In May 1910 a few friends came together at 36 Wakering Avenue to cheer a sick friend.

Later, in August, the Reverend J Taberner of Belle Vue Baptist Church came to that house (owned by Mr and Mrs R Williams) to administer the Lord’s Supper, and the church was formed with just seven founding members. In December, the seven members started to hold meetings in a billiard room known as the “Old Boy’s Club” in West Road.

Worship was then relocated to a meeting room at 83 West Road, which was hired for eight shillings and nine pence per week. Mr S H Hammond was the lay pastor until 1921 when the congregation grew by seventeen members and Mr W T Hayford gave pastoral assistance.

An acre of land at the present site of the church was donated by Mr H E Wood of Hutton for the building of a new church.

At a cost of £1578 the chapel was opened in November 1928 and, as a child’s essay recorded, it was “installed with every modern device, central heating, separate classrooms, and below the rostrum, a baptising pool.”

During the Second World War, with the young men away and many families evacuated, the congregation dropped to just six women: Mrs Hull and her daughter Phyllis and her daughter-in-law, Nora, Mrs Norden, Mrs Hull and Miss Kitty South.

After the war, the membership grew again and Mr Frank Sampson became the pastor. A youth hall - costing £2,320 - was built. It was opened in May 1950 by Mrs M Scroggie (daughter of the Mr and Mrs H E Wood).

The first full-time minister - the Reverend Stanley Jackson was appointed, and the Manse was built and opened by Mrs L Alexander. This cost £2,320, which might not seem a lot by today’s standards, but it took until 1959 to pay off the loan.

As the church began to grow, more and more buildings were added to meet the requirements of the congregation and the youth work. Eventually, at a cost of £16,146, it was decided to erect a specially designed building containing a fellowship hall, a lounge, a coffee bar, a room for the Boy’s Brigade, toilets and a church office.

The foundation stone of the new sanctuary was laid in November 1984.

The new sanctuary, with its coloured glass windows (telling the story of creation) was completed in June 1985, and is the regular meeting place of the church’s now large congregation to this day.