A Brief History of Our Church

The church on its present site was opened in 1957 (the hall being used for worship from 1950 while the church was being built). The original building in Roberts Road (foundation 1884) – then known as Freemantle Congregational Church - was totally destroyed in an air raid in 1940, although services continued nearby in another church’s premises. In 1972 it became the Freemantle United Reformed Church, when at the national level the Congregational Church joined with the English Presbyterian Church.

We are a mixture of people from different backgrounds and have found the church to be a caring place. We believe that we are called to serve our community, of which you are a part.

We are active members of Churches Together in Shirley and District, with a particularly close association with the Salvation Army Shirley Corps, and share our Minister with Isaac Watts Memorial Church, also URC. We form part of the South West Hants Group of local URC churches.

Our church membership is currently numbered in the 30’s and although we only have a small junior church we are pleased to cater for children of all ages when they attend.

Photographs of our stained window are now mentioned on www.hampshirechurchwindows.co.uk website.

Music is mainly provided via a Compton pipe organ.

Our buildings are well used by the local community and other religious organisations. The buildings have disabled access and the church has a hearing loop system. A wheelchair accessible toilet is situated near the entrance to the hall and other public rooms.

Our church is affiliated to Amnesty International and takes an active part in the Commitment for Life programme of the URC which campaigns for justice for the world’s poorest peoples. We support the local churches project – Communicare. We fully support and encourage the use of fairly traded goods by all the users of the premises.