Potted History of BPBC
A potted history
'In the beginning . . .'
'Why cannot some Meetings be held here on
Sundays? We want to attend a place of
worship. There is no place to which we
can go on the estate, and we find it too far to go into town, but if you will
go out on the green and hold meetings you can borrow our chairs, and we will
come out and support you by our presence.'
(Extract from the minute book
dated February 1901.)
In the spring of 1896, a small
group of Baptists decided to hold open air meetings on a piece of land in
Oaktree Road. A portable harmonium was purchased, and meetings started on the 7th of June.
The meetings soon became well attended but had to stop at the onset of winter. After the second year of summer meetings
people did not want to stop for the winter and it was suggested a suitable
venue be sought to continue. A workshop
in Manor Farm Road was used. The first
meeting was held in the workshop on October 1st, 1898, and thus this became the
first place of worship in Bitterne Park.
In 1900 it was decided to
purchase the site where the present church building stands, this was bought for
the sum of £80! A building of corrugated
iron was started on the 18th of April 1900.
At a meeting in 1901 rules were drawn up for the formation of a Baptist
Church, the original designation was for a Peculiar Baptist fellowship which
was subsequently changed to Open Baptist.
At the Church business meeting held in August 1901 it was agreed to purchase a stove and kettle for the preacher’s use. Obviously starting off by getting the priorities right!
In July 1910 plans were drawn up for a new brick building on the same site, the foundation stone being laid on 25th January 1911. This is the building still in use today. The corrugated iron building was moved to the back of the church and became the church hall, later replaced with the present brick building. Various changes have taken place over the years, a pulpit has come and gone, the seating in the church was revised the original chairs being replaced with pews, and 25 years later the pews were removed to be replaced with chairs! A pipe organ was installed eventually replaced by an electronic instrument and now a keyboard.
From the earliest days children’s
and youth work were a feature of church activities, in 1904 the Sunday School
recorded 150 regular attendees. Girls’
Life Brigade, Girls’ Brigade, Life Boys, Boys’ Brigade, Pathfinder Youth Club, Young
Peoples Fellowship have all been part of church life. The adults were not forgotten with weekly
meetings for the ladies and meetings for the men, and midweek house groups. Currently there is a weekly Coffee, Craft and Chat meeting and midweek
prayer groups via Zoom.
Between 1905 and 2006 the
fellowship had a succession of 18 ministers, we then had a period without a
full-time minister, and we now have a part time minister in training.
The church premises are also used by a children’s breakfast club, after school club and a parent and toddler group, but these are not church led.
So, we go forward in faith seeking
to share God’s love in the community and looking forward to great things from God.
Mike Conner 27 November 2022
