Church hall reopens on 50th anniversary date (From Barry And District News)

Church hall reopens on 50th anniversary date

A BARRY church has celebrated a landmark anniversary by opening the doors of a completely refurbished hall - 50 years to the very day it first opened to the public.

And it was a true tale of divine intervention that helped complete the work, after a legacy left by one long-standing member of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church covered the funding shortfall.

Belonging to the sisterhood for many years, Nasina White, known to her friends as Tina, always felt supported by the church and left it a quarter of her inheritance when she died last year.

Her niece Pam Jones attended the special evening held on February 8 in her memory.

The first Mount Pleasant Baptist church hall in Cadoxton was built between 1952 and 1955 by members of the parish.

The old army hut was bought from the council by the church as their first community hall. No longer suitable for the growing needs of the parish, dedicated members would come after work to build a new hall.

Many of the congregation who helped construct the building half a century before attended a special evening to rededicate the hall in celebration of the refurbishment.

Frank Keen, now aged 74, helped laying the footings still supporting the hall.

He said: "We would come whenever we had time and work together.

"The photographs displayed tonight show how we all helped - this hall was built by the community, for the community."

The night saw guests arriving at 7pm and the service began at 7.30pm. The congregation enjoyed song and prayer, and a visit from friends of the church who live in America.

Rev John James from the Tabernacle Baptist in Plassey Street, Penarth, visited to speak before the hall was given a rededication.

Mount Pleasant's Pastor Ken Iveson said: "The surprising news of Tina's legacy came just after the church members had unanimously agreed the refurbishment programme. And it's been made even more special by the fact that we held the service on not just the same date as when it opened in 1955, but unbelievably, on the very same day of the week."