MALVERN Pentecostal Church has organised a weekend of celebrations for a landmark anniversary.

On May 1, it will be 60 years since the church, on the corner of Somers Road and Howsell Road, became a member of the Assemblies of God, the largest denomination of the Pentecostal Church.

The Malvern church was independent before it joined the fellowship and was 80 years old last year.

However, no celebration was organised and the minister, Rev Alan Coyle, has decided the 60th anniversary is the perfect time to celebrate both occasions.

"We're just hoping folk who have had any contact with us in the past will come along and share our celebrations," he said. "It's an opportunity to say hello and they might even see their face in an old photograph."

An exhibition of old pictures of church life is part of the celebrations on Saturday, May 1, from noon to 4pm.

Profiles about long-standing church members will also be on display

Leslie Savage, 88, of Court Road, joined the Pentecostal Church more than 60 years ago.

Mr Savage went to China as a missionary and celebrated his 21st birthday when travelling to the country on a boat. He also did missionary work in Japan, where he helped to build a church.

When he returned from Asia, he was minister at Malvern Pentecostal Church for a short time, before moving to Sunderland. He came back to Malvern to retire.

Returning for the celebrations will be the church's previous minister, Rev David Shiels, who was there for 23 years.

Mr Shiels will be speaking at two special services at the church on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

In addition to the exhibition on Saturday afternoon, there will be refreshments and activities for children including a puppet show from the church's No Strings Attached puppet team.

People interested in attending the celebrations, or those who have old pictures of the church, should contact Mr Coyle on 01684 566924.

The church was built in 1924 but members met in a room above the Francis furniture showroom in Malvern Link for some time before this. Around £50,000 was spent modernising and extending the building in 1980.