Our Story
On February 3rd 1968, with a congregation filling the premises, Methodism opened its new Quinton church. This event provided a journalistic field-day: not rejoicing in denominational success, but revelling in electronic failure. “It was tiny Miss Partridge’s big day: she had been a member of Quinton Methodist church since she was a child 86 years ago, and yesterday she was to open the new church. She cut the tape and sat down with 700 people for Rev Brian O’Gorman’s sermon. But all Miss Partridge and the startled congregation heard was BBC’s Radio Two and the Mark Roman Pop Show. Church officials dashed to turn down the public address system, Rev O’Gorman started to shout, little Miss Partridge and the congregation strained to hear – but the disc jockey’s non-stop patter continued and the hit-parade played on.” That the congregation seated within the church was totally unaware of the problems in ancillary rooms would obviously have spoiled a good story!
Quinton Methodist Church traces its origin to local musical instrument maker and farmer Ambrose Foley who, having heard Methodism’s founder John Wesley preach, decided that Quinton villagers should have a similar experience. He built in his garden a ‘hermit house’ where agricultural labourers and nailers could meet to hear the Scriptures and Wesley’s sermons. In 1778, Foley wrote inviting Wesley to visit Quinton. Three years later Welsey made the first of a succession of visits and by 1786 the first Wesleyan Chapel had been opened in Quinton and was used for almost 100 years until being replaced by Hagley Road Wesleyan Chapel in 1878.
During the intervening century Primitive Methodists had also been active in the village who in their early days worshipped in a local farmer’s barn, which was cleaned out on a Saturday night so that church and Sunday School could take place the following day. In 1840 the Prims built their first chapel, so close to the Wesleyans that singing in one chapel could be heard in the other. That chapel continued to be used until replaced by College Road Chapel in 1888 which, at Methodist Union became the home of College Road Methodist Church in 1935 and lasted until compulsorily purchased for the building of the M5 motorway in 1968. Thus, the Quinton Methodist Church which Miss Partridge opened was the sixth building designed for Methodist worship in Quinton within a radius of 200 metres.
In almost 250 years of its presence Quinton Methodism, apart from providing a dedicated place for weekly worship, has always exercised a vital community role. Today that is expressed in the diverse groups using the premises for activities ranging from Local History to Art. In all this, the church’s reason for being here – to share the love of God and to join together in worship – is paramount. John Wesley’s Journal for March 1781 notes: “I was invited to preach at Quinton, five miles from Birmingham. I preached there at noon, in the open air, to a serious and attentive congregation. Some of them appeared to be very deeply affected. Who knows but it may continue?” Continue it has, and for that we give thanks to God.