John Wesley never preached in Sussex, except along the border with Kent, where he had a few societies. The earliest reference to Methodism in the south-west corner of the county refers to preachers, including Jasper Winscombe, coming from Winchester to hold fortnightly services at South Mundham as early as 1771. A shopkeeper from Nyetimber named Benjamin Cheverton invited them to his home so that his invalid wife might hear them, but after he moved to Winchester, the preaching lapsed. This is reflected in the Visitation Return submitted by the Rector of Pagham in 1786: 'There are a few Methodists ... among the lower Class of People. They have sometimes assembled in a private house, but have no Teacher or place of worship. They attend the Parish Church & receive the Sacrament & have lately decreased.'

It was not until 1810 that a more permanent attempt was made. That year Chichester was made a Home Mission station and a young man named John Poole was sent there. But it was another eight years before the first reference to a Methodist society in Sir Richard Hotham's new resort of Bognor. In June 1818 a local schoolmaster, William Woodroffe Phillips registered a house in South Bersted as a place of worship, referred to as a thatched cottage on the site of the future Beach Hotel. The following year Bognor appeared in the circuit accounts for the first time and the Circuit Quarterly Meeting was held there.

In 1824 that cottage was replaced by another converted cottage in what later became known as Chapel Street. The first purpose-built chapel was opened in 1840 on the north side of High Street, between Dorset Gardens and Bedford Street; it seated 200 and cost £782. At the time of the Religious Census in 1851 attendances were reported as: Morning 54 plus 37 scholars; Afternoon 35 scholars; Evening 86. It was enlarged in 1862 and adjoining land acquired for a schoolroom, though this was not built until 1893. A Wesley Guild was started in 1901 by the Rev. Eric S. Waterhouse. Finally, in 1916 a scheme for a new church was launched, a site was obtained and the present Waterloo Square church was eventually opened on 1 April 1925, with the High Street premises being sold to Bognor Motors. Subsequent extensions and improvements were carried out in 1927 and 1964.

Wesleyan outreach led to the opening of chapels at Barnham in 1931 and Felpham in 1939.

The Primitive Methodist Petersfield Crcuit opened a chapel in The Steyne in 1876. In 1918 the society was transferred from Chichester PM Circuit to Worthing, but closed in 1931 on the eve of Methodist Union. At that point the Bognor Wesleyans found themselves in the united Chichester and Bognor Regis Circuit.

Greenways MHA was one of the earliest Methodist Homes to open in 1948 replaced by a new building in 1990. Among its first residents was a Mrs. Rhein, a great granddaughter of Charles Wesley.

Bognor Regis is now part of the South West Sussex United Area.

Category: Place
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