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FaithYou are in: Wear > Faith > Rising out of the ashes  Releasing the golden balloons Rising out of the ashesBy Christopher Luke at St Paul's church St Paul's church in Spennymoor has been celebrating fifty years since it was re-dedicated after a devastating fire in the 1950s and Christopher Luke writes about the history and the recent celebrations. The church in Spennymoor was virtually destroyed by a fire in 1953, but after three years' hard work the church was rededicated on 1 November 1956 by the then Bishop of Durham, The Rt. Revd Maurice Harland. Fifty years on and the church has just celebrated its golden anniversary service which was led by the current Bishop of Durham, The Rt. Revd Tom Wright and saw over 200 people fill the church to give thanks for the last 50 years of worship.  St Paul's church on fire in 1953 Highlights of the service included a Collage of Memories presentation which saw members of the congregation recall their memories of the fire and this was accompanied by a big screen display of images showing the devastation and the rebuilding. The most moving part of the service was the prayers by candlelight which were read from different corners of the church. During his sermon, Bishop Tom said; "This church has a great feel and is a great place to worship. We thank God for his presence here and for all that has gone on over the last 50 years and beyond". DevastationIt was on St. James' Day, 25 July 1953 when an arson attack devastated the church.  Queen Mother's informal visit in 1956 A local miner was later convicted of deliberately setting fire to the building and it is believed he had a grudge against the church, because in the previous month he had been convicted of stealing the communion wine! Construction of the new building began in May 1955 and to mark the occasion the vicar, The Revd Gordon Berriman led a service in the ruins. On 1 November the following year, St. Paul's was reopened and the event coincided with a visit from the Queen Mother. Her Majesty was passing through the area and paid a short, informal visit in the afternoon. Upon viewing the new interior she remarked on the "bold use of colour" in looking up at the ceilings. In the evening, the service of rededication was conducted by the Bishop of Durham.  St Paul's clergy celebrating 50 years Celebrating 50 yearsThroughout 2006, the church has hosted a number of events to celebrate the anniversary year and in January local children released 50 golden balloons to officially start the year-long celebrations. The fire destroyed the stained glass window above the altar and to mark the anniversary it has been decided to install a new East End window. The theme of the window is New Creation and fundraising is well underway to meet the £10,000 target. Revd Lynda Gough, vicar of St. Paul’s church said; "The window will be a constant reminder of God's faithful love to us from generation to generation". Following the service on November 1, everyone moved on to the parish hall for refreshments and the opportunity to view an exhibition of photographs and memorabilia dating back to the time of the fire. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites The plans for the new window to be installed commence 12 November 2007. last updated: 05/11/07 
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