The closing service at the Snape Methodist Church was held Sunday, 1st June 2008.
It marked
a sad end to a building which grew frequently and
prospered for many years serving its village's Methodist
community for much of the last century and a half.
There had been Wesleyan Methodists' meetings in
Snape as long ago as 1819, served by visiting ministers
with services held in private houses. However when the
Snape Chapel was finally built it was by the Primitive
Methodists who from 1842 held services, either in Snape
Street or at Snape Watering, every Sunday and at midweek
with a fortnightly visit from a minister. A few years
later the meeting venue moved to the Snape wheelwright's
paint shop.
By April 1862 the Methodist community decided to
seek a permanent home and bought the piece of land
adjoining Street Farm for £10. Abraham Abbott, who
owned Street Farm then offered a further piece of land so
that the planned building could stand back from the road.
Five months later, according to a record written at the
time of the chapel's centenary, the first services
were held in the building.
The first trustees included John Barnes, a boot
and shoemaker, George Lambert and John Butejar,
both maltsters, Arthur Page, Snape's policeman,
William Clouting a farm bailiff and local preacher
and two labourers, George Howard and Robert
Pallant. Then, only eight years later, it was decided to
enlarge the chapel to nearly twice its size. Although
building costs are not recorded the trustees had to
borrow £199 for the original building programme
and £120 for the extension. Despite financial help, notably
from Newson Garrett at the Maltings, the loans were not
fully repaid until 1909. At that that time further work
was put in hand costing £125, £120 of it covered by yet
another loan.
It was 1932 before, for the first time in its history, the chapel was out of debt although two years later electric light had to be installed. And so it has gone on with further work being required in 1950 and 1955 in what was often a brave struggle which has only now ceased. But if at times it was hard work it was also rewarding.
As the picture (below) from 1900 shows the church had a substantial following. The Sunday School in the first quarter of the 20th century included 79 scholars and 8 teachers although such numbers declined rapidly in the 'thirties. In July 1962 the chapel celebrated its centenary. At the time the celebrants must have thought that they had overcome every obstacle placed in their way and the future must misleadingly have seemed bright, so bright in fact that in 1976 the schoolroom was added on land which had previously been the site of Chapel Cottage next door.
The last minister, Rev Mark Booth, said, "In more recent years, the congregation has grown older and fewer in number. Maintaining worship has been difficult and keeping the premises in good order has proved increasingly burdensome. After prayerful, painful and, we hope, realistic consideration of changes in church and community alike, we have decided to close the chapel. We now journey on to praise and serve God in other places, where we hope still to grow in faith, hope and love. We give thanks to the people of Snape for all they have given to us and shared with us over so many years. We assure you of our prayers and entrust you to the loving care of God."