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WESTBURY-ON-TRYM BAPTIST CHURCH Constituted 20th April 1947 A BRIEF HISTORY of the FIRST 50 YEARS
This tells the story of the Westbury-on-Trym Baptist Church, a part of the history of the
world-wide Church of God. Perhaps this story will never be found in any text book on Church
history, but it is nevertheless of profound significance to those of us who have been involved, for it
is our story; the story of our shared lives. The faith and the vision of those who founded our
Church and who sustained its growing ministry over the years is both daunting and inspiring. We
are daunted because we feel we can never live up to the great characters of the past whose
personalities, work and commitment fill this record. Yet we are inspired because the God who met
the needs of those who planted, watered and grew our Church, will surely provide us with the strength
and resources we need to undertake the tasks to which He is calling us; to develop the work, to
enhance our relationship with God and to deepen our involvement in the neighbourhood and the World of
which we are a part.
In one sense, a fiftieth anniversary is like a busy road, it is vital to look both ways before you
cross. For as we celebrate, we look to our past and we rejoice in the evidence of God's
faithfulness; and we also look to the future with hope and expectancy, sure that God has promised
to travel with us. We are grateful for our past; our shared memories are a part of the
people we are. We owe a debt of thanks to all those who have contributed to this fascinating
record and put our story into such an accessible form. Yet the greatest debt of thanks belongs
to God who is the main actor in these pages: without Him there would be no story to
tell. This is really a part of His story, a chapter in the continuing history of the work of
Jesus Christ, our own addition to the greatest story of them all.
'The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message and retain it in a good and
obedient heart, and they persist until they bear fruit' Luke 8:15
The Origin of the Church
On Monday, December 2nd 1940,Tyndale Baptist Church situated in Whiteladies Road, was partially
destroyed by incendiary bombs. By the generosity of their members a rebuilding fund was quickly
established to restore an established and thriving church. However, the continuing hostilities
were not conducive to a rebuilding programme and so Tyndale settled down to use their cramped Church
hall for their services. In the interim period stringent petrol rationing was causing transport
problems for members to attend regularly, especially for those with young children for Sunday school.
The Revd G Henton Davies was a tutor at the Bristol Baptist College and a member of Tyndale and in
June 1944, at his wife's instigation and with the consent of Revd Frank Bryan, Minister of Tyndale,
he formed a branch of the Tyndale Sunday school in the lounge of their home at 3 The Dell,
Westbury-on-Trym. This proved to be a major landmark in future developments. The venture
flourished and a year later 22 children were present to mark the first anniversary.
A "Westbury Christian Community Centre"
At a special Church meeting of Tyndale members in February 1945 it was decided with vision and courage
not only to rebuild Tyndale but to establish a place of worship at another suitable
site. Encouraged by the growth in the Sunday school venture, Westbury was chosen and generously
given precedence over rebuilding Tyndale. It was revealed that nine plots of land on Reedley
Road could be purchased for £2,200, two surplus Civil Defence huts, one large and one small, could be
obtained from Penpole Point for £120 and £75 respectively. The cost of erection and site
preparation would be around £500. A loan would be granted by Lloyds Bank to cover these
costs. These matters were agreed and the Westbury Project Committee was established to survey
the area, purchase the land and provide suitable facilities for worship. The Secretary would be
Mr E Seath and the Treasurer Mr F Haynes; the site would be known as the "Westbury
Christian Community Centre" and, when the Church was founded, would be an open fellowship to
serve that community. The whole project was regarded as an "Enterprise", hence the
origin of the name of the Church magazine.
By May the land was purchased and a licence for the temporary buildings obtained. The original
wooden structure was to be modified by the addition of a kitchen and cloakrooms designed by the
architect, Mr Spencer Murch, the Tyndale Church Secretary. Erection was completed by the end of
the year. At a meeting in December it was agreed to invite the Revd J I Carlyle Litt, then
serving as Chaplain with the British Army of Occupation, to become Assistant Minister at Tyndale with
special responsibility for the Westbury project.
By this time the Sunday school in the Dell was overcrowded and, although the "huts" were
not yet officially opened, a transfer was deemed necessary. After a short valedictory service
on 13th January 1946 at the Dell, the children, each carrying a picture or other gift, proceeded in
single file following the Revd G Henton Davies to their "new home". He knocked on the
door and the Revd FC Bryan welcomed each child and received their gifts to adorn the
"huts". One small boy remarked: '"we knocked on the door and God opened
it".
During the next few months leaflets about the new church were circulated to the whole area. More
members were co-opted to the Westbury Committee as enthusiasm grew. The 167th Cubs were founded
by Godfrey Warwick on 2nd February 1946. The facilities were officially "opened" on
9th March by Dr A Dakin, President of the Baptist Union and a member of Tyndale, at a well attended
service. In September the first issue of the leaflet "Enterprise" was circulated to
the neighbourhood to keep residents well informed of progress and developments. These included
Sunday school, Young Peoples Fellowship (YPF), Women's Fellowship and the Men's Contact
Club. During the next few months Godfrey Warwick registered the 167th Scouts which was soon
followed by the 195th Guides, under Peggy Hollinghum, and the 195th Brownies, led by Jill Whittard.
The Foundation Service
In November 1946, 70 people had signified in writing that they were willing to become founding
members. They included former members of Tyndale and other Churches. The foundation
service took place on 20th April 1947. The address was given by the Revd Carlyle Litt and the
Revd Henton Davies set forth the Church Covenant, which was signed by the founding members. The
Revd Bryan then declared the Church constituted and delivered a charge of fellowship to the members,
followed by Communion.
The first Church meeting in May paid tribute to the generosity of Tyndale for its spiritual leadership
and continual support which was sent in writing to the "Mother Church". Mr E Seath,
the Secretary, stated that the whole of the £5,000 sum needed for the enterprise had been met by
Tyndale. The Westbury Committee disbanded to transfer responsibility to the Westbury Baptist
Church. The Baptist Union Trust Deed, vesting the property in the Bristol and District
Association of Baptist Churches as a Charitable Trust, was accepted in principle. Revd Bryan
would act as Moderator and the first six Deacons were elected: Mr S H Dearing, Mr G W Warwick,
Mr E G Seath, Mr F Stephens, Mrs Eva Cox and Dr Winifred Nott. Throughout the early years of the
Church Dr Nott, the local GP, welcomed young and old to her house in Rylestone Grove. When she
died in 1986, she left one third of her estate to our church and this generosity proved vital in a
further development during the fifth decade.
The First Minister - Revd J I Carlyle Litt, 1947-1960
In June 1947 the Church invited Revd J I Carlyle Litt to become its first Minister, a call which he
accepted gladly. The Manse, at 8 The Dell, was purchased in August to accommodate the Minister
and his family. Six Westbury members were baptised at Tyndale and three at Horfield during the
next eight months. It was reported that members had moved house to be closer to the Church or
even refused promotion that involved moving away from Westbury! At the first anniversary service
Dr Townley Lord described the development as "one of the finest examples of forward work in
Baptist history". The membership now stood at 91. Plans were made to install a
baptistry in February 1948 and the work was completed by early autumn. This was a gift made by
Mr and Mrs Richardson in memory of their two sons, who had been killed during the war. The
Baptistry was dedicated in November by Dr A Dakin and one candidate, David Cox, baptised.
The Growth of the Church
'Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell together in
unity' Psalms 133:1
There was a very happy atmosphere in the huts. A group of women, known as the working party,
worked all year to produce goods to sell at the three-day Christmas Fayre. Despite a cramped
kitchen, meals were prepared and served with the instruction that people should bring their own knife,
fork and spoon, until cutlery was purchased. Their efforts to provide catering were remarkable,
considering that the availability of food was still controlled by wartime rationing.
The New Hall
By 1949 it was becoming apparent that additional facilities would need to be considered to keep pace
with the steady increase in membership. It was agreed to construct a permanent building which,
it should be noted, was a most ambitious project in view of the extreme post-war austerity. Once
again Tyndale waived its own building application in favour of Westbury. A building fund was
successfully organised to finance the project. Plans were drawn up for a church and hall,
connected by classrooms, but at this stage only the hall was to be built. The foundation stones
for the hall were laid on 19th May 1951 by Mr H Bodey for Tyndale and Revd Carlyle Litt for Westbury,
at a short outdoor service amongst the preliminary building works. The hall was officially
opened on 5th January 1952 by Revd Bryan in the presence of some 400 Baptists from all over
Bristol. After a short valedictory service in the huts, the congregation, led by the Scouts and
Guides parading their colours, formed a procession to the hall. At this dedication service, Revd
Bryan stated that "right from the start this Church has been cradled in the idea that it is
here for the service of the community. My hope and prayer is that it will always keep that
vision". One example of this vision was the formation of a "teenage club" in
February 1953. This allowed the many young people in the uniformed organisations and Sunday
school to meet for social events on Saturday evenings with the expectation that they would attend the
service the following day. Activities included table tennis, quizzes, theatre visits and
listening to records - dancing was not allowed!. Cycle rides, rambles and tennis at Dr Nott's
court were popular in the summertime. The teenage club originated the Boxing Day mixed hockey
match on the Downs and thrived for many years under the able leadership of Godfrey Warwick.
In 1954 Tyndale opened their rebuilt Church with an inscribed stone: this was given by Westbury
Baptist Church to acknowledge the faith and vision of Tyndale by which: "Out of the
Ashes two Churches arose". In the summer of 1955 a Hanover Baptist Youth group made a
two-week visit to our Church. This was an example of outreach to promote understanding between
young Christians following the trauma of the War. A similar visit was made some years
later. During this period a drama group was formed with Mrs Paddy Watts as
producer; later groups were led by Henry Sager in the 70's and, more recently, by Maureen
Cowley and Rachel Corbin. In 1956 it was felt that there was a need for a monthly meeting for
the parents of young children. The "Forum" was established at the home of Sandy and
Vera Brown, with outside speakers stimulating lively discussion. This proved to be a popular
social occasion and continued for about 10 years until other arrangements were made to meet on Church
premises.
During the next five years the membership continued to grow under the inspired leadership of Revd
Carlyle Litt. He was an eloquent preacher with sermons full of challenging ideas. He
possessed a wonderful control of words to express his purpose. He was related to the famous
historian and journalist Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) who was also renowned for his dramatic dialogue
and imagery. Revd Carlyle Litt was particularly good with children and would produce an old
music case, known as "the bag": this featured in a "children's talk", its
contents were guessed by the children. His love of children made him a sensitive chaplain to the
Children's Hospital. His brilliant preaching was in evidence when he became President of the
Bristol and District Baptist Association. He helped to create a powerful sense of fellowship
amongst the congregation. This fellowship was mature enough to sustain his departure in 1960 (to
become the Minister of Lyme Regis Baptist Church), and held strongly over the following 15 months of
pastoral vacancy
The Second Minister - Revd A J Patterson, 1961-1975
The Revd A J (John) Patterson was invited to become the second Minister. He had served in the
RAF during the war and was then trained at Rawden College (now Northern College),
Manchester. The induction service for Revd Patterson took place on 24th June 1961 and a further
period of expansion continued under his ministry. He encouraged the Church to take an active
part in the establishment of the ecumenical Westbury Council of Churches (WCC) to promote and
coordinate joint Christian work and witness at the local level. The original group included
Westbury Parish Church, Westbury Methodist Church, Stoke Bishop Parish Church and Westbury Baptist
Church. The inaugural United Service took place on the 4th June 1962 at Westbury Parish
Church. Later activities of the WCC included, as part of this outreach, a Christian Survey,
performed in 1965 and, two years later, the setting up of the "Street Warden Scheme" and
the "People Next Door" project. The Minister and members fulfilled outreach roles to
the Bristol Eye Hospital, Horfield Prison and the British Sailors' Society.
Completion of the Church Buildings
The Revd Patterson gave much time and thought to the important topic of the improved church
buildings. He made a further careful survey of the area and consulted with other denominational
leaders. Then he presented his conviction to the Diaconate and Church members that a Church
sanctuary, set aside specifically for worship, was needed for the continuing growth of the
fellowship. In a booklet circulated to the local neighbourhood he stated: 'If a
community is to have a soul, it must have a centre of Christian worship, with a church worthy of the
God we worship'.
In January 1962 a planning committee was formed to consider requirements based on the architect's
original plans. The final report proposed a sanctuary to seat at least 300, with an emphasis on
simplicity, light, space and height and a welcoming front entrance, with wide doors. The
ancillary buildings were to include a vestry, group room, parlour, kitchen, coffee bar, workshop and
cloakrooms. The huts would be removed and the grounds landscaped. The total costs were
estimated to be between £45,000 and £50,000. At the Church meeting held in March 1964 there were
some reservations expressed, not in principle, but due to the costs involved. By a narrow vote,
however, it was agreed to proceed and to obtain detailed plans and estimates. This decision was
fully supported with great enthusiasm and a fund raising committee was quickly organised. During
the next three years of intensive effort £18,000 was raised. The shortfall of £32,000 was
obtained by loans from the Baptist Building Fund, the Baptist Union Corporation and the Gateway
Building Society.
The Formation of Family Church
In the early years of the Sunday school no summer was complete without an outing, usually to Brean or
Weston-Super-Mare. Travel was hazardous but great fun with all packed into Percy Bawn's
furniture van. Chairs were strapped to the insides and the top of the back door was
open; everyone sang during the journey! But the patterns of family life in the community
during the 1960's were changing and an afternoon Sunday school was recognised as incompatible with
these changes. In response, it was prudently decided to introduce a Children's Church in 1965
under the leadership of Mrs Vera Brown. This would allow parents and children to attend the
morning service, but to provide a separate teaching session for the children. This proved
extremely popular with a marked increase in attendance. For a limited period both systems ran in
tandem while a working party considered the new approach, taking into account the views of parents and
children. As a result the Sunday School was replaced by the Family Church on 11th October
1966. During 1966 the Pre-School Play Group was formed and a Holiday Club was organised during
several school summer holidays. A Church member, Charmian Richards married the Revd David Martin
in 1966 and they went to Brazil with BMS in 1968, for five years.
'And this will be their anthem, One Church, one Faith, one Lord'
In 1967, the first Stewardship campaign was undertaken, led by the Baptist Union Adviser, the Revd
Ungoed Davies. This involved about a year of preparation and was a demanding but rewarding
exercise. In November a family meal was held in the Bristol City Council Chamber and was
attended by over 200 members of the Church and congregation. It was followed by a united
gathering and group sessions to explore the material and spiritual resources of the Church. The
net result was the development of an annual "Day at the Church" with assessment and
commitment which proved to be a great stimulus to the active life of the Church.
The Opening of the New Church Buildings
The membership of the Church had now reached 233 and on 16th September 1967 the foundation stone for
the extensions to the church was laid by the Revd Patterson in the presence of the Revd Ron Cowley
(Tyndale), Revd Dr A Dakin (Bristol Baptist College), Revd E W Durant, Mr C M Amor (Bristol Baptist
Association) and Revd R Darville (Superintendent of the Western Area). The commencement of
building operations stimulated great enthusiasm. For example, the Youth Club raised £100 by a
sponsored walk to the Severn Bridge and eight students, three of whom were Church members, volunteered
for labouring duties. The Women's Working Party continued its excellent fund-raising
work. In June 1968, an ecumenical declaration of faith and intent was made by the eight serving
Ministers of the WCC. This was a significant achievement and landmark in cementing the
relationships between different denominations. In the same year the first meeting was held of
the "Senior Circle", an opportunity for older people to meet socially on a weekly
basis. Talks were arranged and board games (but not cards!) played in a convivial
atmosphere. This continues to the present day.
The new Church buildings were opened on 14th September 1968 by the President of the Baptist Union, the
Revd Dr G R Beasley Murray, and dedicated by Revd Patterson and the congregation
together. Revd Patterson set out the uses to which the building was to be put and the
congregation responded after each section with: "We dedicate this
house". The dedication was followed by a hymn specially written for the occasion by Mrs
Miriam Roberts, "This our day of jubilation", sung to the tune
"Westminster Abbey". This was a most moving event and an expression of profound
gratitude to God with a renewed dedication to His work in Westbury on Trym. It was fitting that
the services on 22nd September were the Annual Free Church Civic Service in the morning (led by the
Revd N S Moon) and the United Service of the WCC in the evening.
In November 1970 a house immediately adjacent to the Church, at 1 Brainsfield, was purchased for the
church caretaker, Rosemary Evans, and family. Rosemary gave a long and distinguished service to
the Church in many ways, notably in her interest and leadership with the uniformed
organisations. She was appointed District and Divisional Commissioner with the Guides and
Brownies. There was a long waiting list for the 195th Companies, so in 1971 the 28th Bristol
Guides and Brownies were formed. In 1972 a support group, the friends of Coombe House (an old
peoples home) was established by the WCC. All age groups were involved, such as children singing
Christmas carols and adults providing physical assistance and spiritual comfort as well as raising
much needed funds. A similar function was provided for Terrill House, a residential home for the
elderly based in Apsley Road, Clifton. The original support group was led by the Revd J Penry
Davies, then Minister of Broadmead Baptist Church and later, in retirement, a member at
Westbury. Members of this group conducted evening prayers, arranged visits by young people and
organised coffee mornings and an autumn sale to provide financial assistance. A sincere interest
in the welfare of both Homes continues to the present day. In the same year, Revd Patterson was
appointed President of the Bristol and District Baptist Association. In April 1973 a televised
service of the South West Ecumenical Council was broadcast from the Church. Participants
included the Revd Kenneth Slack of the United Reformed Church and Brigadier Bell of the Salvation
Army, with an address by Cardinal Suenens, prayers by Archbishop Bloom and the blessing given by the
Bishop of Bristol. Revd Patterson, in a message to those attending, emphasised the freedom of
worship which is so much a part of the Baptist heritage.
The summer of 1954 had seen the first Pastoral exchange, with Dr McClung from Oklahoma, and the second
exchange was arranged some 20 years later with the visit of Revd Dan Benedict from Newark, New York
State. In 1975 Mrs Muriel Warwick, a founder member, was appointed as the first woman President
of Bristol and District Baptist Association. Three church members also joined the Bristol Lay
Preachers Association. Once again, after a 14-year pastorate, the Church reluctantly had to part
with its Minister when Revd John Patterson was called to Derby, in November 1975. A measure of
his devoted pastoral work can be gained from the deep regret expressed on his departure throughout the
whole neighbourhood and by the tributes and gifts sent by a wide variety of grateful people.
The Third Minister - Revd P L King, 1976-1994
On hearing about the pastoral vacancy, Revd R S Burden, Chaplain to Southmead Hospital and a member
of this church, suggested to the Diaconate that they should ask Revd Peter King to preach with a
view. It is an interesting coincidence that at the time Revd F C Bryan opened the new Hall in
1952, Peter King was being prepared under him to enter Spurgeon's Baptist College. Subsequently
the Revd Peter King was the Minister for Biddleston (1956-59), Spalding (1959-1964) and Enfield
(1964-1976) prior to coming to Westbury and brought a wealth of experience to our Church with his
induction on 9th October 1976. His leadership in the forthcoming years proved to be vigorous,
stimulating and sensitive. Soon after his appointment, the debt on the church buildings was
cleared, allowing the Church to enlarge its giving overseas, while continuing the caring ministry in
the local community.
'The Lord has yet more light and truth to break forth from his Word'
During this decade, many of the church members continued their Christian service in other parts of
Bristol and through the world. In 1977, Andrew Evans, a member since his youth, was inducted as
Lay Pastor of Stapleton Baptist Church. In 1978, Revd King joined Radio Bristol to make
regular religious broadcasts to bring the good news of the Lord to the listening public of
Bristol. After a few years he moved to Radio West which later became GWR. In 1979, Dr
Suzanne Roberts, who grew up in this church, commenced BMS service in Bangladesh. Since this
was the Year of the Child, Family Church sponsored a child, Samer Nasser Azzar in Jerusalem, for
seven years under a scheme arranged by the Bible Lands Society. In the following year, the WCC
helped to settle three Cambodian refugee families in Bristol.
In the spring of 1980, the Church was honoured to broadcast the Easter morning service live on Radio
Bristol. In April 1980, the bicentenary of Robert Raikes (a pioneer of Sunday schools), was
celebrated when the Family Church joined with the Sunday School Union on Durdham Downs. Later
that same year Gordon Holmes, who had been our student minister and was now regional organiser for
Christian Aid, was ordained and inducted as the Associate Minister of the Church. Michael King,
Revd King's eldest son, was accepted by the BMS for training as an agricultural missionary, then, in
January 1984, he and his wife Carol were sent to Zaire. In 1983, some of our young people
volunteered to help with the evangelising ship "Logos" which sailed from port to port
spreading the Good News.
In March 1985 the Church held its first Church family weekend at Lindors, a Methodist Guild Guest
House at St Briavels in the Wye Valley. Revd Ron Cowley led 56 people from the church in
exploring what it means to belong to the family of God. In September 1985 there was a renewal
of the Stewardship programme with a celebration of all that God had done in the past for the Church,
a dedication of all that was going on in the present and a commitment of time, talents and wealth for
the future. Everyone was invited to the Harvest Supper, at which there was an exhibition of all
the opportunities for service in the Church.
In July 1986, Revd King, together with his wife Jenny and son Sam, visited Zaire to see Michael
and Carol King. In October, Revd Gordon Holmes also visited Zaire for Christian Aid and the BMS
and was able to provide information about the work of these organisations.
The commitment to pastoral care was reinforced by the organisation of members of the congregation into
pastoral care groups. Each group undertook the responsibility of looking after one another
during times of difficulty. This continues to this day and is known as "Sharing the
Caring".
'A Vision for the Future'
The uniformed organisations continued to expand. In January 1988 a Beaver Colony was started for
boys of 6-8 years old, then, in September 1990, a Venture Scout Unit was started for girls and boys
aged 15 to 21. This was later named the Warwick Unit, in honour of Godfrey Warwick, founder of
Scouting at the church. On 14th July 1991, ITV broadcast the Morning Parade Service throughout
the country. Another innovation started in 1990 was the serving of coffee in the hall after the
morning service.
In October 1989 Revd Holmes resigned as the Associate Minister. Revd Patricia Battarbee, our
Student Minister during the previous year, was inducted as the Assistant Minister. She was
especially welcomed for her skills in visiting people and helping the disabled, and also for her
assistance to Revd King with the expansion of Church work. In June 1990, Revd King was appointed
President of the Bristol and District Baptist Association.
Autumn 1990 saw an upsurge in the musical life of the church. "Cradle of Hope", a
dramatic Christmas musical, in which many people took part, was performed in the Church on two
successive evenings. As a direct result, the Senior Choir was formed and was soon participating
regularly during Sunday services. Later, they also performed Stainer's "Crucifixion"
and Roger Mayor's "In His Presence". A small group of instrumentalists was also
organised and summer and winter concerts became regular events. In January 1992, a Junior Choir
"Jubilate" was formed. One of these two choirs now commences worship on Sunday
mornings with an appropriate introit.
A feature of church life at this period was the expansion of Family Church as more families moved
into the area. On 9th September 1990, a proposal was made by the Diaconate that the Church
should renovate, modify and extend the accommodation and update the facilities for group meetings for
Church members and the community. This was presented at the September Church Meeting which
unanimously agreed that the idea should be considered. A year later the project, known as
"A
Vision for the Future", was approved at a Special Church Meeting. In January 1992, an
appeal fund was launched with a lunch at the church after morning service. Finance for the
project was started by Dr Nott's legacy but fund raising continued steadily and
enthusiatically. All the organisations of the Church found innovative ways to raise money, thus
increasing the sense of fellowship between them. A Special Church Meeting in January 1993
approved by an overwhelming majority the decision to proceed with the building. Another lunch
at the church on 31st January reviewed financial progress and building commenced on 1st February with
a time capsule inserted into the foundations. Problems encountered during the building increased
the finance needed but, when the project was completed, all the money necessary had been at least
pledged. The official opening of the extended buildings took place on 25th September 1993 led
by the Revd King.
The extended buildings allowed new projects to be undertaken, particularly during the week. One
of the first was an after-school club, "Double Decker Club", for Junior School children,
followed later by a similar club for children in the first two years of secondary school, the
"Delta Club". Man-to-Man breakfasts were started on occasional Saturday mornings and
a Traidcraft stall commenced every Wednesday afternoon in term time. An important project was
the Community Cafe in which people from Community homes were taught cookery and then sold their
products to visitors. Unfortunately, this had to cease in 1996 for various
reasons. Established organisations, such as the Playgroup (now Pre-School) and Mother and
Toddler, enjoyed the increased space available for their activities.
In May 1993 the church was greatly saddened by the death of Rosemary Evans who had not only been the
church caretaker for 23 years but also filled many other roles. In order that the family did not
have to leave their home immediately, a new caretaker could not be appointed until September
1994. Hillary Jones, a Cub Pack leader, is filling this position admirably.
At the end of June 1994, Revd King retired; a Farewell Service for Peter and Jenny was held on
Saturday 2nd July and this was followed by a presentation. Revd Dr Roger Hayden, the Area
Superintendent, was appointed Moderator during the pastoral vacancy. He proved to be a very wise
counsellor and brought a stabilising presence. During the pastoral vacancy, Revd Patricia
Battarbee, the Assistant Minister, made great efforts to maintain continuity of faith and fellowship,
but on 15th October 1995 she also retired.
During this time great responsibilities were borne by the Church Secretary, Doreen Shapton, the Church
Treasurer, Phillip Corbin and the Diaconate. The Church members found it difficult to agree on a
future minister but, on 15th February 1996, they voted unanimously to invite Stephen Finamore to be
the Minister. It was an invitation which he and his wife Rebecca accepted.
The Fourth Minister - Revd Stephen Finamore, 1996-
While working as a solicitor in London, Stephen became Church Secretary at Northcote Road Baptist
Church (South Battersea) in 1981, remaining in this post until 1986. During this time he was
also Director of a Community Development project in North Battersea. In 1986 he and Rebecca, a
trained nurse, went to Peru for the TearFund agency to work on a rural development
project. After his return in 1989, he started training for the ministry at Regents Park College
in Oxford and obtained a degree in theology. He continued to act as a consultant for TearFund,
chairing its Latin American committee and is now a member of its main board. While continuing
his studies at Oxford, Stephen also worked part time from 1994 as a Social Action Adviser in Mission
for the Baptist Union with placements at Abingdon and Bayworth Baptist Churches. At the time of
his invitation to become our Minister, he was completing a doctoral thesis at Oxford University.
His combined ordination and induction took place here in Westbury on 14th September 1996. Under
his leadership, the next great chapter in the history of this church is anticipated, in the belief
that the Lord has yet greater things in store for us. Information for this history was obtained from the Church archives with the consent of the Diaconate. Apologies are offered for any errors or omissions.
Appendix: Synopsis of the SIXTH DECADE: 1997-2007
1997/1998
1998/1999
1999/2000
2000/01
2001/2
2002/3
2003/4 2004/5
2005/6
2006/7
© Copyright 2005-2007, Westbury-on-Trym Baptist Church. |
