CHRISTIAN fellowship and prayer were the driving forces behind a sale which saw a small church congregation buy its premises for £125,000.

It was nothing short of a miracle for members of Kirby-le-Soken Evangelical Church who have bought the building after just nine months of fundraising.

A gift day held in July last year raised a staggering £77,000 with donations from the church’s regular Sunday congregation and friends.

Donations also poured in from as far afield as Indiana, in the US - Pastor Ken Houghten’s place of birth - where a church sent over more than £3,800.

Church treasurer Keith Munford said it came as a shock when trustees offered members the option of either purchasing, renting, or vacating the building back in 2014.

He said: “It was devastating but the church had drifted apart from the trustees. They wanted to change their approach and get a return on the asset.

“After much prayer and negotiations, a resolution was passed to purchase the property for a reduced price.

“This was a large sum to raise but there was a willingness to work and pray together to this end. We were overwhelmed by the generous sums we received on our gift day - everybody gave as they were able to.

“Once we’d reached our target on Christmas Day, there was much rejoicing which is why we recently held a thanksgiving service.”

The site, in The Street, had been purchased in the 1920s for £50 by a group of men who worshipped at the nearby Primitive Methodist tin tabernacle.

The present building was built in 1926 and used by the Methodists until1964. In 1968 it was bought by Datchet Evangelical Fellowship and the work of the Kirby-le-Soken Evangelical Church began.

Mr Manford said purchasing the building has given the congregation freedom and peace of mind.

He said: “A new constitution was set up for the church and registration with the Charity Commission all in under a year.

“On the first Sunday in March, I was able to hold up the large key to the front door and say, it now belongs to us.”