Dore Methodist Church is a small building which has a modern look, both outside and inside. The present building shows few signs of its long history.
It originated as a chapel constructed by the "Primative" (that is original or traditional) Methodists in 1861, when it was called more colourfully "Mount Zion" This was a very suitable name in those days, as its location is just across the road from Dore's earliest known Christian site, once with a preaching cross.
The story of Dore Methodist Church and it's people, began not long after the death of John Wesley. A new movement, Primative Methodism, came into being and took root in Dore when the local Wesleyans had faded away. The "Prims" built their first little chapel on part on the present site in 1861, and enlarged it in the 1880's. For its first 75 years it catered largely for labouring families. Then the social make-up of Dore began to change and that of the chapel followed suit.
In the early 1900's it started calling itself a church, but for some it was still "a Chapel" a century later. Meanwhile its numbers have grown and it has seen three more phases of re-building.
The worship area was remodelled and renovated in 1962 and 1998. One of its proudest features is the stunning stained glass window installed during the 1998 rerfurbishment.
The 1998 refurbishment plans included the addition of the aspe with its seven windows, but originally the glazing was to be plain opaque glass. This development gave Graham and Joan Thorpe the idea of commemorating their son John, who had died the previous year. In particular they wanted a memorial that would give people hope. Contact was made with Ros Jones, an artist then based at Eyam Craft Centre, and she asked about John's interests and was told that he had loved the sea and countryside. She designed the window reflecting these interests, as well as adding her own little details - shells representing John Wesley's emblem, and fish. The text "God so loved the world" was added as this was felt to sum up all that was shown in the window.
In 2012 the church hall at the rear of the building was extended and refurbished. A new modern kitchen was provided and the whole building, although on different levels, was made fully accessible by the installation of a platform lift in the hall.
The Well-dressing at Dore Village Green in July 2011, 150 years after the first chapel was opened, featured Dore Methodist Church.
More information on the history of Dore Methodist Church can be found in John Dunstan's "The story of methodism in Dore 1790-1907", Sheffield 1980; and his "Chapel Life at Dore In Its Local and Methodist Setting", Dore Village Society, 2011. John is one of our church members.