On Wednesday evening past, the 'building' situated in Barrs Meadow, Gornal Wood and known for some years back as the Roman Catholic Chapel, was opened for Divine service, according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England. The Reverend James Yates Rooker preached from the third verse of the Epistle of St. Jude.
He referred to the immoral state of the locality, which had been the subject of a remark at a public meeting at Sedgley. He had tried every means to secure a place from which direct influence could be brought to bear on the people.
A large club room had been used for Divine worship, but many people raised an objection to going to a public House. The Roman Catholics unexpectedly relinquished their mission, the building was offered to him [James Yates Rooker] and he at once accepted it, as it enabled him to meet a pressing want.
The means of accommodating in his own church were absolutely insufficient for the necessities of the population, and dissatisfaction caused by taking down of the side galleries had never been allayed. It was moreover and anomaly that in the poorest parish in the diocese, part of the endowment should rely on pew rents, whilst in the wealthy parishes around ample accommodation was provided for the poorest.
In the present edifice every kneeling would be free.
There would be Divine service every Sunday afternoon and Wednesday evening. His own time and powers were overtasked, and he could not take any part in the additional services. The liberality of the Church Pastoral Aid Society had for several years provided the necessary funds for a curate's stipend, and it was owing to that liberality alone that he ventured to take the offer of the chapel.
He should commit the sole charge of the services to his friend and colleague, the Rev. John Birch, who would be the first "Minister of St. John's, Gornal Wood", and as densely crowded as St John's then was, he hoped to hear that it always continued so. If so, it would form the nucleus of a church for Gornal Wood, which, with its present population of three thousand souls or more, greatly needed one.
It was unnecessary for him to say that in such an event the Earl of Dudley would act with his munificence. It was, in reality, to his Lordship's kind-hearted liberality that they owed the comfortable seats they now occupied.
The Rev. Gentleman then entered on the special subject of his text, remarking that one hundred years ago, one of his ancestors—the Rev James Yates Rooker—of that day, had preached from the same text. The sermon he possessed, and though his own would not be published, it was his fervent prayer that the same views would animate his successors to the last of the name. The Doxology was heartily sung, and the interesting service concluded.