| Description | Summary
Society administration
Trustees' meeting and committee minutes, 1921-1976, and Property Committee minutes, 1977-1983; trust accounts, 1899-1965; deeds, 1779-1878; correspondence, 1904-1996; deed of Church House, 1879; Finance and Property Committee minutes, 1936-1996; leaders' meeting and annual society meeting minutes, 1903-1974; Church Council and General Church meeting minutes, 1974-1996; society stewards' accounts, 1877-1952; cash book, 1977-1989; annual statements of accounts, 1977/8-1995/6; collection journals, 1871-1972; Envelope Scheme registers, c.1941-1970s; communion accounts, 1974-1983; Oxford Road/West Reading Development Council minutes, 1993-1996; papers on caretakers, 1975-1996; quinquennial inspection reports, 1985, 1990; log books, 1986-1996; statement on future of church, 1978; announcement of closure, 1996; papers concerning future of site, 1991-1996.
Society organisations
Women's Bright Hour/Afternoon Fellowship minutes and accounts, 1927-1980; photographs, n.d. [c.1920s-1970s]; Men's Fireside Fellowship accounts and attendance register, 1939-1943; Wesley Guild minutes, 1896-1914, and photographs, n.d. [c.1930s]; Temperance Society register and pledge records, 1903-1907; Choir Committee minutes, 1907-1954; Junior Wesley Guild minutes, 1926-1932; Youth Council minutes, 1951-1959; Junior Church Council minutes, 1968-1996; Methodist Missionary Society Women's Department branch minutes, 1933-1949; Women's Work minutes, 1950-1986; Church Family Committee minutes, 1975-1995; Pastoral Committee minutes, 1982-1996; Consultation on Worship minutes, 1985-1996.
Service of the church
Pulpit notices, 1932-1955 and 1984-1988; orders of service, 1925-1996.
Registration
Baptism register, 1880-1996; marriage certificate stubs, 1932-1971.
Membership
Class books, lists and ticket, 1909-1995; Class photographs, 1903-n.d. [c.1920s].
Sunday School and Institute
Sunday School minutes, 1895-1922, 1939-1946; Sunday School teachers' and scholars' registers, 1871-1963; cradle roll registers, 1922-1987; photographs, n.d. [c.1900]-n.d. [c.1930s]; Sunday Institute minutes, 1908-1943; Sunday Institute registers, 1908-1946.
Printed material/Miscellaneous
Service and handbooks, 1873-1928; church events leaflets, 1939-1986; centenary booklet, 1971; newsletters, 1987-1997; photographs, 1880-n.d. [c.1980s]..
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| Admin History | A group of Wesleyan Methodists from Reading, Church Street, first met in premises in West Street (vacated by a Baptist congregation who had moved to Carey Street) in 1871. Two years later land was bought at the corner of Oxford Road and Waylen Street and an iron chapel purchased from the Presbyterian church was re-erected there. By the 1890s a church hall had been added, and in 1893-1894 the iron chapel was replaced by a church. The opening services took place on 7 February 1894.
In 1996 the decision was taken to sell the Oxford Road church to the Church of God, and to unite with the West Reading society (D/MS 61), under the new name Emmanuel (D/MS 57).
Note: There was a Primitive Methodist Church also known as Oxford Road; for records of this church (later West Reading), see D/MS 61. |