Not everyone happy in 1914...

  • Church Meeting held on Thursday Oct 29th 1914 [query about precise date] at 8.30pm. The pastor presiding

….The pastor intimated that the following protest had been sent to the Goodmayes Baptist Church, the London Baptist Association, the Baptist Union, and the Ilford Free Church Council.

[typed] “We the Free Church ministers of Seven Kings and Goodmayes have heard with astonishment and regret of you intention to erect a building for worship at the corner of Kinfauns Road.

We feel pained that in deciding on such a course, you have completely ignored all the Free Churches in the neighbourhood.

In view of the following considerations we are constrained to enter our most emphatic protest.

  1. In our judgement this is a clear case of overlapping, as the proposed site is directly opposite the Presbyterian Church, and about a stones throw from  the Congregational Church.  These Churches during the last nine or ten years have made great sacrifices to provide for the religious needs of the neighbourhood; both churches have in hand extensive building schemes and are prepared to double their present accommodation as soon as the demand arises.  At the present time there is no such need.

 

  1. Since the opening of this district the happiest relations have existed between the ministers and churches of the neighbourhood, we have ever presented a united front to the public, and have succeeded in fostering in our midst a spirit of Christian unity.  We feel the step that you propose will undo the work of years, and we regard it as a distinct breach of Christian comity.

 

  1. The creation of another Church in a locality where adequate provision for the church going people is already made and planned for years to come; will be construed by many as a serious wastage of men and money and as due to the assertion of sectional interests without regard to the interests of the Kingdom of God as a whole.  Such a view has already found strong expression in the neighbourhood.

 

  1. In this district which is not a rich one, the Churches already existing are carried on under great financial strain and we think it unfortunate that further expenses should be incurred in the erection and maintenance of another church when it is not needed.  This is aggravated now that the distress of the war is upon us, when the burdens of the Churches are already increasing, and when large appeals are being made for benevolent purposes.

At the time when the spirit of unity in the nation is so manifest. It is to us a matter of deep regret that there should arise here breach of that mutual understanding and Christian fellowship, without which the Christian Church will be utterly unable to meet the demands of the new situation.

We trust that he considerations urged will have due weight with you.

Our sole motive in intervening is the paramount interests of the Kingdom of God.

 

W J HUMBERSTONE (Congregational, Seven Kings)

HUGH McKAY (Congregational, Goodmayes)

T D PHILLIPSON (Primitive Methodist)

C FRANCIS REAM (Wesleyan Methodist)

JOHN SQUIRE (United Methodist)

NORMAN M WRIGHT (Presbyterian)

 

100 years on God has clearly blessed Goodmayes Baptist Church!!

 

Page last updated: Friday 18th November 2016 11:14 AM

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