The Dedication of St Paul's Church 6 October 1982

We're gearing up to celebrate the 25th anniversary of St Paul's and it's been great to see the memorabilia that people have from those early years.

This is an extract from the order of service for the dedication service. It's a statement read by the Revd John Tonkin to the bishop after the churchwardens presented the church keys.

“The increase in population in Oadby in the late fifties and early sixties from about 3,000 to almost 20,000 meant that there existed a community of some 7500 people on the south eastern part of the parish separated from all community facilities by the dual carriageway by-pass, a pyschological as well as a physical barrier.

The initial response by the parish was the establishment of a Sunday School (in 1972). The initial response of the Leicester Diocesan Patronage Board was to purchase an area of land in Hamble Road when it was offered through the then Oadby Urban District Council. This land was finally purchased in 1976.

Mr Graham Beck led a devoted team of teachers and their work was given a stimulus by the presence of the Reverend Glyn Jones for six months while he and his family lived in the parish during furlough from Northern Argentina.

In the next three years 1975-1978 during the curacy of the Revd Reg Morgan the Sunday School grew in numbers and more teachers were enrolled.

At this time we decided to start a monthly Family Service. This gained increasing support and by the time that the Revd Wally Brown arrived in 1979 those who were worshipping at Manor were ready for weekly services.

The Parochial Church Council were very conscious of the need for a place of worship and a community centre in this part of the parish. They invited the other member churches of the Oadby Council of Churches to participate. However, for various reasons none of them was able to offer financial involvement but since 1975 have participated in visitations and other events in connection with the erection of the church centre.

A sub-committee of the Parochial Church Council investigated the possibility if the centre being financed jointly by the Church Commissioners (through the Diocese) and the Department of Education and Science (with the Borough of Oadby and Wigston). When it became clear that this was not possible, the Leicester Diocesan Board of Extension [Education?] decided to finance the building of a church centre and a parsonage house at a total cost of £221,000. Of this, the parish has to repay £55,000 in ten years under the terms of an interest-free loan/

The church as the Body of Christ has existed in this part of Oadby for many years, worshipping in Manor School, being taught and sustained by word and sacrament. Members of the congregation at St Peter’s have given active encouragement. Initially this was especially noticeable in the musical life of the ‘Manor’ congregation. (The present organist and her predecessor were both members originally at St Peter’s). More recently this encouragement has been particularly seen in the willingly-offered expertise of the parish treasurer and the other members of the Finance and General Purposes Committee and the Stewardship Committee.

During the past three years the ‘Manor’ congregation have worked together and through their management committee have borne the burden of all the preparations for the equipping, staffing and financial stability of St Paul’s. They and their chairman, the Revd Wally Brown, have worshipped and worked together and have increasingly grown in stature.

I pray that this fine church centre will stand to the glory of God and that here many people will find God’s love expressed in word and sacrament and in the caring and loving fellowship of the church and I invite you to dedicate this church building.”

The readings used at the service were Revelation 21.1-5 (read by Val Ball), Psalm 84.1-7, 1 Corinthians 3.9-13, 16, 17 (read by Steve Bolton) and John 4.19-24.