St. John's was built and consecrated in the year 1846. The building was designed by the architect E H Shellard and it is one of the oldest and finest examples of this kind of church in the Diocese of Manchester. See the picture below for an outside view and visit the photograph page for some interior shots. Before St. John's was built we were part of the very large parish of All Saints, the remnant of which is now All Saints Newton Heath situated at the top of Briscoe Lane. When the church was first built there was not enough money to erect the spire so the West end was castellated. The building didn’t feel or look complete. Today, the bell tower and the spire is a feature of Failsworth and the surrounding area. It is visible from Oldham as people travel down the A62 Oldham Road and from many parts of the parish. The steeple was added later mainly through the efforts of Dr. Barnes the first rector’s son who had become Failsworth’s well-known, much-respected local G.P. The church community here in Failsworth is made up mainly of local people with just a few people mainly with family connections, travelling in from outside the parish. We have a broad spectrum of ages represented in the congregation, with a lively Sunday School (100 on the books, average attendance of 60+) a pathfinder group, an embryonic men’s fellowship, and room for the re-development of further fellowship groups, female and mixed. We pray together, work together, and play together as a wider family where all are welcome.
With the development of the mission hall, we hope the see a pram service, mum’s and tot’s groups, a luncheon club for those who are retired from paid employment, and further development of a range of evening youth activities including work with some of the local teenagers who are already coming to us and using our facilities. The healing ministry of the church is a low-key regular part of each weekly Eucharist. We are moving towards a vision of shared ministry and lay participation and as a significant step in this direction, Miles Howarth our OLM Ordinand has just become our church priest on 27th June 2009. If you are ever in our neighbourhood, you are warmly invited to join us for worship: Sundays at 10.00 a.m. Wednesdays at 10.00 a.m. prayer fellowship Friday evening 7.40 p.m. Blessings, The people of Saint John’s