OUR HISTORY

HERNE BAY BAPTIST CHURCH
HIGH STREET
1879 - 1979

PREFACE

In this brief history of the Church, the writer has tried to give an idea of the local surroundings in which the Church was formed. A stranger coming to the town would have little guidance as to the appearance or size of the town as it was when the Church was formed. Much of old Herne Bay has been rebuilt or altered. As late as 1925, sheep grazed in a field between Cavendish Road (where the present Post Office stands) and Fenoulhet Way. The houses in South Road and Victoria Park were built between the years 1882 and 1895.

The reader should try to visualise the changes which have taken place with the growth of population from the 1881 census of 4,481 to its present population of 28,316. The reader may also note what is an apparent discrepancy between the dates of the Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee and the present Centenary of the Church. The former celebrations held in 1923 and 1933 were held to commemorate the founding of the Church as a body of people; the Centenary Celebrations are commemorating the forming of the Constitution according to the Trust Deeds and the actual building and opening of the material structure.

W. STANT
22nd March 1979

HERNE BAY THE TOWN

Herne Bay, or St. Nicholas Bay as it was formerly called, was little known until the end of the eighteenth century, when it was hardly more than a cluster of cottages around the Ship Inn

The 1800s

It was not until 1830 that the town began to grow, when plans with names such as Brunswick and Oxenden Squares, St. George’s and Marine Terraces were projected. The land on which Herne Bay was to stand formed part of Underdown Farm, owned by Sir Henry Oxenden, Bart. Prior to the building of the railway with a station at Greenhill in 1862, most of the traffic for the town and surrounding district came via the Pier, built by Telford in 1831, almost opposite the Dolphin Hotel.

Of the surrounding countryside, Herne was a tiny village clustered around the Church, Lower Herne was a hamlet situated at the northwest corner of Strode Park; the main Canterbury - Herne Bay Road passed through Lower Herne. Broomfield consisted of isolated cottages, with a group built around the Chapel (now used as a bakehouse) in Bogshole Lane, which was then on the main Herne Bay - Margate Road. Beltinge was a hamlet grouped around the public house now known as the Rising Sun. Hampton was a group of fishermen’s cottages

Herne Bay in 1863 was divided into two parts, the old town comprising the area bounded by the sea front, William Street, Underdown Street (now Road), North Street, Chapel Street and Little Charles Street. The new town comprised the sea front to the west of William Street as far as St. George’s Terrace, two or three houses in Oxenden Square and High Street West; even in these areas there were many gardens and vacant building plots. The population of Herne Bay at this time was around 3,500.

HERNE BAY BAPTISTS ARRIVE

Meeting in cottages

In 1863, a group of friends holding the principles known as BAPTIST commenced meetings in cottages. In April 1876, desirous of having a Church of their own faith and order established in the town, and encouraged by the promise of a plot of ground for the Church from one gentleman and of £100 from another, they sought advice and assistance from the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, Pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London. He immediately responded by arranging to send a student from the Pastors’ College

In May 1876, services commenced in the Town Hall, which stood on the site now occupied by Midland Bank, and were conducted by a Mr. D. Sharp who served the Church for several weeks. He was followed by other students until the second Sunday in August, when the Rev. Wallace Pettman came; he had discovered that arrangements had not been made at the College for a supply of preachers and he had come so that the worshippers’ needs should be ministered. He was invited to repeat the visit and later was asked to take up the work, to which he agreed, subject to the approval and advice of the President of the College, continuing his work at the College during the week and ministering to the Herne Bay Baptists on Sundays.

Our building

The congregation increased and great blessing followed. In September 1876, three sisters were baptised by Mr. Pettman at Whitstable. Efforts were made to erect a building for worship. The piece of land so kindly given being considered a little too far from the centre of the town, it was returned to the donor; he gave £25 instead and the present plot in High Street was purchased.

Work commenced on the building towards the end of 1878 and the foundation stone was laid by G. H. Deane, Esq., of Sittingbourne, in February 1879. The building was opened on 6th August 1879 at a service conducted by the Rev. C. Spurgeon, son of the Rev. Charles Haddon Spurgeon. On Thursday, 25th November 1879, the first baptisms in the new chapel took place, when five people were baptised by the Rev. Wallace Pettman.

A meeting for the formation of the Church was held on Thursday, 4th December 1879, at which the Rev. J. Drew of Margate presided and the Rev. Wallace Pettman gave an outline of the principles upon which they wished to be joined together. Mr. Pettman was invited to the pastorate of the newly formed Church, and he accepted. The first Church Meeting was held on Wednesday, 14th January 1890, when two deacons were chosen and the first Church Rules were approved.

The young Church grows

The young Church grew both spiritually and numerically; in the eight years from 1879 the membership rose from 19 to 106.

In 1882, it was decided that a baptismal service to be held on 30th July should not be previously announced on account of the inconvenient increase it would bring to the congregation, the chapel being ordinarily well filled! Baptismal services were often held on Thursdays at the mid-week service, while special Church Meetings were held on Sundays after the evening service to hear reports on and testimonies from baptismal candidates.

The Sunday School having grown too large for the room they occupied, hired another, but on the subsequent sale of that room, the advisability of building a school was considered.

In April 1885, a serious defect having been discovered in the roof, services had to be held elsewhere, so plans were prepared for the repair of the roof, also for the Church to be extended and for the provision of school buildings. The enlarged building was opened on 11 th August 1885, and the new schoolroom a little later that year.

It is noteworthy that in April 1886, Church Meetings were held on the 1st, 7th and 12th of that month, at which visitors were appointed to interview and hear reports on ten candidates for baptism; all ten were baptised on Thursday, 15th April. The following month, on the 6th, 2 0th, 27th and 31st May, Church Meetings were held for similar purposes, and seven candidates were baptised on 3rd June.

The first pastorate concludes

The first pastorate closed in 1886, when Mr. Pettman resigned to take up an appointment in Bath. Before his departure, he asked the Church to appoint a Secretary, in which capacity he had served during his ministry; he had also served as Financial Secretary! The Church’s first Secretary, Mr. J. Shelley, was duly appointed.

Mr. Pettman concluded his ten years as minister of the Church on Sunday, 29th September 1886. His ministry saw the formation of the Church (with its subsequent recognition as a member of the Baptist Churches of Great Britain and Ireland), the building of the Church premises, the first extension, and the building of the Sunday Schoolroom. The guiding hand of God can be seen in the omission at Spurgeon’s College in not arranging for a student to minister to Herne Bay Baptists on the second Sunday of August 1876 instead, He sent Wallace Pettinan, a true and faithful servant of Jesus Christ.

He was succeeded in 1887 by the Rev. W. Dickins of Brixton. The Church records do not show whether Induction Services for new ministers were held in those years. Mr. Dickins did, however, preside over the Church Meeting held on Monday, 14th March 1887, at which the request for the Rev. W. and Mrs. Dickins’ transfer was agreed. At that meeting, also, the resignation of Mrs. Hobday, the Church’s first Treasurer was accepted. On Thursday, 24th March 1887, Mr. Dickins conducted the first baptismal service of his pastorate, when 12 candidates were baptised.

Mission stations

In 1887-8, two Mission stations were opened, one at Hampton and the other at Beltinge; a plot of ground and a donation of £20 had been given for a Mission room at Beltinge. The total Church balance at that date was £l6:12:10½d, the building fund balance £74:2:4¾d, and the outstanding liabilities were a mortgage to The Star Insurance Co., for £800, and to the Baptist Building Fund, for £75: these liabilities and the interest on the mortgage were to have a serious detrimental effect on the fellowship of the Church in the following years.

In 1890, owing to financial difficulties, the Hampton Mission was closed down. Mr. Dickins offered his resignation, to take effect from 31st March, but agreed to stay another year, and a further loan of £300 was received from the Baptist Building Society.

The financial position was so bad that it was agreed that a general appeal should be made to all Christians through Christian newspapers to remove the debt which had for so many years been a burden to the Church, a burden which had so hindered and discouraged progress that membership had fallen to 70. Despite all this, the Gospel had been faithfully declared and there had been baptisms each year - there had been 12 in the preceding year.

In December 1893, the Church transferred the land at Beltinge back to the donor, as the members did not see the way clear to go into any further expense in building a Mission Chapel.

Arrivals and departures

The early records of the Church are very scanty, the business of many Church Meetings being confined to less than half a page of an octavo-sized sheet, and are mainly about interviews of candidates for baptism or transfers; for the period from 30th July 1894 to January 1895 there are no entries in the Minute Book.

On 24th January 1895, Mr. Dickins announced his resignation, to take effect on 31st March, having been called to missionary service in Egypt. His ministry covered a period of eight years from February 1887 to March 1895; besides pastoral duties, he served as Financial Secretary for the whole period except the last three months, and he also served as Church Secretary from June 1887 to 1890. Despite the fall in membership during this period, nearly 60 candidates were baptised.

On 8th April 1895, the Rev. Arthur Douglas Brown was invited to the pastorate, and a fortnight later, on Easter Monday, a welcoming tea was held.

In 1897, the deacon and Sunday School Superintendent, Mr. Upson, resigned, having been accepted for missionary work in North Africa.

Ill-health forced Mr. Brown to resign, with effect from 30th September 1897, his doctors having advised that by living in a warmer climate he would gain more strength by the age of 25. (Fortunately, his health did improve; he returned to England, became a Doctor of Divinity and, eventually, President of the Baptist Union in 1929). Mr. Brown’s ministry was short, but he endeared himself to the people; the membership increased and the financial burden was reduced.

In 1898, the Rev. John S. Geale of Queens Square, Brighton, accepted the pastorate. On 20th January 1898 at the Annual Church Meeting the Church Roll was called, showing the membership standing at 88. Reports on the Sunday School and Young People’s Christian Endeavour showed that the work was well supported.

The 1900s

During 1900, the Church membership once again reached the hundred mark and in January 1901 the Church Roll showed 108 members. Herne Bay was growing rapidly, building had been going on in many places, and Church membership had been increased mainly by transfers in, which were threefold the number of transfers out.

The need for a place of worship for the Beltinge Mission, and the purchase of an organ being paramount, in August 1901 it was agreed that the balance of the Thanksgiving Fund should be allocated to the Beltinge Baptist Chapel and School. An interest-free loan had been promised to cover the cost of the organ.

Mr. Geale’s ministry was a very happy period in the life of the Church. The members on the Church Roll, though read at each Annual Church Meeting, were not recorded, but financially, the Church was clear of major debts.

A new organ arrives

Although there is no record of the dedication of the new organ, it was in use in November 1901, and incandescent gas lighting had been installed in place of the old gas jet lighting. A notable feature was the opening of the Chapel at Beltinge.

In 1904, the School hail was extended. In 1905 the Church was presented with a Communion Table by Mr. Geale (later given to the friends at Aylesham when the Baptist Church was opened there); the work at Beltinge progressed, and services of Holy Communion were held there every three months conducted by Mr. Geale.

Mr. Geale was minister of the Church from 20th January 1898 until his death on 20th January 1907. A tablet to his memory is on the west wall of the transept of the Church.

After an interregnum of 15 months, in which the Church was ably served by visiting ministers, the Rev. W. Springthorpe accepted the pastorate; he commenced his ministry on 2nd April 1908, a Recognition Service being held on 7th May, Dedication services for parents and children were introduced in that year. In November 1908, a new style of heating in the Church was started, changing from coal and coke-burning stoves to gas radiator heaters. Because of the growth of the Sunday School, the extension of the hall, first considered in 1904, became urgent, and a vestry and Church parlour were also needed. A valedictory Service was held in July 1909 for Mr. John Wootton who was taking up missionary work in Maranham, Brazil.

Universal Settlement

The Baptist Union scheme for Universal Settlement, Sustenation, etc., (now the Home Work Fund) was discussed at various meetings between October 1909 and April 1911, when the following resolution was sent to the Baptist Union:

“While the Church would be willing to join some scheme to help poorer churches, it cannot fall in with the scheme now before us as it affects our freedom.”

... a freedom which Baptists jealously guard.

Revised plans for the Sunday School extension and new vestries were made in January 1913, and the new rooms were opened on 8th May.

World War I

Despite the difficulties and rigours of the war years, the Gospel was preached, baptisms continued and offerings for charitable purposes were given. The church premises were open two days a week as a rest-and-writing-room and social evenings were held for soldiers stationed in and around Herne Bay. The Rev. William Springthorpe, A.T.S., retired from the pastorate in March 1917. He exercised a gracious ministry in times of great stress, particularly during its closing years; baptisms averaged approximately eight a year.

He was succeeded by Mr. Frank Buffard, B.A., B.D., of Regents Park College, whose ministry commenced on 25th July 1917, initially for three months but was later extended to full time for five years. He was ordained in the Church on 15th November, the service being conducted by the Rev. T. Woodhouse, President of the Southern Area, the Charge being given by the Rev. George Pearce Gould, M.A., D.D., Principal of Regents Park College.

The year 1919 saw an improvement in the Church life, spiritually and materially, after the situation caused by the war years; the work at Beltinge also improved under the leadership of Mr. and Mrs. T. Williams, at least one deacon from Herne Bay being deputed to attend the Beltinge Mission each Sunday evening. Electric light replaced gas, low- pressure hot water central heating replaced gas radiators and the five windows at the front of the Church and Church Hall were reglazed with cathedral glass; more than two-thirds of the cost was in hand before the work was completed.

More appointments

In June, the Rev. George D. Reynolds, M.A., joined the Church, later to be appointed to the Baptist Missionary Society for missionary service.

Mr. Buffard having accepted a call to Maidstone, the closing services of his pastorate was arranged for the 28th March 1920, but before then he was taken seriously ill and on 12th March was admitted to Brompton Hospital, later to be sent to Switzerland for treatment. His ministry, though short, was one of great help and blessing to both the Church and town.

An invitation to the Rev. Frank Cohn Bryan, M.A. was accepted, and a Welcome Meeting was held on 17th November 1920, followed by a recognition service on 25th November.

The year 1922 was one of active preparation for the Jubilee celebrations to be held in the following year. A target of £1,000 was set to cover the cost of work to be done to commemorate the event and the scheme was: Part I Sunday School extension to build additional rooms over the existing school rooms

Part II Church renovations

1. Repairs to organ
2. Erection of a gallery
3. Redecoration of walls and ceiling
4. Carpeting the seats.

A challenge was issued, in which a donor would defray half the cost of ten new stained cathedral glass windows in the sides of the Church on condition that the other half was raised by the Church. The windows were installed in July.

Jubilee celebrations

The Jubilee celebrations commenced on Sunday, 27th May and ended with a Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, 17th June, 1923. At the end of 1923, the Jubilee Fund had reached £806. Organ repairs commenced in January 1924; the new schoolrooms were opened on 4th November 1924. In 1921, the number of children on the School Roll was 144 and had risen to 252 by the opening date.

The faith of those who started the Mission at Beltinge in 1887 was rewarded when the new Baptist Chapel was opened on 3rd February 1925.

The work commences

Work on Part II of the Jubilee scheme (omitting the gallery, which has never been constructed) commenced in July 1927 and was completed by September; it included a new platform, pulpit, the oak panelling, new doors to the vestries and new communion furniture; the old pulpit and communion furniture were given for use in the chapel to be built at Aylesham.

In February 1928, Mr. Bryan accepted a call to Downs Chapel, Clapton, and his ministry here terminated on Easter Sunday, 8th April 1928. His pastorate covered a period of seven and a half years, during which Church membership rose from 126 to 183. He was held in high esteem not only by the Church but also by the ministers and congregations of all the other denominations in the district; he was also held in high regard by the people of the town and by many literary and social associations.

Under the leadership of Mr. Buffard and Mr. Bryan, the Church acted against betting and gambling, motorcycle speed trials in the town on Sunday, the opening of the King’s Hall for entertainments on Sunday, and it was also concerned about education. During their ministries, the Ministers’ Fraternal, the Council of Churches and Exchange of Pulpits started.

From the small urban district when the Church was built, Herne Bay had more than trebled its size with an almost similar increase in population. The building of the Thanet Way and the introduction of long-distance coaches brought new problems, not only to the town, but also to the Church.

An invitation in June 1928 to the Rev. Horace J. Carr, B.D. was accepted and his ministry commenced on the first Sunday in August.

A Manse is purchased

Up to Mr. Carr’s arrival, pastors had lived in rented accommodation but during the interregnum the Church agreed to purchase a Manse, and the house known as Machos, afterwards Machany, and later 10, Beltinge Road, was purchased in September 1928.

In September 1929, the existing group of trustees having been reduced by death to four, the Church decided that the Baptist Union Corporation should take over the trusteeship of the Church.

A company of the Boys’ Brigade (1st Herne Bay) together with its section of Life Boys (Juniors) had been started in 1924, but unfortunately the requirements of the Boys’ Brigade Headquarters’ Handbook were not being met, and by agreement among all those concerned, the Company was transferred to the Congregational Church in March 1931.

A change in the composition of the diaconate was authorised on 17th February 1932, when the Church agreed to two places on the diaconate being held by ladies.

Diamond Jubilee

The Diamond Jubilee of the Church was celebrated by special services on l9th - 24th November 1933.

Part of the ceiling of the Church fell in 1936, and to strengthen it the whole ceiling was strapped at 3-foot intervals. Despite the heavier traffic and vibration of the present day, the repair still holds good.

The monthly Missionary Prayer Meeting was inaugurated in 1936; an electric blower was installed in 1937 also a new boiler for the central heating system. Mr. Carr’s pastorate ended in November 1937. Although the finances of the Church was always low, and there was still a mortgage outstanding on the Manse, it was a happy ministry with a good fellowship. The membership remained constant, 70% of the members on the Church Roll having joined during that time, which was a token of an evangelical ministry, and Mr. Carr also served as District Secretary to the Kent and Sussex Association.

He was succeeded in 1938 by the Rev. Charles Spencer Rudge, B.A., of Old King’s Street Baptist Church, Redlands, Bristol, whose ministry commenced on the first Sunday in July, the recognition service being held in September. In August of that year, the Church premises were used as the headquarters for the Children’s Special Service Mission rallies.

World War II

Following a year of uncertainty from September 1938 to the outbreak of war in 1939, the Church suffered the inconveniences common to all during the war years, the evening services being held in the Church Hall in the winters of 1939 - 45 due to the difficulty of blacking-out the Church. The Church Hall was commandeered from September 1939 to April 1940 from Mondays to Fridays by the Kent Education Committee for use by children evacuated from London. Fuel economy was practised by ensuring that all meetings finished before 9 p.m. and the Church was also used as a Rest Centre. Services and meetings were depleted by those called up for military and other duties, while quite a number of Church members moved to what were considered safer areas. Mr. Rudge was appointed Chaplain to United Board members of the Forces in the district, this in addition to his pastoral duties which were all carried out faithfully during the remaining years of the war.

VE Day, 8th May 1945, brought great national rejoicing, the following day the Church rejoiced also that the Manse payments had been finally cleared. Bearing in mind Luke 6 v.27, “Love your enemies”, and following the call of the Baptist Union, the Church sent parcels of rationed goods to Germany up to 1949.

After the cessation of hostilities, congregations increased, Church life began to start afresh and Youth Services, which were a feature of Mr. Rudge’s ministry, were held monthly from October to March, and were the means of bringing many young people to the Lord.

The organ is replaced

The organ installed in 1901 was nearing the end of its useful life and through the efforts of the organist, Mr. H. H. Turner, the present organ was removed from the bombed-out Church at Merstam, renovated and installed by Messrs. Spurden, Butt Ltd. It was dedicated on 20th May 1948 by the Rev. F. C. Bryan, M.A.

Although the Church had held Women’s Meetings since the beginning of the century, the first official Baptist Women’s League branch was not formed until March 1951. The oak doors to the Church and Church Hall were presented by the Women of the Church in August of that year.

In February 1953, the floods which caused such disastrous damage on the East Coast, Thames Estuary and the North Kent coast, affected our own town and Church. The Schoolroom, kitchen and boiler house were flooded; under the Church, the water rose as high as the trays containing the organ console mechanism, it flooded the blower chamber, completely ruining the motor, blower and bellows. Church property and stores kept under the Church were completely destroyed, including Rolls of Honour of members who had served in the wars of 1914 - 18 and 1939 - 45. Damp affected the timing and tuning of the organ and repairs had to wait until the organ was dried out. A new blower chamber was built over the boiler house, a completely new blower was installed, repairs were carried out and the organ was available for use on the Sunday School Anniversary, 21st June.

The appearance of the front of the Church was altered in May 1953 by the removal of the boundary walls and shrubs, the whole area being concreted over, with concrete posts and chains denoting the Church boundaries.

A Company of the Girls’ Life Brigade, originally formed in 1937 and revived in 1953, had to close down again through lack of attendance.

The membership rises to 200

Mr. Rudge resigned the pastorate in January 1954, after a ministry of 15½ years, during which there was a forward movement for the Kingdom of God. He was a deeply spiritual preacher and the congregations nearly always filled the Church, while in the holiday season it was filled to overflowing. Despite the number of members who left the town to reside elsewhere, during his ministry the membership rose to over 200 for the first time in its history. Before Mr. Rudge’s ministry ended, the Church issued an invitation to the Rev. George Clifford Batten of Greek Street, Stockport, which was accepted in February 1954. Recognition services were held on 29th April and the ministry commenced on 2nd May 1954.

The fellowship increased in strength and numbers, all departments of the Church continued to give loyal service, the only section which found difficulty being the Senior Christian Endeavour, due to intermediate age groups being occupied with other duties, and eventually this section closed down. The year 1955 saw a further extension to the east side of the buildings, when the school room built in 1913 was merged with the very cramped kitchen and yard to form a kitchen worthy of the Church premises, at the same time a new toilet block was built.

Women of the Bible

The work of the Young Wives Fellowship forged ahead, as a result of which several mothers of Sunday School children were baptised. The Baptist Women’s League and the Women’s Fellowship were a great asset to the work of the Church. In 1957, the Church was honoured by the election of the minister’s wife, Mrs. J. R. Batten, B.A., to the Presidency of the Baptist Women’s League. Mrs. Batten was the author of several plays, some of which were performed in the Church; she also wrote a number of books, of which the best known was “Women of the Bible.”

Like all seaside resorts, the problem of retaining children on Sundays and in the evenings during the summer months were difficult. Afternoon Sunday School was discontinued and morning school was started, as a result of which the school has remained fairly constant through the years.

The Men’s Contact Club, affiliated to the Baptist Men’s Movement, was formed on 23rd September 1963.

A new Pastor’s Vestry and Beginners’ Room were built on the west side of the Church, and opened free of debt on 7th August 1966.

On 12th November 1966, a coachload of Church members travelled to the village of Markyate, Hertfordshire, to see their fellow-member Miss Gladys Seymour, B.A., B.D., ordained and inducted to the pastorate of the Baptist Church there.

Early in 1967, Mr. Batten intimated that, on reaching retirement age, he would be leaving the pastorate at the end of July. His resignation was accepted with regret; the farewell service was arranged for 27th July and his last services as minister on Sunday, 30th July. The Farewell Service was one of great joy and happiness, both Mr. and Mrs. Batten being delighted with the tributes paid to them; how soon tragedy was to strike! On the Sunday morning, it was learned that Mrs. Batten had received the call to Higher Service. Despite his grief, Mr. Batten, with the indomitable courage which had characterised his whole ministry, entered the pulpit during the singing of the hymn before the sermon at both morning and evening services and gave the farewell message he had prepared for his people.

The work in the Church increases

Mr. Batten was Pastor for a little over 13 years, aided by a gifted wife; work in the Church increased in all departments, especially among the men and women, and membership rose to 280, the highest in the Church’s history. He was a faithful servant of the Lord, many were baptised during his ministry, and his pastoral care was in the true following of his Master, no call for his service, night or day, going unheeded.

In December 1967, Mr. Keith Applegate, a student at Spurgeon’s College, was invited to the pastorate. Early in July, Mr. Applegate was ordained at his home Church, Leigh-on-Sea, and on 13th July was inducted to the pastorate at Herne Bay.

In 1969, house group meetings were inaugurated, to be held during the winter months. In 1972, the schoolroom wall, which had caused many problems through damp, had to be stripped, internal drainpipes renewed, the walls relined and replastered, and an oil-fired boiler was installed in place of the old coke-fired boiler. Young people’s evangelism was started by holding a week of Coffee Bar evenings during the week from Palm Sunday to Easter, when the young people went into the streets and invited others in for coffee; later, coffee bars on the sea front were visited.

Outreach to young people

Inspired by the work done by our own young people, the Council of Churches sponsored an effort in 1972 for outreach to the young people of the town. Premises with large cellars were obtained in William Street, cleaned, refurnished and opened for a campaign known as “Salt Cellars”; during the campaign, many young people made a profession of faith, some were baptised, and our own young people took a major share in the work.

In February 1973, Mr. Applegate gave notice of his resignation, having accepted a call to the pastorate of a Baptist Church in Perth, Western Australia. He served the Church for five years from 13th July 1968 to 26th August 1973. An evangelistic preacher, his ministry was one of outreach, especially to young people, he travelled many miles to visit people in prison and once went as far as the coast of Norfolk to help one who was in great need. Although the Church membership fell by over 40 during his ministry, this was due to the high number of deaths and two revisions of the Church Roll. He was a faithful Sower of the Seed.

The Rev. Harold J. Edgeler was appointed Moderator in April 1973 and under his guidance the Rev. John Jellicoe Brown, B.D., was approached. The Church’s invitation was accepted in July 1973 and he was inducted on 12th January 1974. Despite commitments to the Baptist Union, Spurgeon’s College and preaching engagements, Mr. Brown visited every Church member within the first three months of his pastorate.

Property developments

The Church’s offer to buy the property on the west side was accepted. It was estimated that the various loans would be paid off in ten years’ time - the full total of £20,643 was cleared, in fact, by 31st December 1977. The Friendship Centre as it is known was opened by Mrs. J. J. Brown on 24th April 1976. Church Conferences held at Broadstairs and Eythorne in 1976 and 1977 were of great spiritual benefit to all who attended. Holiday Bible classes were held for children during the spring bank holiday week each year; the children also shared in the Children’s Special Service Mission held in 1977 and 1978. Although not an “ancient” building, the Church was listed in 1976 as being “of historical interest.”

Early in 1977, an Organ Committee, with the assistance of Mr. P. G. Ruffhead, of North Cray, as technical adviser, considered the cleaning, overhaul and a replacement of the pneumatic action by an electric action, of the organ. The work commenced early in 1978 and the rededication service was held on 9th July 1978; the cost was £6,300 and the whole sum was raised before the work was completed.

Mr Brown moves on

In May 1978, the Church learned that Mr. Brown had accepted an invitation to become Secretary of Spurgeon’s College, with special responsibility for promoting the interests of the College among the churches. His ministry ended on 5th November 1978.

Mr. Brown’s ministry, of just under five years, was noted for the pastoral care not only of Church members but to many outside the fellowship, for his work with the Herne Bay Council of Churches and for his chairmanship of the “Way of Life” Crusade Committee which was spread over three years prior to the Crusade taking place at St. Nicholas-at-Wade from 20th June - 8th July 1978. As a past-President of the Baptist Union, Mr. Brown played an important part in the affairs of the Baptist Union Council, which affected the denomination as a whole. He was ably assisted by Mrs. Brown who in her quiet unobtrusive way made a great contribution to the Women’s work of the Church.

The Rev. John E. Hosier, B.D., has been appointed Moderator of the Church during the interregnum.

This brief history can tell but little of the full story of the Church, commencing with those early cottage meetings. Like all churches, it has seen the ups and downs of life but running through the whole record there has been a desire to spread the Gospel, to help those in distress but above all to give praise to and worship the Triune God.