THE challenge facing the new minister for Weir is to build a congregation in a village where there currently is no church.

The Rev Bill Ives, minister of Goodshaw Baptist Church, is seen on the site of the proposed new church on Burnley Road.

Ebenezer Doal Baptist Church used to occupy the site, but structural problems forced the building to close and it was pulled down several years ago.

Weir used to have a Methodist church, which is now a residential home on Heald Lane, leaving the village without a church. Now the Baptist community in Rossendale has raised enough funds and received enough pledges to pay for a full-time minister and one will hopefully be appointed by next year.

Mr Ives said: "The person we are looking for must have imagination, must be tremendously personable and someone who doesn't make heavy weather of talking to new people and be happy to talk to non-Christians, Christians of other denominations and accept people as they find them.

"It will be a job very much in the community to start with, for someone who will enjoy the challenge."

The new minister will then take responsibility for leading the steering group to raise the money to build the new church which will be built on the same site. It will be a single-storey building, which will also double as a much-needed community centre providing a home for groups like mothers and toddlers.

Inside, there will be a creche, coffee lounge, seating for 120 people, kitchen and toilet facilities. The church has bought an extra piece of land for car parking.

Many other Baptist churches in Rossendale have members who live in Weir and 25 to 30 people have been identified as potential members for the new church.

The Weir Hotel has offered a room for Sunday morning services once the new minister is appointed.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.