Our story

St George is not our patron saint. The church takes its name from that area of York in which it was planted in 1826 to serve a very poor and overcrowded population. Only fourteen years later the Centenary chapel was opened in St Saviourgate, within walking distance of St George's, and many of the congregation defected to the impressive new attraction. The diminished numbers continued to serve the area, investing much of their time and money in day school education but, in the 1890s, the decision was taken to relocate to the rapidly growing streets along Hull Road. There the church experienced a period of such growth in membership and in the day school that it required extension of the building. By 1930 the new Tang Hall housing estate further along Hull Road was providing homes for a new generation of working families. There was no church in the area and the Wesleyan Methodist local preachers were concerned that this gap should be filled. Once again St George's took the bold decision to move to a new site. The new building, retaining the name St George's, opened in January 1937. In less than three years, the outbreak of war radically changed the life of St George's and churches everywhere. However the postwar years saw membership rise to four times its present size and numerous organisations flourished. St George's became the second largest church in the Methodist circuit. Further social changes in the 1970s brought a marked reduction in church based groups and increased use by the community. Today, St George's has responded to yet more social change by converting the upper floor to accommodation for five students. From its earliest days the church has had a tradition of mission and outreach and continues to look for ways of serving the community. Christian faith in word and action