Darlington church closes after 173 years

St John's Church in Darlington is a listed building and contains a protected church organ

A 173-year-old church has closed its doors after holding its last service.

St John the Evangelist, in Neasham Road, Darlington, announced its closure just days before Christmas, citing the cost of winter fuel and a dwindling congregation.

The community - including the town's MP Peter Gibson - turned out for its final day on Sunday.

Mr Gibson said he was "saddened" to see the church close.

The Conservative MP said he had held discussions with the Archdeacon and the Bishop of Durham over its future but it had been determined the church was not being used for "regular worship".

He said: "I am very saddened to see services end at St John's. I was privileged to attend the final and poignant service on Sunday.

"Whilst many of our churches have growing congregations some have falling numbers and it's clear that the size of the regular congregation at St John's is not big enough to support a large old Victorian listed building."

'Great sadness'

In December, the Diocese of Durham confirmed that a statutory process for the closure had started with services expected to end in February.

At the time, Reverend Mark East said the decision had been made with "great sadness" but the church could no longer afford its maintenance or running costs.

The church had also been unable to attract people in a number of key roles, such as a churchwarden or treasurer, required to keep the building open.

Mr East said: "Given the costs of winter fuel and the situation, the Bishop of Durham has allowed us to suspend services temporarily from 5 February whilst this process is ongoing.

"We give thanks to God for the service this church has given in the community for (more than) 150 years.

"Sadly, with a small congregation, it now seems highly unlikely that we will be able to afford the running costs and maintenance of this very large building, or find the volunteers necessary to fill the roles required for the governance of the church as a charitable body."

The church opened in 1849 to serve railway workers in the town and was listed for protection just over a century later, in 1952.

It is not known what will happen to the church, but a letter sent out to members said there was a "new opportunity" to join an alternative church.