As you approach the church from the road you walk across the site of an old inn, The Star, and find yourself looking at what was once one of its outbuildings. A group of people who had been holding services there, often surreptitiously, acquired the building in 1705 and adapted it for use as a place of worship.

Entering by the main door and through the vestibule you find yourself in a typical ‘meeting house’ church. This style of building was very common among Nonconformists who saw a church as essentially a place where people came and met with God and with one another. A simple style, its purpose is to ensure that wherever members of the congregation sit they can hear what is being said and see what is happening.

You will notice that there are chairs instead of the usual pews, that two wooden pillars support the roof, that under the gallery are various rooms where other churches might have chapels. In the centre at the front is the pulpit, in front of which is not an altar but a table and by now you may be wondering what it all means and how it all began……

ONE OF THE YOUNGEST PASTORS

CONGREGATIONALIST’S CHOICE FOR SANDWICH AND ASH   October 1962

An almost full church saw the ordination, and induction to Sandwich and Ash Congregational Churches of the Rev. Graham Ellis Henry Long on Monday night at Sandwich Congregational Church. The service was attended by members of the Congregational and other Free Churches and also by the Mayor and Mayoress of Sandwich, Alderman and Mrs A H Jutson.

Mr Long is, at 25, one of the youngest ministers ever to be ordained into the Congregational Church.

The service was conducted by the Moderator of the Southern Province of the Congregational Union of England Wales the Rev. W. Andrew James, M.A. and Rev. Long was given the right hand of fellowship by representatives of the Ash and Sandwich Church, by the Rev. H Carter Lloyd (Chairman of the Kent Congregational Association and minister of Ramsgate Congregational Church) on behalf of the Kent Congregational Association , and by the Rev. David Scotland (minister of Roak Lane Congregational Church) on behalf of the Canterbury District of the Kent Congregational Association.

The Ash and Sandwich Churches have been without a minister since the death of the Rev.R.S.J.Dewis.

Rev. Long was married in June. His wife, Sheila, is a member of the Congregational Church.

“AN EXAMPLE”

The Chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, the Rev. John Huxtable M.A., who is also Principal of New College, London, addressed the charge to the Minister. The charge to the churches was addressed by Rev. Geoffrey Duckorth, M.A., B.Litt., the Minister of Rook Lane Congregational Church, Frome.

Mr Huxstable spoke on the guidance of God. He said that when a minister accepted his calling he was accepting God’s leading. “We need not have done that. We could have done something else. We could have gone our own way and probably become very respectful citizens. Certainly more prosperous ones. But it is the call of God Himself.” The Christian, he said, was the athlete of Christ. He told Mr Long “Go where He leads. Don’t go where He does not lead.” He said the congregation did not expect ministers to be perfect. And yet, at the same time, when a minister did something wrong, somehow the wrong seemed worse than when done by someone else. “Really, it is not worse. Sin is sin whoever commits it. And yet somehow it is worse, I simply know that it is true. A minister is, I believe, to be an example of what God can do.”

In the charge of the churches Mr Duckworth spoke on the church members’ relationship to Christ, to each other, and to their minister.

“DEEP IMPRESSION”

Mr A.S.Chandler of Sandwich, who gave a statement on behalf of the Ash and Sandwich churches, recalled the ministry of the Rev. R.S.J.Dewis. “After only 18 months as minister of these two churches Mr Dewis was recalled to Higher Service. Mr Chandler went on, “When the Moderator visited us last December he mentioned to us the name of Mr Graham Long who was then studying for the ministry at New College, London. He suggested that we might like to invite him to come to our church as a preacher. “He came in March and made a deep impression. He was asked back again, this time with a view to him being asked to accept the ministry here.” After the second visit, he recalled, a church meeting unanimously decided to ask Mr Long to come to the churches.

WAR YEARS IN NORTH LONDON

Mr. Long told the almost full congregation that he had felt it definitely to be God’s Will that he should accept the ministry at Ash and Sandwich. He spoke highly of those who had enabled him to undertake his four years training at New College – he had entered the college four years ago last Tuesday – and also of those who had helped him in his training for the ministry. He recalled the war years when he was in North London. At the Congregational Sunday School he attended he said he was not an apt pupil. Later the family moved away from London and he joined a Crusader Class, going to rallies and other meetings. In time he felt that God was calling him to accept full-time service and despite having studied for three years to be a chartered surveyor he accepted the call and started training for the church. He said the decision had not been an easy one and it was not accepted by his family without a certain unease.