Derelict church born again – as a church

Feb 27 2008 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

A LANDMARK Grade II listed church which has stood derelict for almost two decades and failed to sell at auction is to be re-born – as a church.

Unlike many similar high profile buildings the Oxton Road Congregational Church – which has been subject to vandalism over the years – could now undergo a £3m make-over.

Wirral Christian Centre (WCC), based opposite and led by Pastor Paul Epton, is planning to bring the church back into use for religious services and community activities.

Mr Epton said: “The problem today is people see these churches derelict and they think the Christian faith has become derelict too. But it hasn’t.”

The WCC has been established in Wirral since 1973, part of the Elim Pentecostal Church of Great Britain.

From its centre, the former children’s hospital on Woodchurch Road in Birkenhead, it holds regular services in its hall which can seat 400 people, as well as providing nursery care for 54 children and a residential home for 39 elderly people.

It also carries out youth work which Mr Epton says “touches the lives” of thousands of Wirral children each month.

The empty church has had an unfortunate history with neighbours who have regularly complained about the state of the church after arsonists had constantly targeted it, and yobs stole the slates from the roof and covered it in graffiti.

Then in May 2006, a 23-year-old man, Christopher Davies, plunged to his death inside after breaking into the church.

Now WCC is beginning an ambitious revival of the church, which stands overlooking nearby Birkenhead town centre, providing a church hall for services which can seat around 600 people.

Paul Epton said the church had been put up for auction twice but failed to meet its reserve, and now his organisation has agreed a sale with the owners and hopes to complete the purchase within months.

He said: “It’s a huge building. It was close to being converted into 23 apartments but the problems of creating them, and issues such as parking, were proving too great an obstruction.

“My thoughts were this was never going to come to birth.

“The building has been pushed from hand to hand for almost 20 years, and we thought the community needs something better than that.”

He said completion of the purchase would not take place until they were satisfied they could achieve their plans for the building, but early indications are that they could have the church open in the first phase of the works by Christmas this year.

However, he admitted it would require considerable fundraising and asked any potential donors to contact the centre.

liammurphy