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Post by JEM on Nov 20, 2005 16:47:19 GMT
MISSION CONTINUED 1550-2005
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JESUS CHRIST THE SAME
YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOR EVER
A Summary History of Saffron Walden Baptist Church
Essex. England.UK.
PART ONE 1550-1760. LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS
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Here in the early stages of the 21st century AD we dreamt and planned, and sought the Will of God and the Mind of Christ as to how we should organise as a church and how best we could alter our buildings to make them more useful.
Our Millenium Project was to alter the interior of the building complex to seat more people downstairs, to meet the requirements of European legislation on care for the disabled, and to provide flexible seating for different uses of the building. It was a slow steady process as was the fund raising, but we felt we were responding to Divine leadership, and the income suggested that too.
As a congregation in recent years we have had a pattern of Bible study groups and prayer meetings.
In the distant past our church grew out of such groups and over the years has been renewed by them. So we find ourselves set here in the present, planning for the future, but we can look back on the past for our inspiration, on the laying of the firm foundations of our church and the building up of it’s work across the centuries that prepared us for today
The text at the top used to appear painted on the wall above the platform of our Mission at Sewards End. It remains as true today Between Easter Sunday and Advent Sunday 2003 our building went through a transformation, but where do we begin.
After 1548 John Bradford Fellow of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge University, Chaplain to the young boy-King Edward the Sixth preached the doctrines of the Reformed Faith in and around Cambridge and some of his followers lived in and around Walden. During the following reign of Queen Mary he was arrested and burnt at the stake for his faith
A young Anabaptist preacher, John Newman, a pewterer from Maidstone but a native of Walden was arrested crossing Essex from one of the East coast ports carrying the banned English Bible. He was flogged, kept in custody and finally burnt to death in Walden on Aug 31st 1555 as an example and a warning to groups of dissenting believers in this neighbourhood. However, 15 years later there were small groups meeting in the villages including some who met in the woods at Strethall
The first reference to Baptists locally occurred in 1653 when Henry Denne formerly Vicar of Pyrton in Herts and a cornet in Cromwell’s army, as Messenger, of the Fenstanton General Baptist Church visited scattered members of it at Littlebury and Newport.
The Independents after the Great Ejection of the Clergy in 1662 are credited with commencing a Church in the town in 1665
In the late 1600’s Mary Churchman was one of the leading evangelists. At her death Mary’s remains were buried at Abbey Lane Independent Church Saffron Walden which was built on Frogg’s Orchard in 1691. In this Church later known as Abbey Lane Congregational Church and now the United Reformed Church, were the origins of Saffron Walden’s 3 Baptist Churches
Born out of the struggles of the Cromwellian period and persecution and ostracism of the Restoration period the Abbey Lane Church became a strong focus for Dissenters from the Church of England and had a large congregation.
It was influenced a bit from George Whitfield’s visit when he preached to large crowds on the Common, but after a series of ministers by 1758 Abbey Lane was in a weak state with a small congregation and no pastor.
Circa 1708 some people disaffected by the Abbey Lane Minister's dry traditional Augustinian preaching as quoted by Robert Cozens Trustee of Abbey Lane Church who was determined that the true gospel of Jesus Christ be proclaimed, began meeting privately in a John Catley's house in Gold Street where in 1711 a General Baptist Church was formed by Robert Jemmett, pastor of Dunning's Alley General Baptist Church Londo with John Catley as pastor.
Circa 1725 they moved to Robert Cozen’s home in Hill Street, now number 25 which served as his residence and the home of later pastors, and a meeting room. In the garden was a burial ground. They were regarded as of Mennonite beliefs following the teaching of Dutch Reformer James Aminius (1560- 1609)
Under the meeting room was a cellar that served as a baptistry.
Later, it became a Unitarian Chapel under the leadership of Stephen Philpott
From 1822 for the short pastorate of John Cundill aged 38 there was conflict in the Church. Church records tend to blame the pastor but there was another side to it. John was born the 4th son of William Cundill, a yeoman farmer and his wife Mary at Grayingham a sleepy hamlet on the western fringe of the Lincolnshire Wolds in 1784.His elder brother William, the parish clerk and Francis a tailor, were both dead by the age of 30, and his next brother James became a Vicar. John aged 9 was a pupil at nearby Kirton Grammar school. He mixed and toured with the early Wesleyan Methodists. In 1813 he married Sarah Dixon from Gainsborough and in 1816 he was ordained at the Calvinistic Baptist Meeting at Chatham in Kent where on occasions he had run the gauntlet of the naval Press Gangs, There he wrote a pamphlet about his Unitarian views and against the Trinity. Sarah died just after their first son Wiliam died in infancy. He married Rebecca Fish and had 2 sons Francis and John and moved to Walden. Where he soon encountered the unkindness of the congregation and failure to pay his stipend on time. He and the Trustees were at loggerheads over how Trust income should be used. Cundill was expelled, locked out and evicted from the house. He stormed the chapel and occupied the pulpit and the Church called the Constables to remove him. He brought a legal action against the church several of whose members then resigned and finally the matter was settled out of court in 1825. Whoever was at fault, the effect on the local congregation, the community and the General Baptist Assembly was not to the Glory of God The problem may also have been over theology too. Whatever the root cause was, the Congregation split over it and the pastors and trustees were in confrontation.
He, his wife and baby child had to leave in a hurry by horse and cart with their furniture piled on it ,at night and went up to Yorkshire where he found another better friendlier pastorate at Kingston – upon-Hull, where he also taught in Selby Street Day school. He began to build up a ministry to dockers, seamen and their families but he was involved in a ferry disaster on Nov 7th 1826 on the river Humber
The vessel blew up and he was rescued by another boat but died on board. The locals raised a worthy find to help his widow, her 10 year old stepson William, and 2 toddlers Francis and John. At 14 William was apprenticed to a tailor in Hull and founded the USA branch of the family, Francis became an Importer and founded the Canadian branch and the youngest son John went to live in Iowa.
and as a Unitarian chapel in 1791 was created a new meeting house, later redesigned in 1874 at the start of the long ministry of Jabez Brinkworth (now Goddards Interior Furnishings Show Depot to the east of Waitrose’s Car Park.)
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Post by JEM on Nov 20, 2005 16:52:09 GMT
PART THREE.1900-2005 EXTENDING THE MISSION.
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Alfred Rollason was followed by John Young (1895-1916) and he formed the first Diaconate with six members - although in 1845 when the three young deacons were appointed to help the two aged deacons they had formed a committee. Today we seek to have 12 elected deacons and we have a Life Deacon.
Edgar Jackson (1917-1934) led our church through the post World War One trauma in which hardly a family in town was unaffected by the appalling casualties. In 1920 the chapel was redecorated and the hall restored having been used for billeting troops. During this time the Women’s Own was founded and lasted until April 12th 2000, and the first three women Deacons were elected.
Sidney Gray (1935-1945) united the town’s Free Churches in the Saffron Walden Free Church Federal Council founded in 1919 as chairman through the years of World War Two.
Before 1919 most Free Churches from Sawston to Epping and Ware to Dunmow were members of the Bishops's Stortford Free Church Federal Council.
New trees were planted in 1944 in the grounds in memory of Petty Officer Dennis R. Andrews RN, and all the other members of the congregation who served in the War, and new wooden gates were hung
Arthur Blower (1946-1952) rallied our depleted church after the war. GLB Captain Mary Turnbull became a B. U. Deaconess
Len Addicott (1953-1956) led in new evangelistic outreach and presided over growth including the Young Peoples Fellowship from which the LHPM Prayer Fellowship developed. He helped organise the local Youth for Christ.
Horace Webb (1957-1968) consolidated this growth. ”LIFE” Magazine was launched and lasted 37 years.. The Free Church Scouts were formed. In 1965 the Missionary Council was set up which served until 1999. The sale of the Hill Street premises paid for the building of two of the Rowntree Way Bungalows for retired Baptist ministers. The manse was sold and 31 Linton Close was bought.
Dennis Horwood (1969-1982) saw the Followers Youth Group flourishing. During 1974-75 the Church’s Bicentenary was celebrated. Our history was researched and published and since then over 1000 copies of it in 5 editions have been circulated.
The Bicentenary Project was to rebuild the Hall with the second floor and a new kitchen enabling us to commence Guides & Boy’s Brigade. Church rules were revised. Diaconate changes took place. Tots and Co began. We pioneered the Hill House Project. Outreach into the community and links with the wider world were developed
Brian Tucker (1983-1992) ministered here from 1983 during which time he was Chairman of the BMS. He led us in activities that broadened our understanding of the history and development of the world wide Church. Our worship was liberated and new songbooks introduced. Brian in teaching often used his 3 puppet dolls. The church lending library was established.
Tricia Troughton (1990-1997) was appointed as a second minister and extended our ministry more widely into the local community encouraging many people to exercise their gifts. Together with Brian they pioneered assembly work in local schools. When Brian moved Tricia maintained the ministry of the church whilst an additional minister was sought.
Malcolm Brown (1995-2004) was appointed and he with Tricia worked in partnership until Tricia felt it was time for her to move on. Malcolm then led the church through a time of great challenge as we sought God’s will for our church and for our building. The church embraced “the age of the computer”, and the services evolved, opening the way for church members to be more actively involved in leading.
Mrs Colleen Brown, Malcolm’s wife, was appointed as Pastoral Co-ordinator and worked untiringly in setting up a Pastoral Care Scheme to ensure support and care for all those who attend our church
These last few years have seen an increase and development of outreach into the local community and in links with communities in other parts of the world. Most notably we have developed a close relationship with Bisser and Maria Ovtcharov who lead a Baptist church in Bulgaria.
Our Millennium Project was to redevelop our buildings. Committees spent many hours planning. Architects Margaret and Richard Davies and Associates were appointed and “Bakers of Danbury” were commissioned to do the professional work, while a team of volunteers redecorated the halls.
Our organ was dismantled and moved to Southoe, from where it has since moved via Yorkshire. and East Germany to it's new home in a new village Roman Catholic Church in Bavaria West Germany. Our pulpit was removed. Our Communion Furniture has been moved to a Church at Southend. Our downstairs pews have been replaced with chairs from the USA. Easier access has been provided for disabled people including a lift in the hall
We have survived the disruption of worshipping in the local High School whilst our own building was being developed. We are thrilled with the results and have moved back into our refurbished building with a fresh enthusiasm and a renewed thankfulness for the wonderful provision of our God.
Our Church Review during 2003 and 2004 promised to see us moving into a new level of worship and serving which is very exhilarating. With the departure of Malcolm and Colleen coinciding with the loss of Janet Claxton, all to Yorkshire, there are exciting times ahead.
On March 6th 2004 at a Worship Service led by Church Secretary Gavin Rowden and attended by
the local Member of Parliament Alan Haselhurst, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons,
Local Government leaders,
Rev Peter Manson the incoming President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain 2004-2005,
The Architects and representatives of the construction teams,
Representatives of the local churches, former ministers and members and
present members of the congregation,
the buiildings and those who would use them were rededicated to the LORD and His service.
Since then the new chapel building has been used for an advent Exhibition, a Gospel Jazz concert, a theatrical production "Whistling in the Wind ", a church anniversary dinner, concerts, a Christian aid conferance, BB Drill , "A man called Peter" Free Church
Maundy Communion supper, AGM of Churches Together in Saffron Walden and the Evolution Band gig that attracted 150 people.
In September 2005 Rev Simon Mattholie became the 18th Pastor of Upper Meeting
Church Meetings are now open to all members of the congregation, although only full Church Members can vote. Congregations continue to grow in number and membership has begun to grow again. A Monday Luncheon Club attracts 25-30+ alternate weeks.
A Sunday Youth Fellowship called Evolution met regularly and formed a band "Evolution" and had it's own website The instigator of the band and vocalist in the band was Darren Player, but he went to University and Andrew Turner runs the band and his sister Helen Gardiner is one of the volcalists now
Darren's brother Matthew at the BB Company's Silver Jubilee Display received his Queen's Badge as Darren received his President's Badge. Matthew became a Warrant Officer in the Company and had some input at national level on the England Committee of Brigade. He later headed for Leicester University to train as a doctor, after a short term visit in 2006 as a BMS Volunteer to Calcutta.
The Marching Band won 5 trophies in their class in 2005 in the National Band Championships at Stoke in Staffordshire.
The Company/Church Camp in 2005 was at Haytor on Dartmoor in Devon.
John Maddams became General Secretary of Churches Together in Saffron Walden District for 2005-2007. This is made up of the 9 town churches with 7 village churches affiliated, and the 9 town churches agreed a covenant signed in Jan 2006
The Church website www.sw-bc.org has been upgraded
Saturday Night Live sessions were held once a month for some time but have ceased now. Another for children at an earlier time was experimented with.
Small Groups Ministry was begun in about 2005 and is now growing well involving some 80 members of the congregtion.,
For Christmas 2005 we had Viz a Viz production "Silent Night"
A new Ministers study and an office for Emma Turner the Church Administrator were created.
In 2006. On Jan 22nd we signed the Covenant with the other 8 churches of Churches Together in Saffron Walden at the beginning of it’s 60th year. We set up the “passing of the cross” prayer ministry encompassing all the CTSW member churches.
Ex-BB member Barnaby Linscott of the Thaxted Baptist church spent some weeks in short term mission with Jamie Sawtell near Hyderabad in India. Changes were made in the organisation of Church Meetings, and allowing non-church Members to take part in them. Closer ties were established with RAB Schools
The Church Anniversary was held at Long Acres. A Church Outing was made to Thorpe Park and our first group went to Spring Harvest and another to Firm Foundations. We had a successful Holiday at Home Day since repeated. Joan Horwood died in her 90’s.. We began a Year of Prayer ”The Father’s heart a time of listening” with a 24 Hour Day of Prayer.
In 2007 we had a Depression- Hope in Dark Places Information Day attended by 120 people over a wide area. We began a course to help parents protect their children from drug abuse. We celebrated the Centenary of the Boy Scout Movement. More foyer furnishings were added and more notice boards created. We hosted a Youth choir visit from Alabama. A Youth Alpha Course was run. More Small Groups developed. One hosted a wine and cheeses supper for the manager and 19 Volunteers of MIND. Another “Holiday at Home day was successfully run for elderly people. Another Day of Prayer was held.
We took part in the first Nonconformist Walk when a group of visitors visited 6 Nonconformist sites in the town and our Archivist introduced it with a chart and talk at the Town Hall Committee Room.. We held another Monster Party at Halloween and a Praise Party at Christmas when 6 children made commitments. Gold Street Evangelical Church united with us for the Carols by candlelight service. We explored the development “Our Vision” Simon became Chair of CTSW. Some of us helped to fund Bibles in Shona for 15 pastors in new Bible-less churches in Mozambique.
In 2008. We moved forward to appointing a Youth Pastor. Monthly “Songs of Praise” Tea services were developed. Simon moved to his own home at 44 Shepherds Way, now the Manse. 31 Linton Close was let out for rent. School children visited the church and we had the baptistry open for that.
Proposals continued for establish a professional clinic to help people with problems of depression. We took part in the second Nonconformist Walk when a group of visitors visited 10 Nonconformist sites in the town and we gave away kits containing history leaflets, a gospel and a Bible reading commentary booklet.
We helped supply Bibles to flood victims in Malawi and for a Christian community on an island on a lake in Northern Zambia on the frontier with Congo.
The laying of that Meeting House foundation stone on 24th June 1774, sent out ripples which have not decreased over the centuries and are still having an influence over life in our community today.
This Church on the Hill has been a lighthouse to thousands and the seedbed from which have developed 17 Baptist, Anglican and United Reformed Ministers , 8 missionaries [ who served in Brazil, China, Germany, Congo and India, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Poland and the USA ], plus people going on short term mission projects in Brazil, Bulgaria, India, Uganda, South Africa, & Thailand, Well over 3000 people have been members of our church since 1774 and they have contributed to mission in many parts of Britain and across all the continents. The church has a wide spreading and growing ministry and it’s best years may still lie ahead in the future.
We express our many thanks to John Maddams, our Church Archivist, who contributes unstintingly of his time, investigating and recording our church history and who lovingly put together this document. This is the 10th edition of our history and since 1974 altogether over 1290 copies have been circulated plus those who have read it on line.
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(C) JEM 2008.
To contact write to
SWBC Archivist
35 Four Acres
Saffron Walden
Essex
CB11 3JD
England UK
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Post by JEM on Aug 3, 2009 22:24:30 GMT
MISSION CONTINUING from 1550 - 2013 and onwards
JESUS CHRIST THE SAME YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOR EVER
A Summary History of Saffron Walden Baptist Church
18th edition 2013
As a congregation in recent years we have developed a programme of Small Groups meeting weekly on various days for fellowship, worship, prayer, and discussion of the application to life of what is preached on Sundays.
In the distant past our church grew out of such groups and over the years has been renewed by them. So we find ourselves set here in the present, planning for the future, but we can look back on the past for our inspiration, on the laying of the firm foundations of our church and the building up of it’s work across the centuries that prepared us for today
The text at the top used to appear painted on the wall above the platform of our Mission at Sewards End. It remains as true today
Between Easter Sunday and Advent Sunday 2003 our building went through a transformation, but where do we begin.
Introduction
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The Churches of the first three and half centuries of the Christian Church were autonymous self governing congregations each with it's own pastor [ Shepherd of the flock] or Elders doing the same job, as a ministering group with or without a Pastor
In the Hebrew Christian Churches scattered arounf the Roman Empire the term Elder, Presbyter, or Pastor were synonymous with each other, sharing the same role and duties So we find them in the areas if great Jewish influence,
such as Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antoich
The same was true in the Gentile Christian Churches of North Africa, Asia Minor, Greece , and other parts of Europe the titles were Bishops or Overseers, doing the same job,
In those early times the churches had also Deacons and Deaconesses
After the initial decades Baptism was not administered immediately to new candidates, They had serve a period of probation to learn how to behave as Christians, and then in the 6 weeks before their baptism they had to have an intensive course as to what they believed or were supposed to believe.
Baptism was a big affair often with many candidates. Separate services were held for men and women using Women elders and Deacons for the women, as all candidates were baptised entirely naked by total immersion 3 times, once in the Name of the Father, then in the Name of the Son, then in the name of the Holy Spirit, with sets of questions in between which they had to answer correctlly or their baptism could be delayed a year.
After the developmement of Infant Baptism and Baptismal Regenerion, this 6 weeks preparation period for baptism became Lent the preparation period for Easter.
By AD 700 Believers Baptism had been wiped out apart from in distant locations, small alpine villages and other remote places, and anyone who thought of such practices was persecuted
So extended the Dark Ages until the birthpangs of Reformation.
began to happen,
As a distinctive community within the wider Christian Church, modern Baptists trace their roots back to a small group of radical reformers who gathered around Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich, Switzerland.
Their decisive separation from the emerging Reformed church came in 1525 when they baptised each other in the River Limmat. They were quickly suppressed, but, as with the early church, repression only meant that they went elsewhere, taking their beliefs with them and spreading their faith.
Baptists in England trace their roots back to forebears who brought Baptist principles and practice from continental Europe about a century later.
The Reformation in England had been a rather messy and protracted process, influenced not least by the personal beliefs of a succession of monarchs.
Eventually, following the settlement under Elizabeth I in the late sixteenth century,
The Anglican Church emerged as the major and dominant grouping .
A significant Roman Catholic minority also survived.
There was also a "third force" known as the Puritans, the respectable end of a wide spectrum of radical sects and groups.
In the early seventeenth century, the Puritans split into various factions. Some remained within the Anglican church, others became Presbyterians, whilst others became known variously as Dissenters, Separatists, Independents or –somewhat later – as Congregationalists.
They maintained infant baptism but disassociated themselves from any notion of a state church or centralised authority. They saw themselves as gathered communities, each one autonomous under Christ. Hence the various names.
After 1548 John Bradford
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Fellow of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge University, Chaplain to the young boy-King Edward the Sixth preached the doctrines of the Reformed Faith in and around Cambridge and some of his followers lived in and around Walden. During the following reign of Queen Mary he was arrested and burnt at the stake for his faith
A young preacher, John Newman,
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a pewterer from Maidstone but a native of Walden was arrested crossing Essex from one of the East coast ports carrying the banned English Bible. He was flogged, kept in custody and finally burnt to death in Walden on Aug 31st 1555 as an example and a warning to groups of dissenting believers in this neighbourhood. However, 15 years later there were small groups meeting in the villages including some who met in the woods at Strethall
The first reference to Baptists locally occurred in 1653 when Henry Denne formerly Vicar of Pyrton in Herts and a cornet in Cromwell’s army, as Messenger, of the Fenstanton General Baptist Church visited scattered members of it at Littlebury and Newport.
The Independents after the Great Ejection of the Clergy in 1662 are credited with commencing a Church in the town in 1665
In the late 1600’s Mary Churchman was one of the leading evangelists. At her death Mary’s remains were buried at Abbey Lane Independent Church Saffron Walden which was built on Frogg’s Orchard in 1691.
Born out of the struggles of the Cromwellian period and persecution and ostracism of the Restoration period the Abbey Lane Church became a strong focus for Dissenters from the Church of England and had a large congregation. It was influenced a bit from George Whitfield’s visit when he preached to large crowds on the Common,
In this Church later known as Abbey Lane Congregational Church and now the United Reformed Church, were the origins of Saffron Walden’s 3 Baptist Churches
Independents were like the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches Paedobaptists
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This means they baptised babies by sprinkling water on the forehead while making the sign of the Cross, a practice more widely called Christening which resulted from a decision of the bishops of Rome and Alexandria in AD 251.
Baptists refer back to the first church in Jerusalem about AD 35, the practice of John the Baptist, and the way Jesus Christ was baptised as practised by the early Church, of only baptising people old enough to understand what they were doing and in Greek, the language of the New Testament, “to baptise” means “to plunge”. So Baptists practise Believers Baptism by total immersion in the name of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Around 1708 some people disaffected by the Abbey Lane minister’s preaching began meeting privately in a house in Gold Street where in 1711 a General Baptist Church was formed following Arminianism, as taught by the Dutch reformer Jacob Arminius that all humans could be saved through God’s grace revealed by Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for us and become part of God’s elect people exercising their freewill to choose to decide.
Around 1725 they moved to Robert Cozen’s home in Hill Street, now number 25 which served as his residence and the home of later pastors, and a meeting room. In the garden was a burial ground.
Later along with most General Baptists they turned their back on the idea that god was Triune, a Trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, denied the divinity of Jesus Christ and relegated the Holy Spirit from a person to a mere power. Thus they followed the teaching of the 4th Century heretic Arias, and became a Unitarian Chapel.
As such in 1791 they built a new meeting house, later redesigned in 1874 at the start of the long ministry of Jabez Brinkworth (now Goddards Interior Furnishings Show Depot to the east of Waitrose’s Car Park.)
Back at Abbey Lane after a series of ministers by 1758 the Church was in a weak state with a small congregation and no pastor.
From 1760 Joseph Gwennap
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a young Cornishman from Falmouth preached to a small group at Abbey Lane.
introduced there by his uncle the Rev Andrew Gifford, minister of Eagle Street Baptist Church Holborn, a friend of a local spinster Miss Elizabeth Fuller of Myddlyton Place, whose late father Thomas had been a member at Abbey Lane with his wife Mary, and been a trustee of Hill Street Chapel.
In Jan 1763 a Deacon Lewis Andrews began keeping minutes of meetings in an old account book, which was our first Minute Book 1763-1775.. In 1764 Joseph accepted an invitation to become the Minister of Abbey Lane Independent Church.
In 1767 he helped baptise some 40 people in the River at Whittlesford Mill some of them from Walden, in the grounds of the Manor, the property of his fried Ebenezer Hollick, an oil merchant, two of whose sons were deacons at Stoneyard Baptist Church, St Andrews Street, Cambridge, where the minister was then Rev Robert Robinson.
In 1771 the Baptists then out numbering the Independents disputes occurred. Lewis Andrews died in 1771 and 2 new deacons were appointed, Edward Prior and James Moul.
On Friday June 10th 1774 the Chapel Trustees met and voted Gwennap out of using the pulpit or building by 5 votes to 2 thereby expelling him. This was because of their distaste of some conduct of his described by his critics as “unbecoming of a gentleman leave alone a minister”, and described by his supporters “as an unhappy family matter”.
Information came to us in 2006 from a descendant of the Gwennap family living in Australia . In 2009 he reported further research which suggests that Joseph Gwennap was married to Esther (Hettie) Blaws at the at Savoy Chapel in London in 1755 by a Revd J Wilkinson at one time a C of E clergyman, whose licence may have been revoked.
. That Joseph and Hettie then returned to Falmouth where they consummated their marriage. In 1756 Joseph became very depressed and felt that the Devil was after him and went out at nights into nearby countryside where he railed upon God.
Fearing someone might hear and recognise him he sought privacy in a cave on the cliff about a mile from the town, There he believed he met God and was at peace with himself and God but returning to it some days later, he found that the entrance had caved in and he could not gain access.
At first he took this to mean that God had forsaken him and he wrote to his uncle Andrew Gifford about it and he counselled that this was God reassuring him of his salvation and that he no longer needed to call upon God there. Hettie found it difficult to cope with his moods.
In 1771 something happened in the home that according to what Hettie said later in Court in London caused him to evict her onto the street. Hettie then appears to have returned to London.
So In April 1774 they were both involved in divorce proceedings in London and having lived with her for years and having had 4 children Joseph claimed that he was not lawfully married to her,
Certainly, when he died in 1813, both his wives were living in London, and the second was another Elizabeth Fuller the widow of John Fuller of Audley End who farmed at Dunmow.
On Sunday June 12th 1774 some sixty church members met at Myddlyton House [ here pictured] the home of Elizabeth Fuller to decide their next move. The barn next to her house was used temporarily for worship. 12 members remained at Abbey Lane, who held a Church Meeting in July and called another pastor, and 77 years later they had a congregation of 700.
On June 23rd the Baptists bought an orchard on the corner of Bailey’s Lane and Cuckingstool End Street which had a row of cottages across it’s eastern end. These were demolished in 1813 to build a manse.
Elizabeth provided the purchase money £210 and £400 to pay for the construction of the Meeting House. She also endowed money for the Minister and poor of the congregation. The foundation stone for the Meeting House was laid on 24th June and the church opened for worship on 6th November. This was the home of our church for the next century.
Joseph moved to London in 1783 to care for his uncle’s church in his old age and when Andrew died, Joseph became a minister of Piccadilly Strict Baptist Church which melted away when he embraced notions about polygamy. He retired to Walworth.
Matthew Walker
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our next minister Walker led us in 1806 to begin the Sunday school which is now called the Sunday Club. and about that time we began supporting the Baptist Missionary Society and the Bible Society. He led a church plant at Ashdon and became it’s minister in 1809 causing consternation at Walden when he left. His wife Sarah
Josiah Wilkinson (1809-48)
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came next ,He came from Tooley Street Baptist Church London where his mother had been a member for over 60 years. He was a 23 yearold lay preacher but was ordained and inducted to our church. He stayed with us all his life and had a huge impact on the Baptist life of the area, including the formation of the Baptist Union, training lay preachers and preparing students to enter the ministry including 2 later BU Presidents and Benjamin Hodgkin Minister at Bishop’s Stortford for 50 years.
We persuaded Thaxted to leave their barn and build their Chapel in the middle of a potato field. From 1825 we encouraged formation of the Church at Langley. Some of our members. the Wakefield family, several of them chapel trustees, started Great Chesterford Congregational Church and built it's chapel in 1841. It continues today.
Nathaniel Haycroft
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from Bristol assisted Josiah during his last four years.
John Dane Player
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a young member of Abbey Lane Church, son of the Deacon there and a solicitors clerk, in 1818 decided that the minister of Abbey Lane was unsound, he extended his theological reading according to the teaching of the Dutch reformer Arminius who believed in sovereign grace as did the Particular Baptists as Upper Meeting had become, but they then held Calvinistic views about salvation only of a pre-selected elect company,.
John Dane Player began a prayer meeting in a hired room in Park Place which soon became known as Saffron Walden Strict Baptist Church, Several younger members of Upper Meeting joined him. This church built a chapel in London Road in 1822 with John Dane Player as Minister.. It survived until mid way through the 2nd World War becoming first the HQ of the ATC, and then a meeting place of the Christian Science sect, and is now a private dwelling.
Thomas Burditt (1848-55)
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was our next minister who in the religious census of 1851) led 699 people in worship including 189 Sunday School children and their 27 teachers. He was subject to unfair criticism that went to court of law. Exonerated by a vote of confidence he nevertheless had some unpleasantness at Walden.
William Audley Gillson ( 1855-74)
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was a much loved and respected pastor known over a wide area for his support for social, educational and moral reform and supporting many local societies for improvement. He had to resign and retire as he was laid low by illness that robbed him of the use of his voice and he died in 1881.
William became a founder member of the Committee of Trustees in 1859 of the Debden Mission Chapel which in 1874 began the Wimbish Mission Chapel. Both in the 1960's being by then closed became private houses. Paul Wiseman, father of Robert Wiseman, one of our former deacons, was the last trustee. In 1949 out of the Debden Chapel, the Debden Pentecostal Church devloped.
Arising from our church a Baptist Mission at Sewards End (from the 1830’s to 1963) began in an old rented shed and moved in 1938 to this purpose built hall erected under the leadership of the then minister Sidney Gray. The building passed eventually into private hands and is now part of a beautiful house.
Rev Alfred Rollason (1874-1894)
=========================
became our next minister who at a public meeting to celebrate the Centenary of the Church referred to a proposal to build a new Schoolroom across the manse lawn. This was changed to our present chapel being built in 1878-79. The memorial stone in the west wall was set up on June 3rd 1879. The building was opened for worship on Oct 15th 1879 and in 1884 the old meeting house opened as an upgraded Sunday school building with a library. The completed project cost over £4000.
Rev John Sage
===========
the retired minister of Ashdon was in 1897 appointed deputy minister and later served 1898-1914 as a deacon. He prepared our first unpublished history in 1911.
Rev John Young (1895-1916)
======================
formed the first Diaconate with six members - although in 1845 when the three young deacons were appointed to help the two aged deacons they had formed a committee. Today we seek to have 12 elected deacons and we have a Life Deacon. John was much loved by the children and produce some good Sunday talks for them.
Edgar Jackson (1917-1934)
=====================
led our church through the post World War One trauma in which hardly a family in town was unaffected by the appalling casualties.
In 1929 the chapel was redecorated and the hall restored having been used for billeting troops. During this time the Women’s Own was founded and lasted until April 12th 2000, and the first three women Deacons were elected. A Men’s Fellowship existed and the Baptist Institute for young people did well and latter the Christian Endeavour society was popular and useful.
In 1926 several people joined us from the closing of the Primitive Methodist Church in Castle Hill including Arthur E Coote later to become a Life Deacon and Supt of the Sewards End Mission, and Percy Swan. A Sunday school teacher and Press Secretary who later joined the United Methodist Church where one of his granddaughters became a Girls Brigade officer.
Sidney Gray (1935-1945)
===================
united the district’s Free Churches in the Saffron Walden District Free Church Federal Council as chairman through the years of World War Two. New wooden gates were hung, and new trees were planted in 1944 in the grounds in memory of Petty Officer Dennis R. Andrews RN, and all the other members of the congregation who served in the War. These trees were removed in 2003 when a ramp and a walkway was laid out along the South side of the building.
Arthur Blower (1946-1952)
====================
rallied our depleted church after the war. GLB Captain Mary Turnbull became a B. U. Deaconess.
Arising from an interdenominational committee set up by some of the Churches here in 1944, we assisted in setting up the Christian Council with St Mary’s, Abbey Lane, the Methodist Church and Hill Street Baptist, forerunner of the Council of Churches, now Churches Together.
The Blind club met regularly in out Hall. A Men’s Fellowship was very popular again for some years after which they let in the ladies and it became the Forum until it closed.
There was for a time a Girl’s Life Brigade Company one of whose Captain’s Joyce Chipperfield as Mrs Oxley, is still with is in 2008 in her mid nineties. Later this gave way to the creation of the Girl’s Auxillary of the BMS when one it’s members was Heather Reed who died in her early thirties but was Missionary Secretary for 15 years.
Len Addicott (1953-1956)
====================
led in new evangelistic outreach including local Youth for Christ. and presided over growth including the Young Peoples Fellowship and Youth Witness Team from which the MCC Prayer Fellowship developed later.
From AD 2000 this has been called Lighthouse Prayer Ministry (MCCPF) which over the next 50 years reached out with the Gospel to people in over 190 countries.
Also during this period a Young Wives Club was popular.
Horace Webb (1957-1968)
====================
consolidated this growth. ”LIFE” Magazine was launched and lasted 37 years.. The Free Church Scouts were formed. In 1965 the Missionary Council was set up which served until 1999. The sale of the Hill Street premises paid for the building of two of the Rowntree Way Bungalows for retired Baptist ministers. The manse was sold and 31 Linton Close was bought. Horace’s son Philip went into the ministry and later served as Ecumenical Officer for Derbyshire
Dennis Horwood (1969-1982)
======================
saw the Followers Youth Group flourishing. Out of that came Revd James Grote who went on to be for a time a BMS missionary in El Salvador in Central America, and later long while a minister at Oxford.
During 1974-75 the Church’s Bicentenary was celebrated. Our history was researched and published.
The Bicentenary Project was to rebuild the Hall with the second floor and a new kitchen enabling us to commence Guides & Boy’s Brigade.
Church rules were revised. Diaconate changes took place. Tots and Co began. Outreach into the community and links with the wider world were developed. We pioneered the Hill House Project.
We twinned with Bromma Baptist Church in Sweden and established close ties with some Christians in a town in Germany. During some of this time Rev Stephen Heap was with us as Student Pastor later to become a city chaplain at the centre of Milton Keynes.
Brian Tucker (1983-1992)
===================
ministered here from 1983 during which time he was Chairman of the BMS. He led us in activities that broadened our understanding of the history and development of the world wide Church. Our worship was liberated and new songbooks introduced. Brian in teaching often used his 3 puppet dolls. A Church lending library was established that operated until 2003 and restarted about 2006.
Tricia Troughton (1990-1997)
=======================
was appointed as a second minister and extended our ministry more widely into the local community encouraging many people to exercise their gifts. Together with Brian they pioneered assembly work in local schools. When Brian moved Tricia maintained the ministry of the church whilst an additional minister was sought.
Malcolm Brown (1995-2004)
=====================
was appointed and he with Tricia worked in partnership until Tricia felt it was time for her to move on. Malcolm then led the church through a time of great challenge as we sought God’s will for our church and for our building. The church embraced “the age of the computer”, and the services evolved,. opening the way for church members to be more actively involved in leading
Malcolm’s wife Colleen, was appointed as Pastoral Co-ordinator and worked untiringly in setting up a Pastoral Care Scheme to ensure support and care for all those who attended our church. This has since been reorganised. The Prayer Team Ministry was established.
These last few years saw an increase and development of outreach into the local community and in links with communities in other parts of the world. Most notably we developed a close relationship with Bisser and Maria Ovtcharov who led a Baptist Church at Dobrich in Bulgaria but now live in the USA..
Our Millennium Project was to redevelop our buildings. Committees spent many hours planning. Architects Margaret and Richard Davies and Associates were appointed and “Bakers of Danbury” were commissioned to do the professional work, while a team of volunteers redecorated the halls.
Our organ was dismantled and moved to a Roman Catholic Church in Bavaria West Germany.. Our pulpit was removed. Our Communion furniture was transferred to a church on the Essex coast. Our downstairs pews were replaced with chairs from the USA. Easier access was provided for disabled people, including a lift in the hall.
We worshipped in the local County High School whilst our own building was being re-developed. We moved back into our refurbished building with a fresh enthusiasm and a renewed thankfulness for the wonderful provision of our God. and this was rededicated in 2004.
During 2003 and 2004 we participated together in our Church Review organised by Rev Ron Messenger, looking at every facet of our Church life, worship, witness, membership, partnership, mission and outreach. We took decisions and made changes.
Lighthouse Prayer Ministry began a project funded by 3 members of our congregation to distribute once to every home in the town a copy of the NEW LIFE Newspaper with a flier offering links with various churches and ministries by web sites, and encouraging direct subscription, for completion by 2010.
Early in 2004 Malcolm and Colleen left to minister in Yorkshire. The deacons became a management team dividing between them a wide range of responsibilities. Revd David Doonan, pastor at Ashdon who became soon afterwards the last president of BMS World Mission, became our Moderator. We had an Advent Festival over 4 weeks prior to Christmas 2004. We established closer ties with Gold Street, including in youth work.
The Luncheon Club was established twice a month. We started to develop small groups ministry. Evolution a group for the 18-30’s on Sunday evenings was launched. A Fund Raising Committee was set up with a varied programme of monthly events to help clear the loan repayments by 2010.
During 2005 and 2006 several new members were added. Our website was upgraded www.sw-bc.org by Gavin Rowden who also pioneered and expanded the Small Groups Ministry with house groups meeting on different days.
The wooden West Doors of the chapel were replaced with a central glass door with a new flight of steps and the side doors replaced with glass windows with our logo on.. A new metal safety rail was installed around the gallery. The Hall’s North staircase was carpeted. We obtained a microwave cooker and a dishwasher.
The Drury Gates were rehung in a new position and two new trees planted. Our Boy’s Brigade Company celebrated their Silver Jubilee. A new Mission Co-ordinator was appointed. We joined with our other Baptist Cluster Churches at Ashdon, Great Sampford, and Thaxted for monthly Tea Services. We hosted a Maundy Service in the form of a supper in the chapel and Churches Together Pentecost Praise. Jamie Sawtell served us well as a youth worker while in training to do so as a career.
Rev Simon Mattholie
===============
from North Winchester Community Church was appointed as our 18th Minister.
Our young people’s Evolution Group created a band, held a gig attracting 150 people, established a web site and began introducing Next Generation worship and in 2006 played at the BB/GB Firm Foundations weekend festival and again in 2008 when they also made a CD, competed on Premier Christian Radio, a played in the local Battle of the Bands.
Lighthouse Prayer Ministry established a web board which is linked to the Church website and provides the Church History and Archives Catalogue on-line. Also in the west entrance was placed a history of our church with 140 coloured illustrations which is also available in CD form and we hope to eventually get on a Blog site.
A new Ministers study and an office for Emma Turner the Church Administrator were created.
In 2006.
On Jan 22nd we signed the Covenant with the other 8 churches of Churches Together in Saffron Walden at the beginning of it’s 60th year. We set up the “passing of the cross” prayer ministry encompassing all the CTSW member churches. Ex-BB member Barnaby Linscott of the Thaxted Baptist church spent some weeks in short term mission with Jamie Sawtell near Hyderabad in India.
Changes were made in the organisation of Church Meetings, and allowing non-church Members to take part in them. Closer ties were established with RAB Schools The Church Anniversary was held at Long Acres. A Church Outing was made to Thorpe Park and our first group went to Spring Harvest and another to Firm Foundations.
Matthew Player served a short term with the BMS in Calcutta before beginning training at Leicester to become a doctor.
We had a successful Holiday at Home Day since repeated. Joan Horwood died in her 90’s.. We began a Year of Prayer ”The Father’s heart a time of listening” with a 24 Hour Day of Prayer.
In 2007
we had a Depression- Hope in Dark Places Information Day attended by 120 people over a wide area. We began a course to help parents protect their children from drug abuse. We celebrated the Centenary of the Boy Scout Movement.
More foyer furnishings were added and more notice boards created. We hosted a Youth choir visit from Alabama. A Youth Alpha Course was run. More Small Groups developed. One hosted a wine and cheeses supper for the manager and 19 Volunteers of MIND. Another “Holiday at Home day was successfully run for elderly people. Another Day of Prayer was held.
We took part in the first Nonconformist Walk when a group of visitors visited 6 Nonconformist sites in the town and our Archivist introduced it with a chart and talk at the Town Hall Committee Room..
We held another Monster Party at Halloween and a Praise Party at Christmas when 6 children made commitments. Gold Street Evangelical Church united with us for the Carols by candlelight service.
We explored the development “Our Vision” Simon became Chair of CTSW. Some of us helped to fund Bibles in Shona for 15 pastors in new Bible-less churches in Mozambique.
In 2008.
We moved forward to appointing a Youth Pastor. Monthly “Songs of Praise” Tea services were developed. Simon moved to his own home at 44 Shepherds Way, now the Manse. 31 Linton Close was let out for rent. School children visited the church and we had the baptistry open for that. Proposals continued for establish a professional clinic to help people with problems of depression.
We took part in the second Nonconformist Walk when a group of visitors visited 10 Nonconformist sites in the town and we gave away kits containing history leaflets, a gospel and a Bible reading commentary booklet.
We helped supply Bibles to flood victims in Malawi and for a Christian community on an island on a lake in Northern Zambia on the frontier with Congo.
In September Elizabeth and Sergio Veldi from Brazil became joint (time sharing) youth pastors. Elizabeth is the daughter of our previous minister Malcolm Brown. Deacons elections were suspended in November to allow the Minister and Deacons to sort out a proposed new leadership structure including an Elder-ship
In 2009
About 20 young people went with the youth pastors, and Andrew Heinrich BB Company section officer in charge, and Sarah Spaxman leader of the youth group to a Christian Activity Centre in Northampton for a weekend bonding.
The New Church Constitution was published for debate and adopted unanimously on Sept 14th and added to this website.
We had a Church Picnic and Pinkneys Manor Wimbish
We gave support to Ashley Townsend, baptised member of Thaxted Baptist Church where he serves in the community as a Scout Leader, and on the VBS Leadership committee, He looks after audio and projection and IT at his church. He had been accepted for a place in a BMS Youth Action Team to Brazil and we supported him.
We started the new Youth worship services though shortlived
The Rising
Lighthouse Prayer Ministry extended evangelistic literature during the summer to Sewards End, Littlebury, Little Walden, Newport and Great and Little Chesterford and Stansted, using VIA magazine house to house.
Our monthly Missionary Prayer Meeting was resumed after a 2 year break
Dr Matthew Player served during the summer on one of the Mercy Ships which we adopted as one of the causes for our Christmas charity raising over £1,700 which they used to deliver medical supplies to Haiti after the earthquake in 2010.
During 2010 a team being led by Youth pastors. Sergio and Liz Vilela, Malcolm Brown [ Liz’s Dad] and Deacon Yvonne Morton visited a YWAM centre The Lighthouse, in Brazil for 2-3 weeks of mission activity. These were Emma Watts, Bethan Brown, Hannah Lambeth, Hannah Walter, Lee Adams, Corinne and Tom West. For this a group of young men of the congregation led by Simon, cycled from York to Walden, 210 miles raising over £3000.
Life Deacon Jack Turnbull died. He had served faithfully with great integrity having arrived in Walden aged 12, baptised at 21, He first became a deacon in 1952 and served in many other ways. The church redeveloped Room 4 as a café style meeting area, We installed a new double lined heating oil tank.
2011 marked the 300th Anniversary of the formal beginning of our General Baptist Church, 1711 - 1950 and the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Confession of Faith at Abbey Lane, the formal beginning of our present Baptist Church 1761 - 2011 for which an 8 member Exhibition Action Team was formed which organised The MISSION CONTINUED Exhibition in September which displayed about quarter of our Church Archives including about 2000 of our estimated 10,000 photographs across 28 stands in the Chapel area.
The first Dis[lay Stand celebrated the 400th Anniversary of the 1611 Authorised Version of the Bible with the visual presentation of how we got the English Bible from the pre-Christian Jewish Bible to the 21st century Standard English Version. 45 people became involved in organising the exhibition led by Church Archivist John Maddams one of the Uttlesford History Recorders.
About 120 adults attended and over 100 Junior School pupils from R .A. Butler School. We ran a poster competition for this, won by James Sabey who when younger got a BB Award for Bravery
. Simon Mattholie resigned to become CEO of Rural Ministries from August. Over £2000 was raised in thanksgiving for paying off the debts of the new development to provide money for other churches doing similar work. Project 31:8 as established to help the poor both locally through Home Start and MIND, and the new Saffron Walden Besome Group, to help prisoners of conscience and persecuted Christians and to help educate Aids Orphans in Zambia.
Through Lighthouse Prayer Ministry we provided a generator and hymnals to a village Church in Ghana, 1110 Bibles to 8 congregations in Nigeria, and funded freight and transport costs of thousands of pounds worth of equipment from Tools With A Mission to start a Community Vocational Training Centre in Northern Zambia.
Lighthouse Prayer Ministry extended further the house to house distribution of VIA annual gospel magazine with follow up links to OAM, WLM, & CEA and 7 websites to 18 more Uttlesford villages bringing to 12,000 the homes reached since 2009. Several members raised thousands of pounds by sponsorship activity for medical charities. Ex BB NCO and church member Matthew Player became a Doctor.
Another Church member Ruth Lambeth training in dentistry became UK Director of “Mwenya Uganda” a medical charity in Uganda. We held a Consultation on the diversity of forms of worship and tried out Messy Sunday involving greater creativity and introduced Community Sunday as part of Carnival Week.
We began to seek our 19th Minister and train new leaders using the Growing Leaders Course organised by retiring Deacon Yvonne Morton. Our Youth pastors left not renewing their contract and Andrew Heinrich became Deacon in charge of Youth Work and Arthur Coote became Communications Officer.
Terry Burgess became Missionary Secretary. A regular Sunday Evening Church Prayer Meeting was established. New Deacons were elected bringing Diaconate strength back to 12 and the role of Church Secretary was restored in Angela Sabey and a Profile Group was set up. Led by Stephen Sabey a Community Service Team was engaged to redecorate the interior of the Church Hall premises. Friendships developed from this.
Our Christmas Collections contributed £1303 to the Whitechapel Mission along with food, clothing and toiletries, and £718 to Carver Barracks for their appeal to install £100,000 of children's play equipment for children on the base and their school friends. We also provided for Operation Christian Child over 170 gift filled shoe boxes.
During 2012 we appointed Rev Patricia Heap as our Moderator and we began monthly Ladies Breakfasts at the church, and then Men's Breakfasts at the Maze restaurant The church was packed on Jan 22 for the Annual CTSW Service on an Olympics theme theme “Passing the Torch” when the CTSW Website was launched www.ctsw.org.uk. Wayne Evans became Pastor at Thaxted. Baptist Church.
The Church decided to pay Andrew Heinrich's 1 year National Diploma Course in Youth Ministry Simon Pickhaver retired after 10 years projection work.
We decided to twin with Bacton Beacon Community Church, Norfolk a Home Mission Aided Church with 22 members. We got very wet welcoming the Olympic Torch when we sold hot dogs to the crowd that packed our grounds. We had 2 successful Creativity Services. We had a great SIXTIES evening event.
Gavin Walter tested his calling in the Cluster Churches and in 2013 was appointed by the church meeting to proceed to the Eastern Baptist Association Recognition Committee for application for training.
On January 13th 2013 we voted to invite as our 19th minister, Rev John Goddard of Barrow in Furness Cumbria as from July 1st. He received 87% of the votes cast. He was accompanied by his wife Karen and their 2 teeager sons, Sean and Liam.
Through LHPM we had now supplied in 2 years over 2200 Bibles to 9 groups in Nigeria.
We supported Liz and Sergio Vilela to begin training for service with the BMS in Mozambique from 2014.
We took a leading role in 4 local churches establishing Street Pastors.
Sam Winfield was speaker at the service led by our young people in March.
Plans were laid before us for unisex toilet facilities, more storage space, kitchen alterations and redecoration of areas of the chapel.
Men's Breakfasts resumed at The Maze Restaurant on March 9th
On July 1st Rev John Goddard began his ministry and on July 6th was inducted as Minister
A Team of Members were engaged in upgrading the Manse and the Manse Garden, building a new fence,and gate and repairing the shed. Principally Rosemary, Mike, Quentin and Jenny, Graham and Susan, Mick, Robert, Ken, Chris and Avril
A garden haven of peace, beauty and birdsong on the edge of the countryside. Just as once the Church site was on the edge of farmland.
Gavin and Jo Walter met the Association Ministers Recognition Committee which endorsed his call to the Ministry, and they then proceeded to make a successful application to Spurgeon's College for training. Liz and Sergio's baby daughter Chloe was brought for their Dedication service.
A useful series was followed on the work and fruit of the Holy Spirit and on Pentecost Sunday the preaching was replaced by the interview of 4 members of the congregation of their experience of the Holy Spirit. The preceding Friday the annual Pentecost Praise Service of CT in SW was replaced by an entertainment in the Assembly Hall of the Friends School attended by members of most of the Christian congregations presented by Compassion & Sorted of the Tricks and Laughs Comedy Show by Christian artists Tony Vino and Steve Legg..
On Saturday May 18th 12 leaders of the Small Groups met to consider the future activities of the groups.
On Saturday June 9th on the eve of our 239th Anniversary of the foundation of Upper Meeting
Baptist Church Bailey's Lane the ageing Church accepted a challenge from the youthful Boy's Brigade Company in it's 33rd Session Year to play cricket but the ageing Church fielded several good young players and won 72 to 68. It was a blistering hot June day except at the Friends School Saffron Walden where the “crowd” shivered and huddled together beneath the leaden skies to survive in close fellowship well fed by Susan and Ged with cakes,scones, coffee, tea, and soft drinks. The first aiders saw action and lot of people played off pitch cricket of various levels of skill.
What does one remember on an Anniversary Day after so long? Well Chris took the theme of salvation, as to how 2 frogs fared having fallen into in a jar of freshly made butter with 3 juniors making butter from cream and salt with a lot of shaking. Thus reminding those that know, that our Church developed from an Independent Church whose first meeting house was built in 1689 in Frogges Orchard next to the Slade Ditch. Ged preached a challenging and encouraging sermon on faithfulness 2nd Chronicles 20 verse 1 – 30, and we had some fine hymns. Towards the end we looked again to the future, discussing in groups regarding the future of VBS which has hit a crisis of recruiting sufficient volunteers and raising sufficient funding. Gavin thoughtfully led a lively “Songs of Praise” Service in the afternoon.
As we prepared to move again from the past to a fresh start and a new beginning in the next chapter of this Church's long saga “Team Walden” Chris Winfield, Quentin Daw and Angie Sabey practised to build up their stamina for a 100 mile Ride London cycle event in August to raise money for the Home Farm Trust.
Lighthouse Prayer Ministry commenced it's 60th year of operation paying 2 years advance rent on this building in Nigeria for this community church that has been meeting mainly out of doors for 2 years homeless since fanatical Islamists burnt their building down In that time over 200 converts have been added and by supplying 50 Hymnals to the Nchelenge Community Church for use by 50 converts from the large concentration of Jehovah's Witnesses in that area
Training proceeded to launch Street Pastors in September and set up the Prayer Pastors support.
The Fabric Group is considering detailed plans for modernising the Church kitchen
Which brings us to June 22nd 2013 239 years since our site was purchased and a Coffee and Milk Shakes Morning organised by Liz and Sergio Vilela, Ashley Townsend, Sarah Walter, James Sabey, Terry and Sandy Burgess to focus on the work of the BMS WORLD MISSION now operating in 30 countries supporting between 300 and 400 people engaged in mission and especially on Liz and Sergio with Chloe going this Autumn to train in Birmingham to serve from next year in Mozambique.
This too was the first event in the new pastorate for Revd John and Karen Goddard with Sean and Liam who attended it having moved into town on June 20th and started on July 1st with Induction on July 6th, as together we began a new chapter in the story of this Church. God be praised .
At the Church Meeting on June 24th we accepted John and Karen into membership 239 yearsto the very day the foundation stone was laid of the building in which we sat.
The Sunday Evening Prayer Group petered out to an attendance of 1 in September and closed down. The Big Church Sunday was a bit of a flop and the last Creativity Sunday of the year was poorly attended. All signs of the old dying out to give way to the new. Angela Sabey retired as Church Secretary to be replaced by Ged Pearce who had also become Treasurer of the EBA,. Quentin Dawe ceased to be a Trustee-Deacon but continued as Assistant Treasurer with Chris Winfield as a Trustee-Deacon becoming Church Treasurer.
Several Deacons resigned and Gloria Archer was elected as a new Deacon of a smaller Diaconate. Andrew Heinrich completing 2 terms [ 6 years ] as a Deacon resigned as Youth Group leader, and this was relaunched led by Denise Vincent.
John introduced the idea of a monthly Sunday evening of Celtic Prayer which with the monthly Cluster service led the way the following year to re-launching Sunday evening worship from 7pm, with monthly evening communion.
In September we participated in the launching of Saffron Walden Street Pastors on Friday evenings 8pm-1am with Quentin Dawe, Mary Lewendon, Kevin Streeter, Tracy Todman, Todd Weston and Chris Winfield as Street Pastors, and Tracy Todman as Treasurer and supporting them as Prayer Pastors, Jenny Dawe, John Maddams, Avril Streeter, Jeanie Wiseman, Robert Wiseman,and Kathryn Winfield and with others praying in their own homes and Denise Vincent providing a cake each week.
Alternate Monthly Men's Breakfasts continued at the Maze Restaurant.
A Premises Committee led by Arthur Coote continued with the Architect to plan development of the Kitchen.
The first Baptism of the new pastorate was that of Michael Smith.
Sunday Club staffing was reorganised to maintain Tiddlywinks, Explorers, and Grid.
A Quiz was held in November to raise money for Liz and Sergio which raised £140. The church Christmas decorations organised by Yvonne Morton included material created by The BB Juniors who provided the hanging Christmas shapes, and the faces of the tableaux figures and BB Anchor Boys helped create a paper chain and tree baubles.
We supported Crossroads by providing a carol singing group outside Tesco with Sam Winfield playing the keyboard. John Goddard, Robert Wiseman, Todd Weston and others assisted the CTSW Red Carpet Treatment event at the Late Night Shopping Evening just before Christmas organised by Ged Pearce.
On December 7th we had in our premises a Christmas Sale in support of the two charities Besom and East Anglian Children's Hospice, and the Christmas Charity Appeal was equally divided between The BMS Philippines Disaster and Leukaemia & lymphoma Research proving £803 to each. We acted as a collecting point organised by Tracy Todman for 226 shoe boxes of toys for the BGEA Samaritans Purse Operation Christmas Child appeal and our boxes went to Liberia, Belarus and Swaziland. At our church too RAB School held their Carol Service as did the East Anglian Children's Hospice
We developed a pattern each month of drawing attention at morning worship once a month
particular aspects of world Mission, Arab Vision in December, Mwenya Uganda in January, Meninadanca in Brazil in February, and Lighthouse Prayer Ministry work in supplying Bibles in Nigeria and Zambia in March..
Several members post Christian, challenging and encouraging material on FACEBOOK including Adrian Crooks, Philippa Crooks, Sarah McCorkell, John Maddams, Todd Weston, Sam Winfield,
2014
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began with the Baptism and joining in membership of Danielle of French and Irish origins, a convert from the Jehovahs' Witness, and our very own Sam Winfield, who were presented with special study Bibles.
On February 2nd 2014 was launched the Alternative Worship Evening Service. We had about 30 people present sitting in one row in a large oval in the main chapel area with subdued lighting just with the under gallery lights, and words of songs projected on the screen.
The Session lasted for about 90 minutes. The age range was mid -30's to mid 80's-
We began with reading of 1st Peter 2 v 9-10. We sang a lot, some of it rather repetitive.
Including at the beginning “HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD”.
Some people held their arms up in worship, 4 knelt low on the floor, some sat, some stood
Against a background of music from guitars and the electric organ/piano there we quite a lot of free prayer, and calling out the various Names of God, several people reading passages of the Scriptures, Poems, Psalms including 121 and 51 or Hymns
.
There was a lot of extempore participation and minimal control by the Worship leaders
Owen, Matt and Chris. The atmosphere was relaxed to encourage every one to participate, and there were periods of silence.
Some people went forward together to pray or to reconcile or to confess.
Several prayed with one another.
Some wrote confessions on heart shaped pieces of paper and shed them in a bowl Some washed their hands in a bowl as a sign of repentance and confession.
Towards the end after a Scripture Reading where it seemed appropriate a little known 19th century hymn was read with the verse
“Work with a grateful heart
Work while the millions play
Ere the bright hour depart
and night shall follow day”
After that we sang a Blessing to one another
After this there were conversations and refreshments of crusty bread rolls, a variety of cheese, crisps, biscuits and various soft drinks.
In 2014 Elizabeth and Sergio Vilela of our congregation became BMS missionaries in Mozambique. Several members became Street Pastors locally and Prayer Pastors for it & others supported it. Denise Vincent committed herself to provide a home made cake for them every week, We started supporting Meninadanca in Brazil. We got involved with X:site for children & Revolution for teenagers. Introduced Alternative Worship and Celtic Prayer. We got involved with XL Mentoring. Supporters of LHPM in 2011-2015 funded 8188 Bibles for use in Nigeria.
In 2015
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John Goddard participated in an ecumenical re-conciliatory Pilgrimage to Israel & Palestine supported by weekly Friday Prayer Sessions, Searchlight Theatre Company presented “Woodbine Willie.”. We celebrated Easter with Bucks Fizz & Chocolates. We introduced All Age Communion. We considered upgrading the Kitchen ,and appointing a second minister but later decided not to do so. Our BB Company camped at Beeston Regis in Norfolk for a week.
We promoted the “COMPASSION in Jesus Name” charity for sponsoring orphans. We supported the Café Church at Costa coffee shop. At Harvest we supported the “My Father's House” project in Nepal, and the Saffron Walden Food Bank. We had another successful Barn Dance We hosted the Première performance launch of “Esta Vida” Meninadanca's film. Yvonne Morton with members of BB again organised the Christmas decorations. Mike Turner again led us in supply second hand garments to the Whitechapel Mission . “Good Old Mr Scrooge” was well attended and much enjoyed.
Ken & John having reached every parish in Uttlesford distributing VIA magazine extended deeper into South Cambs and new homes at Saffron Walden. We served as a Collection Point for 184 filled shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, At Christmas Sunday Club led by Yvonne Morton and Bethany Kitchener presented a good Nativity using all the children they had left about 14. We welcomed, lots of school children to a SVST Celebration, and the Annual EACH Service. John & Karen hosted open house at the Manse for a time on Christmas Eve.
In 2016
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In January, work began and in due course was completed by Arthur Coote to reorganise the Toilets, and Storage Areas assisted by his wife Elaine, and others and install a complete modernised up to date Kitchen facility. completed on time,. on budget, paid from reserves..
We enjoyed a visit by Adrian Plass for “ Adrian Plass and the Church Weekend” dramatic comedy, with a message by the Searchlight Theatre Company
John and Karen hosted a Whisky Tasting Party at the Manse, The Ivy Coote and Ethel Swan wooden seats outside were repainted and the ivy on the North Boundary Wall was cut back by a member of BB Seniors as community work for his Queen's Badge,
We had a well supported Quiz Evening in March
John Goddard organised a Communion Service on Maundy Thursday. We again provided the Street Marshals for the Good Friday Procession to St Mary's We participated in Easter Praise at Ashdon BC when their now locally famous choir sang. We shared in giving all the Boys in BB Anchor Boys and Juniors a REAL Easter egg with booklet explaining the Easter story.
Quentin Dawe died a few weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and the chapel was full for his Memorial Service,
We convened a Conversation to consider Christian Moral Relationships. Led by the Rev Simon Goddard a regional Minister of the Eastern Baptist Association Over 60 people turned out on April 30th to consider Co-habitation. Divorce, Lesbians and Homosexuals. It turned out that a lot of those present were favourably disposed to people with these lifestyles and oblivious of what the Bible had to say about them. This also involved us recognising that there are more than one way of interpreting the Scriptures. Officially we are still opposed to using our premises for Same Sex marriages. Notes written by members of this seminar we collated into a report on the event and presented at a subsequent Church Meeting. At two successive Church Meetings the Minister admitted that after 3 years deliberating he now felt he was able to marry same sex couples and that he would be thrilled to do so. This without adequate explanation shocked a lot of members.
DURING THIS PERIOD Muriel Jellis died. Kevin Streeter became Church Treasurer with Rosemary Timms as Assistant Treasurer. We had a successful 80's evening raising funds for Mind in West Essex for we host Breakfast Club for them each Tuesday at 10am. Evangelist Chris Duffett visited us for the Cluster Service in May.
The BB Company raised £151 to fund First Aid Kits for the PEPE Project in Mozambique and they keep in touch with Liz and Sergio out there by Skype We began employing a gardener to cut our lawns twice a month at £20 a time and he provides all his own equipment. We opened up a CAF Account. Repair work was planned to be undertaken on the pavement near the Church flower bed damaged by subsidence possibly from graves beneath collapsing. Survey was to be made of the roof .Robert Wiseman organised a Small Groups Leader Meeting with Gavin Rowden as the speaker. OUR BB participated with 2 successful teams in the annual Waltham Walk. On June 5th John and Karen held open house at the Manse for a Getting to Know You session for new people who had joined the congregation over recent months people who had joined the congregation over recent months.
The Church Craft Group continued to meet monthly. New Deacons were elected at the end of May. Tanas al Qassis, Chairman of ARAB VISION UK led worship on June 5th. Year 7 High School students made visits to the Church premises, and for some weeks in July we again hosted a group of Spanish Students on a course.
Our Luncheon Club celebrated it's 12th Birthday and H. M. Queen Elizabeth's 90th Birthday and John Goddard distributed locally over 100 copies of this Celebratory Booklet “THE SERVANT QUEEN AND THE KING SHE SERVES”
We had an all age service at which was celebrated Pentecost a couple of weeks after the event, in which portions of real fruit in paper bags marked with one or other of the Fruits of the Spirit were distributed by the young people to the rest of the congregation.
Ashley Townsend of Thaxted Baptist Church revisited the orphanage in Mozambique with the 3 colleagues from around the country to build new extensions over a 4 week period. In the autumn om he began a 12 month training course at all Nations Missionary College, Easneye at Ware.Thomas Brown was baptised at a Church at College in Manchester. Some us got together £500 for a new video film projector for Pastor Enock Dimba and his team for their itinerary visitation mission in Malawi and Mozambique for showing the JESUS film, after their old one gave up working. Denise Vincent hosted Summer Lights Party at her home
Meadow View Hempstead to raise funds for MacMillan Nurses. Liz and Sergio Vilela received a new child, a son, Joshua. Andrew Heinrich resigned his work as a Pharmaceutical Scientist to begin training as a Secondary School Science Teacher.
Douglas & Betty Thornton's 70th Wedding anniversary was celebrated at Church with this special cake,and a few week afterwards about 70 of their family joined morning service with us.
We made the church premises available to assist those who arranged a Somme Commemoration Vigil at the War Memorial from 8pm on July 1st to 1am July 2nd and the Memorial was surrounded by many candles in jam jars, producing a ring of flame. – midnight.
Our BB Juniors took part as they have for many years in the International Team Games and came 10th out of 184 worldwide. Some of us shared in the Celebration at Ashdon marking their 207th Church Anniversary.
The Fall - Out of this Conversation on Morality event was that 34 Church members and 10 regular non-members began worshiping at other Churches in Cambridge, Bishop's Stortford, in the villages and at other churches in Saffron Walden, especially the Community Church in Castle Street to which over 20 went and some of the children but some of them moved off elsewhere.
Several members long in fellowship with us resigned from membership. We lost members of the Welcome Team, the Refreshment Rota and of the Music Groups. Membership on paper dropped to the lower 90's, in practice it was already lower than that and active membership fell to the lower 70's with a congregation averaging 65 - 70. Soundings in April had indicated that if same sex marriages were agreed to take place in our premises that 40 members would resign. The Goddard Way Small Group closed down, to meet as a private group at Littlebury in September twice a month. The Minister and Deacons cancelled the July Church Meeting and other activities until the end of September so that the dust could settle before considering the future vision of the Church.
A Garden Party took place at Pinkneys Manor. BB Company Section maintained Skype contact with Liz and Sergie, Chloe and Joshua, and with Junior Section support raised funds to provide 1st Aid Kits for use at the PEPE project in Mozambique.
Great Sampford Baptist Church were faced with storm damage and other fabric costs of around £100,000 and were met by Sue Johnston their pastor raising around £4000 by facing challenges set by villages to work 5 consecutive days in the village, one at school preparing and serving school dinners, working on cars in a garage,mucking out at the stables and horse riding, working at a Turkey farm including driving a tractor, and pulling pints at the Red Lion.
As usual a lot of our members, participated in VBS at Joyce Frankland Academy Newport at which this year on the Youth Night attended by some 50 young people 32 made commitments to serve the LORD. Our Sue Auer served during the week in the Parents Tent that was introduced last year and is very effective as a stop off for refreshment and conversation for parents
The BB began accepting applications for it's next Camp in August 2017 at Beeston Regis.
Lighthouse Prayer Ministry closed its 5 year project Free Bibles to Nigeria having supplied 10,704. LHPM prepared to donate their 12th CD Player to Global Recordings for use in remote places, and additional books to the Lighthouse Library in Nigeria. They also ran out of VIA magazines in August having completed delivery to most of the homes in all the parishes of Uttlesford and all the villages on both the bus routes to Cambridge as far as Trumpington along with Linton, and Horseheath, and several housing estates in Trumpington and Newnham 2003-2016
The Church Archivist completed updating the Archives Catalogue and presented Special Illustrated histories of the Church, Mission Continuing 1550 – 2016. to the Town Library who are going to bind it, and to the County Record Office at Chelmsford. Also he recorded a 90 minute Interview of his experience of the Church during his lifetime for the Audio History base at both locations.
Despite the losses new people continued join the congregation. Shorter All age services were arranged for August to give Sunday Club staff a rest and those working in VBS time to prepare and recuperate. John was assisted by Yvonne Morton, Graham and Susan Jellis, and Ged Pearce in a series based on Ephesians 6 “THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD”.The marriage took place in August of Deepa Manthravadi and Henry Rice 11.
The Church set in hand plans for a Special Church Day at the St Marks College Diocesan Youth Centre at Audley End Village in September
The laying of that Meeting House foundation stone on 24th June 1774, sent out ripples which have not decreased over the centuries and are still having an influence over life in our community today.
This Church on the Hill has been a lighthouse to thousands and the seedbed from which have developed 17 Baptist, Anglican and United Reformed Ministers , 8 missionaries [ who served in Brazil, China, Germany, Congo and India, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Mozambique, Poland and the USA ], plus people going on short term mission projects in Brazil, Bulgaria, India, Uganda, South Africa, & Thailand, Well over 3000 people have been members of our church since 1774 and they have contributed to mission in many parts of Britain and across all the continents.
The church has a wide spreading and growing ministry and it’s best years may still lie ahead in the future. This is the 18th edition of our history and since 1974 altogether over 1320 copies have been circulated. . (C) JEM 2016
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