CHURCHES

Methodist Churches in St Ives

'JESUS CHRIST makes life worthwhile come and worship Him'

This is the philosophy of the Methodist Churches in the town. There are three, United on Bedford Road at 10.30am, Bible Christian on St Peter's Street at 10.45am and 6pm and Fore Street at 10.45am and 6pm.

As you will gather from the number of churches, St Ives is a very Methodist town. It was in 1743 that John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement preached for the first time in Cornwall in St Ives. His journal says, 'In the evening we reached St Ives. At 7.00pm I invited guilty helpless sinners who were conscious they "had nothing to pay" (Matthew 18 verse 25) to accept free forgiveness. The room was crowded both within and without, but all were quiet and attentive.' There is a plaque on the former Wesley Methodist Church, Street an Garrow, marking the spot where this occurred.

St Ives Methodist Church

John Wesley made twenty seven visits to the town and in the two hundred years since there has been a very strong Methodist witness here.

Chapels tend not to be open during the week. If you can get into the Fore Street Chapel there are three pictures by W H Tichchombe, who was fascinated by the spirituality of the fishermen and you can see Primitive Methodists at prayer, "The Mariners Sunday School Class" and "Piloting her home".