Church on the Hill began June 1999. The owners of the building (The Church of the Nazarene) asked us to keep it open as a place of worship and that's what we've been doing.  It's an unusual story - the building was here, and then the congregation was gathered...   The history of the church on EggHill   The church building was completed in 1959. The work was funded by an American group called Pillar of Fire (the tall vertical window at the front symbolised this name), and the project came under the tutelage of Alma White, a founder-member of 'Pillar'. A thriving church soon developed and continued for almost twenty years until it's first pastor, Jamie MacRobbie and his wife, retired.  By 1978, the building had been taken over by the Church of the Nazarene (the present owners) while a sprawling housing development - EggHill Estate - had grown up around it, pushing the countryside back and becoming, in recent times, a hotbed of deprivation and crime. The next twenty years saw many pastors come and go, including: Brian & Carol Harris (1978-1981), Roger Phillips (1981-?), Paul Johnson (1983-1990), Frank & Beryl Allam (1990-1995), Ken & Mim Newton (1996-). In late 1998, the building was vandalised and desecrated by local thugs. Mandy and I were there on November 18th when Central TV News covered the story - everything in the building had been smashed including a lovely old organ, the communion table, all light fittings and switches, and the cross ripped from the wall.  In the summer of '98, Mandy had been prayer walking around the area with a friend of hers who was actually born-again at the 'Pillar of Fire' years before - Mandy had the idea to run concerts in the building and as we happened to know another Nazarene Church pastor in Birmingham, we mentioned this to him. It was really due to this slender thread that we came to be offered the use of the building after it had been vandalised. We said 'Yes, but can we call it CHURCH ON THE HILL?' (this is the name we felt the Lord wanted for it). In April, repairs to the building began. We were attending Northfield Christian Fellowship (NCF) at the time, and a fellow worshipper at NCF - Steve Wilks - was amazed to hear of the name 'CHURCH ON THE HILL' - this very wording had been given to him prophetically about a place of healing. Subsequently, Steve and Gill Wilks came alongside us as co-leaders until February 2000. Repairs were finally completed early June, the flat above the church was re-occupied, and we began to tidy up, clean and paint things, and re-build the wall at the front (smashed by a reversing truck sometime before). On June 7th 1999, we held a service of consecration and then on June 13th, opened for 'bring and share' Sunday meetings. The first 'public' meeting was on July 4th and have continued weekly since then (with a week off for Boxing Day!) We have been encouraged by the vitality of the worship, by the support of the small congregation, by the offerings, and by the fact we have seen life-changing breakthroughs resulting from Sunday meetings. As we are not ordained, we work under the authority of The Church of the Nazarene, with the support of local pastor Harry Hewat (NCF). Since re-opening, God has blessed the church finances way above our expectations. We have been able to respond positively to the needs we find, and to support wider missionary works, along with renovating the church forecourt and back garden. The 'pillar of fire' window at the front is now restored and lighted at night to form a beacon to the area - a reminder of the presence of the Living God in a community that has been so ravaged by lawlessness.  At the same time, the character of the area has begun to change: In 2000, the local council began a regeneration project, clearing away 'problem' housing blocks and replacing them with new semi-detached dwellings. Alongside restoration of the property, our work has centred upon the calling we have received to be 'Watchmen and Worshippers' - We believe Church on the Hill is the spiritual 'gate' for the community and the area, and we pray regularly for the Lord's blessing and protection to be manifest through his church and people. Dave and Mandy Scott-Morgan, 2001. Many thanks to Beryl Allam and Meg Andrews for supplying historic information reprinted here.