Westwood Moravian Church

A history of Westwood Moravian Church in Oldham, Lancashire, from 1925 to 1975. This is a sequel to Westwood Moravian Church 1864-1924. It describes the aftermath of the Great War, with members of the congregation facing difficult economic times in the 1920s and 1930s. Some members of the church volunteered to work overseas as missionaries. Back home, the church was a centre of community life in Westwood, especially for music, drama and youth groups. Several members of the church served in the armed forces with distinction during the Second World War, including at the Battle of the River Plate. One minister was a popular and well-known broadcaster on the BBC. Another introduced the idea of Christian stewardship and reinvigorated the church. In the 1970s, an American minister arrived in a freezing Oldham from the warm south of the United States, bringing with him a friend who was mistaken for Father Christmas returning from Tommyfield market. And this history concludes with the story of a much-loved minister whose cheerfulness rivalled his skill at cricket - the Revd Gerald Farrar. The Moravian Church originated in what is now the Czech Republic in 1457 and was recognized by the British Parliament as an 'ancient, protestant, episcopal church' in 1749. The author's royalties from the sale of this book go to the funds of the Moravian Church, Royton.