'Would you like a beer, or some Holy Spirit?' Pub swaps booze for Bible
A GROUP of parishioners is toasting a new place of worship after spending half a million pounds converting a run-down pub into a church.
The former local has gone from public house to a house of God after residents clubbed together to raise enough funds to buy the dilapidated building.
The move came after numbers at two local churches in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs., dwindled and parishioners believed the new venue would be perfectly located to attract more people.
And on Sunday Stoke Methodist Church opened its doors to a new set of regulars – including many locals who used to drink in old The West End pub.
It's still just as friendly - just not with as much swearing
The holy watering hole now consists of an altar, a community cafe, a vestry and a quiet room - where the bar, pool tables and gambling machines once stood.
Yesterday Reverend Nichola Jones said: “It’s not the building that makes a church, it’s the people, and they are all very excited about starting something new.
“Our new home is bright and charming.
“It has been completed thanks to sheer hard graft and it was wonderful to celebrate with family and friends.
“This is a new beginning and we welcome people, whoever they are and wherever they are from to the church.”
Jenny Walker, 62, from Penkhull, in Stoke, who used to drink at the pub, added: “The transformation is just amazing and unbelievable.
“It has been done to such a high quality.”
Another former regular John O’Connor, 44, added: “It’s odd to see the place looking so different. It's still just as friendly - just not with as much swearing.
“They’ve just replaced pints of beer with communion wine really, it’s still a great place to be.
”The refurbishment was completed after a number of grants and a the congregation raising 1,000 every month for three years.
The 100 seater church was also funded by the 200,000 sale of their former home Trent Vale Methodist Church. Chair of the fundraising group, Mary Dennis, 69, from Oakhill, Stoke-on-Trent, said: “After the sale of the church we aimed to raise 1,000 a month and it took a lot of motivation especially after the very first event where we made a loss.
“When we purchased the building it was a dump and full of asbestos.
“It is amazing really to see how far we have come.”
