A VILLAGE chapel is set to close after its final service on Easter Sunday this year.

The Oldbury Methodist Chapel, which has served the community since 1835, is set to close due to a diminishing congregation.

The decision to close the chapel came after an open meeting resulted in the conclusion that it was unnecessary for a small community like Oldbury to have two church buildings to maintain, the other being St Arilda's church.

“We are all very sad by the closure,” said Hugh Ferguson, 74, one of the Oldbury Methodist Chapel stewards.

“We have become a supportive family across the denominations and it will be sad to see it go.

“It will be quite a loss as it is a small village and anything that goes has a distinct impact on all of us.”

The chapel had previously looked to close 20 years ago as the village’s Methodist population was notably older, but other congregations came together to keep it running.

“At that point there were not many Methodists left to sustain the chapel, but the various groups had to adapt to make it an ecumenical chapel, with a number of congregations under one roof.

“We turned it into a modern meeting place and since all manner of things have taken place within it regarding village life.

“Now we have Methodists as well as Anglicans and Catholics in the congregation, the chapel is only one bit of the church, it is the people that make it, not just the bricks and mortar.

“But the core membership of worship is dwindling, with most also being part of churches in Thornbury.”

Rev David Alderman, superintendent minister of the Bristol and South Gloucestershire Methodist Church said:” As both churches are ecumenical in nature and work closely together the time had come to consider closing the Methodist Society as God’s work in the village would be best served by having a single Church, under the Methodist/Anglican Covenant.

“No decision has been made about the future use of the property as we are only at the beginning of the process.”

Oldbury parish Cllr Matthew Riddle said: “It is very sad that the chapel is closing at Easter as it has being there a long time, right in the centre of the village.

“My family and I attend the monthly family service. It will be greatly missed.”

Over the Easter weekend, March 26 and 27, an open exhibition will be held in the chapel showcasing its history within the community, displaying a number of photos.

A celebratory service on Easter Sunday, starting at 6pm, will include a number of recollections from the history of the chapel.