THE PASTORATE OF HIGH STREET BAPTISTS 1898 - 2013

[JEM]

THE PASTORATE OF HIGH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH 1898 - 2013

MINISTERS OF SAFFRON WALDEN BAPTIST CHURCH 1898 - 2013

REV JOHN YOUNG (1898 - 1917)

arrived and began the Diaconate or Deacons Court formed with 6 Deacons including Church Secretary and Church Treasurer offices introduced in 1871. Now there are 12 Deacons including the 2 officers and a Life Deacon, Jack Turnbull. The picture shows John on the centre of the seat of a group of the Men’s Own fellowship in David Barker’s garden in West Road. He arrived for the 124th Anniversary. Membership stood at 172. Dec 3rd & 4th 1903 the ladies organised a Bazaar at the Town Hall to clear the remaining debt on the building project.
John moved away in 1917 during the Great War

REV EDGAR JACKSON ( 1917 - 34)

arrived to reorganise a congregation and town devastated by world war. Hardly a family had not suffered the death or wounding of husbands and fathers and sons. Britain was close to bankruptcy and had been within 2 weeks of running out of food.
Edgar organised the Baptist Training Institution for young people, restarted the Christian Endeavour youth movement, trained a new generation of young people as leaders of Church and Community, organised a Sportsmen Service, encouraged the election of women to the Diaconate, and the founding of the Women’s Own meeting.

REV SIDNEY GRAY (1934 -1945 )

arrived He would be Chairman of the Free Church Council all through the War and helped greatly to draw all the churches together. He organised Open Air Services on th Common on summer Sunday afternoons attended by great crowds of people. Sidney is the tall man at the right end of this group of young people
In the tin chapel, and in summer in the field aside it, and later in the new Hall Sunday school was held, seen here, and A Women’s Meeting, a Scout Troop and a Girl’s Life Brigade Company met here. We sold the site in 1968 to help buy the new Manse at 31 Linton Close. It was at that mission hall that a lot of our young people trained as Sunday school teachers, leaders, preachers.
Over the platform painted on the wall. Was the text “JESUS CHRIST, the same yesterday, today and forever.
We celebrated our 170th Church Anniversary by uprooting old trees and planting new ones and replacing the old iron gates that was salvaged to make aircraft parts with new oak gates . All this was done as a memorial to the young people of the Church who were in the Armed forces and at war. These are Don Purkiss’s original drawings
for the layout plan

REV ARTHUR BLOWER ( 1946 - 1952)

rallied a congregation depleted by the War. He established the Men’s Fellowship which many of the men of the town joined.
He began the Sales of Work and the annual Toy service at Christmas The church hall became the headquarters of the Local Club for the Blind. The Girl’s life Brigade was formed. One of their officers, Mary, sister of Mr Jack Turnbull our senior deacon now became one of the first Baptist women Minister’s then called Deaconesses. Two other officers are now respected senior citizens of our congregation Joyce Oxley and Joy Waterman,

REV LEN ADDICOTT ( 1953 - 1956)

built on the work of Arthur Blower. And led a lot of young people to Christ including me. He began outreach to students at the local Teachers Training College, his wife formed the Girl’s Auxillary of the Baptist Missionary Society . The Church reorganised the Sunday School with a Senior Department led by Miss Kathleen Berry Headmistress of Dame Bradbury Prep School and Deacon Eric Len led a team of volunteers redecorating the Church Hall. The Youth Fellowship was formed. Our Youth Witness Team led them out into the villages leading services and coach loads of people were organised to Youth for Christ rallies at Stortford, Cambridge, & Haverhill. Ministry of Christian Communication was born which has since sent out Christian literature, cassettes, videos, etc to over 43,200 people world wide across 192 countries. Mrs Addicott formed the Young Wives Club and we hosted the Billy Graham Crusade Relay rally and began visiting.

REV HORACE WEBB (1956 - 1968)

led the Church in far reaching improvements to the buildings
He led celebration the 1767 baptism at Whittlesford, Launched LIFE magazine which circulated locally for the next 37 years. Sunday school moved from afternoons to mornings and became Junior Church, Free Church Scouts were formed here. The Missionary Committee which we finally closed after over 30 years was founded and revolutionised the Church’s attitude to mission support around the world. He organised a week long “School of Prayer” his son baptised here Philip Cresswell Webb became a Baptist minister and currently is Ecumenical Officer for Derbyshire and his wife is a minister of a church.
The Good Friday Procession of Witness began. The annual Summer Car Outing for Senior Citizens was launched as was the annual Christmas Charity Appeal. A mixed Youth Club was run, of which Arthur Coote, a later BB Officer and Deacon, then a teenager was a member .and was kicked out for bad behaviour. He later became a great friend of the leader who had felt compelled to do this.

[JEM]

REV DENNIS HORWOOD (1969-1982)

saw the introduction of Church weekend Conference, the formation the PLUS 16 Youth Group, Scout/Guide Gang Shows organised by David Halden one of our younger Deacons. run by the creation of the town’s first Day Centre for the Elderly in our Hall and the hill House project by which the Church helped the Baptist Men’s Movement rebuild Hill House from a post office sorting centre to 15 flats. In 1978 we began the Toddlers and Parents group and Andrew Turner, later a BB Officer, was a toddler then.

Bicentenary Year . our 200th Anniversary, a Church Archivist was appointed who carried through a thousand hour project to completely research the Church’s history, put on an exhibition and start the Archives Collection housing thousands of photos, now over 50 Albums, Hundreds of slides. Tape recordings, Videos. Etc. We had a Flower Festival, a Cricket Match with Abbey lane. They won. The music group Intersection was formed. We had a united Civic service of Thanksgiving with Abbey Lane’s congregation. With present the Mayor, our Methodist friend, Labour Councillor Peter Preece,

The building of the new Church Hall including a second floor. We have not finished yet. We hoped to install a lift for wheelchairs and a sliding screen for the lower hall to divide the lounge from the rest. We installed a new kitchen as we got a fungus attack to the woodwork. New toilets were built.

This enabled us to form the Guide Company for girls and 1st SW Boys Brigade Company. The photo here was taken for the BB National Centenary celebrations in 1983. Andrew Turner a later Officer in Charge Company Section and Band Master was an Anchor Boy and Simon Pickhaver and Lee Kitchener later officers were in Juniors.

We also took in the Girls Brigade for a year while they had no Captain, We also helped reorganise the local Bible Society Committee with all the churches members of it. Out of that too began the VOLUNTEERS MUSIC GROUP, Geoff & Rosemary Timms with Ged and Sue Pearce

We also during this period started Church Conferences and Camps. Our Church Membership reached it’s highest level since the 1870’s at 195 plus a near full congregation. We changed to new Hymn Books and introduced modern English Bibles.

Our first photocopier was introduced and we got the first Overhead Projector. Resources Room was created and we got a video player. We had the services of a Student Pastor STEPHEN HEAP and in 1982 we launched the Marching Band

REV BRIAN TUCKER (1983 - 1992)

led the Church into widening our Missionary work, One of our younger members of the 1970’s went with his wife and family to serve in El Salvador. Brian for the BMS visited Congo and India and Brazil. Janet Claxton went out to teach in Zaire, now Congo.
The Church Library was begun. For a time our hall was a drop-in centre for unemployed people. Brian organised the People of God Exhibition and we decked out with flags for European Sunday

REV PATRICIA TROUGHTON (1990-1997)

came to help Brian and stayed on as Minister on her own, our first Woman Minister. She encouraged all members of the Congregation to use their gifts and talents,
She helped to pioneer Prayer groups for schools, and the Saffron Walden Assemblies Team, and launched a Christian youth club at Kathryn Semar School. During her time we had a Sunday Evening Youth Club. She started the Church Band that plays on Sunday mornings .She helped pioneer the Winter Comfort project for homeless people. She later moved to Cambridge.

[JEM]

REV MALCOLM BROWN ( 1995 - 2004 )

and family arrived and he increased training opportunities Colleen introduced days of prayer and prayer circles and prayer walking. We changed the hymn book again, Saturday Night Live got going. We obtained a computer and computer projector Colleen became Pastoral Team Co-ordinator and training of carers was developed. Rosemary Fletcher became Office administrator. Phil spent time serving in Thailand and Tim in Albania. Rachel served short term in India. Jean Robertson began her annual overseas Soapbox ministry visits. Wendy Spark developed her missionary work to the Afar people of Ethiopia. and became a Bible Studies Course marker who had 76 overseas students on her books.

Elaine and Arthur Coote began their child care career and overseas pen pal mailing ministry. We began running ALPHA Courses A team came from Florida to help us in A Partnership Mission. We have started recording morning services and study groups and making cassettes available to people who could not get to Church activities.

The Deacons began looking at how to use our buildings more and better to serve the community and make plans for building changes to begin the 21st Century of the Christian... The Pastoral Team ministry after training, began in May 1999. This divided the congregation into 9 groups led by a Deacon with a team of 3 trained helpers. This was disbanded as unworkable in 2004

We assisted in distribution of over 6000 Gospels of Luke in town during December 1999. An Art and Crafts Exhibition was held in Spring 2000. and we helped staff the SWYPE group at Abbey Lane United Reformed Church. We participated in the Millennium Road Show on the Common in June 2000 with other Christians.. Our teenage group called themselves JKOS Just Keep On Smiling

In 2000 we twinned until 2006 with Dobrich Baptist Church in Bulgaria some of whose congregation are pictured here. A team of our members led by Malcolm4 went out to run a VBS Week for them. We also collected lots of toys, food supplies and aids but this had to go by boat and train and did not reach Dobrich but was distributed in other parts of that country. We also sent them this special banner

The Church bought a new electronic keyboard organ to replace the old organ now defunct. Our BB Band began leading the Remembrance Sunday parades, and even when unable to do so . provided buglers at the War Memorial and St Mary’s. The Royal British Legion in 2004 presented 2 new bugles for this purpose. 4 of our BB members made a commitment to Christ at the “Firm Foundations” weekend at Feldon.. Mrs Lynda Turner retired after 20 years as Anchor Boys leader Mr Les Revell retired after 20 years as an officer

That year too the Church welcomed Jamie Sawtell for training as a youth worker to work here in conjunction with studying at Ridley Hall Cambridge
Seen here in the middle of the Team that went to
Dobrich to run their VBS Week he lodged with Janet Claxton at first and then at Hill House. he did much work with Boy’s Brigade, on a weekly basis and at “Firm Foundations at Feldon Lodge, he worked with SWYPE. He developed and ran Youth ALPHA and ALPHA+ courses, and helped reorganise Sunday Club and was involved in “detached” youth work with
Essex Youth service & Saffron Walden Youth outreach project. He left in July 2004

A Steering Committee was set up in 1999 to prepare the Millennium Project of internal changes to the Sanctuary to make the building more user friendly for the 21st century. This led to the setting up of a Fund Raising Committee and the launching of the appeal for the Church Redevelopment Project in 2000 after the adoption of Margaret and Richard Davies and Associates as Architects with an anticipated cost of around £400.000.

Detailed plans and drawings were exhibited for the congregation to considered in the summer of 2001 and that autumn the congregation learned that the donations received , plus the tax refunds, and pledges to the end of 2001 exceeded £250,000, and we had access to interest free loans of over £30,000, and a BU Loan of £200,000

Another Church Weekend at Feldon Lodge was successfully held in Oct 2001. A moveable screen on casters was introduced to partition the Upper Hall. In 2000 and 2001 several parties of schoolchildren visited the Church buildings.
An early morning prayer meeting was commenced on Wednesdays at 7am moved to Thursdays in 2002.. Both our Church and Boys’ Brigade Company have web sites on the Internet and our minister communicates with quite a lot of us by email and mobile phone.

Three members of the congregation experimented with a Christian Pitch at Sunday morning Car Boot Sales monthly on the Common car park making contacts, having conversations and issuing literature and cassettes. One of our members accompanied a Soapbox Team to Kenya and a recent former member led a BMS team to Uganda for a month assisting with a building project and care of children. The Church celebrated Harvest with support of a project in Angola. Youth Alpha courses were started

In 2002 we again hosted such varied events as the District Guides Thinking Day, the Women’s World Day of Prayer, and the opening worship of the largest Good Friday Procession of Witness for years which held an open air service in the market place as usual and then walked on to the closing service at the Parish Church. We became involved in the Common Ground project with the bus on the Common on Friday nights to reach young people.
The bus went out of service in 2005.

At the beginning of the 21s century we had active youth work of various kinds. Scouts and Cubs
“Greenhouse” was organised on Sundays at Chris Wilkins home for the teenagers to study Christianity assisted by the Internet
Some members of the congregation hosted children from Chernobyl in Belorus for a summer holiday.. We hosted the 2nd Annual Assembly of the Eastern Baptist Association. Sunday evening worship changed to “Praise and Prayer” Sessions in the Church Hall

Boys Brigade catered 6-19 year olds through Anchor Boys in red jerseys , through Juniors & Teenagers
with a programme of Training with Fun. Activity
Awards, Duke of Edinburgh awards. Presidents Badge & Queen’s Badge with advanced leadership training
With plenty of hobbies, social skills, sport, outings,
competitions with other Companies ad Summer Camps. Alternate years at Whitecliff Bay IOW and other places like Runton, Swanage, Chideok,or in Wales, and adventures in Derbyshire.

Also associating with GB girls we run a Marching Band that participates in local events and National competitions.
We got into the habit of referring to the Church Family (Congregation) rather than the Church Fellowship (the Membership) and in October a new Directory of the Congregation was produced about the 40years after of the first edition of the Directory of Church Members. 233 adults were listed and 108 children and young people.

Our Girls were catered for by Girl’s Brigade at the Methodist Church or Rainbows, Brownies

For the youngest there are Tots & Co started in 1976 and for everybody Sunday Club from 4 - teens
Lots of different activities to help teach God’s word to this age group, Members of the congregation led by Malcolm before moved were active leading Day School assemblies and Christian Clubs in schools

We had our last service in the old church on Easter Day, 2003
In May we held an Auction of Treasures and then a team of volunteers cleared the furnishings of church and halls into 2 store rooms, much stuff was taken to the Recycling depot,. Downstairs pews were removed and the platform and pulpit demolished

The Builders “”Bakers of Danbury” moved in during June. 2003 Life Deacon Jack Turnbull a former MD, in his role as Premises Steward acted as overseer of the project in liaison with the Company.



The project included removal of pews, pulpit and organ, levelling the sanctuary floor, purchase of seating, redecoration of the sanctuary necessary anyway, rewiring the premises, a new foyer on the Audley Road side created from the former vestry. And installing a lift to the upper hall, , a new Church office, a new screen at the West entrance, and creation of a studio control room and chair store. Later on a team of volunteers replaced wiring and repainted the hall interior

Services were held from May to November at the County High School Drama Department (above) and the other churches of the town accommodated our mid week and Sunday evening activities. In August one week we used the VBS Marquee and a lot of our folk were involved in Vacation Bible School , leading groups, assisting with site security, preparing materials, selling Christian literature, supporting daily morning prayer meetings, and with Malcolm as Head

Through out the summer into the autumn a Church Review was commissioned organised for us by Rev Ron Messenger with 6 wonderful teaching sessions culminating in an open forum for comments, and a series of discussion groups after 2 of the mid week sessions and as home discussion groups on and a series of discussion groups after 2 of the mid week sessions and as home discussion groups on the theme “

”Is the Church meeting the needs of” covering Men, Women, Young People 15-25, Children’s Leaders, People at Work, The Over 60’s, People who live alone, Marriage and Family. The feed back from all these sessions was put together into a 60 page dossier which was made available to the congregation to read,.

The Review revealed great deal of dissatisfaction with much that we were doing. Outside the Worship sessions about 100 people were involved in the review. This culminated in a meeting of Group Leaders, a Day of Prayer and a Church Day Review Conference, with the theme of “Stepping out Together” attended by about 60 people.

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 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

Our organ was advertised unsuccessfully for 3 years on the Internet Then a team of volunteers dismantled it and packing it up in numbered lots including 1152 pipes and took it to Southoe near St Neots aiming to install it in st Leonard’s Parish Church there

Funds for this not being available it passed into the hands of businessman Peter Wood of Harrogate Director of a company of organ builders, restorers, and tuners destined for a North Yorkshire church.

It found it’s way to a de-consecrated cathedral in East German used as an Organ Mart. It was then in 2004 destined for Wloclawek on the river Vistula, in Poland but it did not get there.

It is now in a new Roman Catholic Church in the village of Dirgenheim in Bavaria, West Germany built in above the Church entrance door where Werner and Josef Muller. take turns to play it for worship

Also created was a special walk way from the front drive allowing access of wheel chairs to the new South Porch which replaced a narrow corridor, a store cupboard and the old minister’s and deacons vestry.
.
Rev Malcolm Brown accepted the pastorate of Elland Edge Baptist Church at a village on the outskirts of Rastrick, Yorkshire North of Huddersfield with 30 members plus adherents and a few children, with an enthusiastic mid-week prayer meeting, In Rastrick there are 3 primary schools and 2 hospices and 3 other churches and a good relationship between them all. On Jan 11th,2004 a Farewell Service was held followed by Tea. Malcolm’s Induction was on Jan 31st 2004.

In 2004 Gavin Rowden a Senior Airline Pilot with Monarch Airlines was elected as the new Church Secretary and the Diaconate vacancies were filled. Two of our young men have pioneer new web sites and web boards David Timms set up
http:// thecross.boards20.com/ for testimonies, poems etc, closed in 2005 and Daniel Rowden set up www.afraid clothing to sell Christian slogan “T” shirts with the profits going to charities. Since closed and he is married living in South Africa with his Finnish wife.

The Official Re-Opening service led by Gavin and Rededication of the Church Premises took place on March 6th 2004/.with the incoming BU President for 2004-2005 Rev Peter Manson preaching. Part of his message was a call to “making this house a House of Prayer for all Nations

A Half day of Prayer took place on June 19th and monthly First Monday Prayer Meetings began but this soon stopped
At Easter 2004 we had began using the new baptistry .
A New Studio for amplification, projection and recording was included in the renewed premises.

REV DAVID DOONAN
of Ashdon Baptist Church, son of the Baptist Minister of Athlone in Ireland and a former BMS missionary to Brazil was appointed Moderator
.
A Fund Raising Committee was set up with a varied programme of monthly events to help clear the loan repayments by 2010. One of our members became General Secretary of Churches Together in Saffron Walden for the next 3 years retiring in 2007. The Luncheon Club was established twice a month on the second and fourth Mondays In 1907 membership of this was 48.
During 2005 several meetings were held for people thinking about Membership and new members were added. Our website was upgraded www.sw-bc.org 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. 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.
Our new West frontage was completed with new railed steps, a central glass door and two windows with our logo on

Our Boy’s Brigade Company began to celebrate their Silver Jubilee with a Display at the Town Hall and by the BB & GB Marching Band winning 5 trophies at the National Marching Band Championships at Stoke on Trent . A new Mission Co-ordinator was appointed. We saw growth in the Sunday Evening Praise and Prayer services and 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.

During May 2005 we met formally and informally with the Rev Simon Mattholie from North Winchester Community Church and after wide consultation with the congregation we appointed him as our 18th Minister. Several members of the congregation too part in the 2005 town Carnival for various organisations and the Church Fund Raising Committee organised a public barbecue on the edge of the watching crowds and provided seating for members of the congregation to watch.

[JEM]

REV SIMON MATTHOLIE (2005 - 2011 )

began his ministry on Sept 1st and came to us with and his wife Kirstie and children Anna and Dominic and was inducted on Sept 10th

During 2005 the Evolution Group developed and in October 2005 150 people many of them young gathered on a Saturday night for a Worship Gig of Next Generation Gospel music. They had a growing group, a web board. and from 2006 they led an evening service alternate months. They also cut a CD.

In 2006 Churches Together in Saffron Walden, 9 churches in Covenanted Fellowship
Ten months of intense discussion amongst the churches has brought about the adoption and signing of the Covenant first considered in 2002. This signing took place at the 2006 United Covenant Service attended by about 400 people and well covered by all the local newspapers

We set up the “passing of the cross” prayer ministry encompassing all the CTSW member churches. 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. A Year of Prayer ”The Father’s heart a time of listening” began

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. We held another Monster Party at Halloween and a Praise Party at Christmas when 6 children made commitments.

In 2008 We moved forward to appointing a Youth Pastor and later welcomed former member Elizabeth, and her husband Brazilian Sergio Vilela to do this job together. Monthly “Songs of Praise” Tea services were developed. Simon moved to his own home at 44 Shepherds Way, and later to Sewards End. The 125th Anniversary of the Boys Brigade was observed.

In 2009 We supported the Bicentenary of Ashdon Baptist Church, and Ashley Townsend of Thaxted Baptist Church who went to Brazil with a BMS Action Team. 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 Display 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, 1117 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.

The 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 “Mewenya 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.
Gavin Walter tested his calling in the Cluster Churches. We had a good 60's Concert. and clncluded with the Christmas celebrations.

[JEM]

THE 18th Pastorate 2013

Rev John M Goddard 2013 -

2013 began with the Preaching with a view of Rev John Goddard with a Question and Answer Forum session and refreshments on the Saturday and Ministry with Communion on the Sunday preaching from Ezekiel and the New Testament on Resurrection, Revival and Renewal on the theme NEW BEGINNINGS and to the children illustrated with a Cadbury's Chocolate Crème egg manufactured all the year round in millions for supply January 1st to Easter as a reminder that we celebrate Easter all the Year Round.

So on Sunday January 13th 2013 we met in groups in the chapel led by deacons, 73 members and 21 non-members and the members excepting 4 who abstained, voted with 86% in favour to invite as our 19th minister, to begin the 18th pastorate ( there were 2 ministers here during the 3rd ) Rev John Goddard of Barrow in Furness Cumbria later in this our 239th Year.

John was born in 1967 and he grew up at Chapel en le Frith in Derbyshire where he was a member of the Boy's Brigade and attained the top award of Queen's Man. Brought up in a Methodist Church he became a Christian at the age of 14 and began lay preaching at 16 with a Lay Preacher in his 60's. At 17 he was baptised by an Evangelical Church that had been Baptist in a Pentecostalist baptistery. He went to University and studied Theology. He married his wife Karen and they have 2 teenage sons Sean and Liam. He served as a chaplain at Nottingham University. He worked with the Evangelical Alliance followed by pastorates at Woodstock and Barrow in Furness. In both towns he was Chairman of Churches Together and he went on to be President of Churches Together in Cumbria. He has served until 2013 on the Baptist Union of Great Britain Council.

Sergio and Liz Vilela announced plans to visit his family home in Brazil in January and then return to live with Liz's parents and then to train at the BMS World Mission training centre at Birmingham with the intention of a 5 year contract in Mozambique from 2014.

We hosted the Annual Agape Meal of Churches Together in Saffron Walden, and on January 20th at St Mary's Parish Church Angely Sabey signed the renewed and revised Covenant of CT in SW. Only 18 members of our congregation attended including 13 Church members, the rest of our congregation took the day off.

Through LHPM we have now supplied in 2 years over 2200 Bibles to 9 groups in Nigeria.

We supported Gavin Walter's application to train for the Ministry resolving that he proceed to the Ministerial Recognition Committee of the Eastern Baptist Association.

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 on March 9th at The Maze Restaurant

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 reoganise 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. 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 worshipping 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 16 went and some of the children.

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 Mozambiique.

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 menbers, paetcipated in VBS at Joyce Franland Academy Newport

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 Countyr 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 Henty 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, 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.