The History of MCC Newcastle.
MCC Newcastle was born in November 1991, at a public meeting of 16 interested people in the Society of Friends' Meeting House, Jesmond. The Church quickly moved from mid-week meetings of five or six people for bible study in people's homes, to regular Sunday worship which began in March 1992. The Church moved to new premises in 1993. It thrived and welcomed many visitors as word spread, and a number of people stayed to form a dedicated core of membership.
By Spring 1994, the congregation had grown sufficiently in confidence to start looking for a new home. The move to our present location at St James' United Reformed Church in Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne took place in September 1994. The new meeting-place, in an upstairs room of a well-established Church just on the edge of the City's main shopping centre, seemed ideal and the members of MCC Newcastle quickly settled in.
The Church continued to grow steadily with new faces appearing almost every week, and began to hold monthly worship meetings in Middlesbrough. Unaccompanied hymn-singing gave way to piano accompaniment on the arrival of several talented musicians. The Church gained enough confidence to start experimenting with various layouts of worship space and forms of worship. It decided that MCC Newcastle should always aim to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere and diverse worship in a style of its own that would, as far as possible, embrace the best of all Christian traditions. In this spirit, the Church's pastoral team began to establish links with other denominations and with the Newcastle City Centre Churches Together - an ecumenical gathering of denominations represented in the city centre. We encountered and overcame many hurdles along the way during this period.
Gradually, the Church began to mature. In Summer 1995 we achieved another landmark when the (then) European District conferred Commissioned Church status on MCC Newcastle in recognition of our stability and sound financial status. The congregation by this time often consisted of twenty people or more and, by the Spring of 1997, it was becoming clear that the upstairs room at St James' was too cramped. We decided to seek a move to St James' Main Hall, and the URC agreed in their usual helpful and thoughtful way. In some trepidation and after much prayer, MCC Newcastle took a great leap of faith in September 1997 to begin a new stage in its journey. We have continued to grow in numbers and maturity, and have been blessed with very many new members and friends. These have included some with very special gifts in important ministries such as preaching, pastoral care, music and administration.
MCC Newcastle has always had excellent lay leadership, and several people have served as Pastoral Leaders, during the church’s ministry. In 2007, the Members of the congregation elected the church’s Pastor, Reverend Cecilia Eggleston.
The congregation continues to grow and change. People are actively encouraged to become engaged in the life and ministry of the church. We are an increasingly visible presence at events such as Northern Pride, Supergay Weekender, Holocaust Memorial Day and the annual AIDS Day march. In 2010 we appointed two new members of staff, an Admin and Communications Officer and Congregational Care Co-Ordinator
Our worship is lively and creative, and our music reflects the diversity of the church backgrounds that we come from. During the week, there are a range of social, worship and educational opportunities.
We are continuing together on our journey of faith. Will you join us?
By Spring 1994, the congregation had grown sufficiently in confidence to start looking for a new home. The move to our present location at St James' United Reformed Church in Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne took place in September 1994. The new meeting-place, in an upstairs room of a well-established Church just on the edge of the City's main shopping centre, seemed ideal and the members of MCC Newcastle quickly settled in.
The Church continued to grow steadily with new faces appearing almost every week, and began to hold monthly worship meetings in Middlesbrough. Unaccompanied hymn-singing gave way to piano accompaniment on the arrival of several talented musicians. The Church gained enough confidence to start experimenting with various layouts of worship space and forms of worship. It decided that MCC Newcastle should always aim to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere and diverse worship in a style of its own that would, as far as possible, embrace the best of all Christian traditions. In this spirit, the Church's pastoral team began to establish links with other denominations and with the Newcastle City Centre Churches Together - an ecumenical gathering of denominations represented in the city centre. We encountered and overcame many hurdles along the way during this period.
Gradually, the Church began to mature. In Summer 1995 we achieved another landmark when the (then) European District conferred Commissioned Church status on MCC Newcastle in recognition of our stability and sound financial status. The congregation by this time often consisted of twenty people or more and, by the Spring of 1997, it was becoming clear that the upstairs room at St James' was too cramped. We decided to seek a move to St James' Main Hall, and the URC agreed in their usual helpful and thoughtful way. In some trepidation and after much prayer, MCC Newcastle took a great leap of faith in September 1997 to begin a new stage in its journey. We have continued to grow in numbers and maturity, and have been blessed with very many new members and friends. These have included some with very special gifts in important ministries such as preaching, pastoral care, music and administration.
MCC Newcastle has always had excellent lay leadership, and several people have served as Pastoral Leaders, during the church’s ministry. In 2007, the Members of the congregation elected the church’s Pastor, Reverend Cecilia Eggleston.
The congregation continues to grow and change. People are actively encouraged to become engaged in the life and ministry of the church. We are an increasingly visible presence at events such as Northern Pride, Supergay Weekender, Holocaust Memorial Day and the annual AIDS Day march. In 2010 we appointed two new members of staff, an Admin and Communications Officer and Congregational Care Co-Ordinator
Our worship is lively and creative, and our music reflects the diversity of the church backgrounds that we come from. During the week, there are a range of social, worship and educational opportunities.
We are continuing together on our journey of faith. Will you join us?
