names in our story is John Benton.
He was born here in 1783, from a local family who owned land in what’s now Benton’s Lane. He was a man of deep faith, some said and by his late twenties he’d made many converts in the area. In 1810, he met Hugh Bourne, one of the founders of the Primitive Methodist movement, and from that meeting John Benton felt called to preach himself. He once said that he experienced “such a baptism of the Holy Spirit as I never felt before,” and from that day he gave his life to ministry. Sadly, after damaging his voice while preaching, he had to stop — but not before making a real mark on the community.
It was John Benton who, in 1836, gave the land on Benton’s Lane where the first proper Wesleyan chapel was built. That’s where organised church life really began in Great Wyrley. The chapel was small, but it was full of spirit — literally bursting at the seams on Sundays! In good weather, they’d even hold services outside on the green.
By 1858, the congregation had outgrown it, so they built a larger chapel right next door and turned the old one into the Sunday School. The church thrived for years, but sadly the land underneath, rich with the very coal that had brought the first Methodists here, began to shift. Mining subsidence took its toll, and by the early 1900s the buildings were becoming unsafe.
Then came the First World War, and times were hard. But the people of Great Wyrley didn’t give up. They rolled up their sleeves, held fundraising events, and saved every penny they could. And finally, in 1925, this church — our Wesley — was opened.
There are photographs from that day showing crowds lining the pavements of Walsall Road and Shaws Lane, hoping to get inside for the opening service. Not everyone managed to squeeze in, but you can imagine the joy and pride in the village as this beautiful new chapel stood tall on the hill. And what a hundred years it’s been since then.
Through all the ups and downs — wars, social changes, new technologies, and challenges — Wesley has stood firm. It’s been a place for worship, yes, but also a home for the community: a place for weddings, baptisms, and farewells; for youth clubs, concerts, meals, dances, art groups, yoga, and fellowship.
So, as we look back on 100 years of this building — and more than two centuries of Methodist life in Great Wyrley, we can see the same thread running through it all: faith, friendship, and service to others. And as for the future — well, that’s up to us. If Wesley is to continue standing strong, serving and welcoming as it always has, it’ll be because the people of Great Wyrley keep its doors and their hearts open. By John Devey
