A DISUSED church which stood empty for 30 years will reopen tomorrow as Oxford’s newest place of worship.

The Russian Orthodox Church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, in Ferry Road, Marston, has undergone seven months of renovations, costing £250,000.

The church’s priest, Father Stephen Platt, 38, said the project was far from easy.

He said: “This building had been empty for three decades and was used as a squat and a dumping ground, so it was full, from floor to ceiling, with rubbish.”

The building was built as an Anglican church 100 years ago, also named after St Nicholas. In the 1930s, it was renamed St Michael’s Church but was closed in 1972.

The building was then used briefly as a sign-making factory.

Fr Platt said: “We loved this building, even though it was a total mess, so posted a letter through the door asking if we could buy it. A year passed, so we posted another letter and the owner got in touch, saying he would be happy to sell it to us.”

The money for the project was raised by the 70-strong congregation through a variety of donations, sponsored events and activities.

Fr Platt said: “Everyone in our community has done what they can and more. I’ve been amazed at the generosity of all of them.

“Our congregation is made up of all kinds of people, students, descendants of immigrants, newly-arrived people from Eastern Europe and a large number of families.”

This is the first time the church has had a permanent home since it was founded four years ago.

Worshippers used to meet at St Giles’ Church Hall, in St Margaret’s Road.

Fr Platt said: “It’s a tremendous relief and a wonderful feeling to have our own home.

“This will not just be a place for services, but somewhere for the whole community to meet.”

The church will be consecrated on Saturday by Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh, the Russian Orthodox Church’s bishop for Great Britain and Ireland.

It will then be open for services, which are held in a mixture of English and Old Russian, every Sunday.

rpope@oxfordmail.co.uk