Weston Estate Family Church 

For over 30 years a church plant from Otley Parish Church provided a focus for Christian ministry and community on the Weston Estate. However, the story does not start with the erection of a building. It starts with a vision, because without that vision W.E.F.C. would not have materialised.

In the 1960s Reverend Pat Ashe (Vicar at Otley Parish Church) had a concern for the people of Weston Estate – a relatively new housing development and one located far from the Parish Church. For two summers he and his family camped on the playing field of the estate during August, and in the second year he brought along a large tent and services were held which were very well attended. Also at this time, a curate from the Parish Church, Reverend Roy Clarke, moved from his house in the town to a council house in Meagill Rise on the estate, enabling him to minister more easily to those around.

In those days the Parish had a policy of giving away half its income and, since the Parish Church was in need of decoration, the P.C.C. had the vision of a ‘Triple Project’ which involved £10,000 for redecorating the Parish Church, £3,000 for a church centre at Embarcacion in Argentina, plus a building on the Weston Estate.
So land was purchased and a church hall of prefabricated wood and glass construction was erected with an adjoining brick-built curate’s house at a total cost of £11,000 (equivalent to about £230,000 today). The hall could seat over 100 people and included a kitchen, office/small meeting room, toilets and entrance lobby. The building opened in September 1967 with a dedication service led by the Archdeacon of Bradford, William Johnston. A prominent feature on the outside of the building was the large, blue and white, internally illuminated cross, pointing to the love of God for those living on the Weston Estate.

The first ‘curate in residence’ at W.E.F.C. was Reverend Ray Gibson whose catchphrase ‘B.A.F.’ (Bring Another Family) resounded round the estate. The congregation quickly rose to between 50 and 90 each Sunday. Ray was followed by Reverend Tony Thompson, an ex-missionary who had been working in Paraguay. Under Tony evangelism on the estate continued and in 1973 the Friendship Club was started, giving opportunity for people to meet each week. Tony would not use a car but travelled by motor bike since it gave him greater opportunity to stop and chat with people on the Weston Estate.

The next Curate after Tony was Reverend John Poole, who continued the teaching and encouraged house fellowship groups. The last residential Curate was Reverend Geoffrey Percival, who moved to Windhill in 1981.

In 1980 a Parish Stewardship Mission encouraged the use of talents in the Church and many people started to help with the worship services. This was very useful when the Parish was down to the Vicar and one Curate (from three in the 1960s), resulting in more limited availability of the clergy.

Many people were also involved with teaching Sunday School classes (at one time there were 5 classes), leading the G.F.S. (Girl’s Friendly Society) and Pathfinder groups, running the Luncheon and Friendship Clubs. The Luncheon Club met weekly to provide a hot meal for up to 30 people, many of whom would otherwise be on their own.

When the Sunday morning Family Services ceased at W.E.F.C. in December 1993 the congregation transferred to the Parish Church and took part in the worship there. Monthly Sunday evening services continued for some years offering informal, contemporary worship – a forerunner to our present-day Activate services.

The pre-fabricated building began to show its age and needed significant work, including a new roof, to keep it open. In January 2003, after much debate and with some reluctance, the PCC decided to close W.E.F.C. The building was demolished that spring and the car park area and part of the garden of the house were sold for housing. The former curate’s house continued to be rented out for a number of years until that was also sold. Recently, the remaining land has been sold to a local builder.

The Friendship Club, led by Mavis Bowman, continued to meet until 2011 at the Weston Lane Social Club after the W.E.F.C. building was closed. At its peak there were over 50 members meeting regularly with a varied programme of activities, including speakers, meals, Old-time Music Hall and annual UK or foreign holidays.

So the history of W.E.F.C. is about much more than the building, but the growth of a Christian community, reaching out to the Weston Estate and touching lives with the love of God in Jesus.