The Sixteenth Pastorate
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REV MALCOLM BROWN in 1995 - 2004
and family arrived and he increased training opportunities Colleen introduced days of prayer and prayer circles and prayer walking. We changed the hymn book again, Saturday Night Live got going. We obtained a computer and computer projector Colleen became Pastoral Team Co-ordinator and training of carers was developed. Rosemary Fletcher became Office administrator. Phil spent time serving in Thailand and Tim in Albania. Rachel served short term in India. Jean Robertson began her annual overseas Soapbox ministry visits. Wendy Spark developed her missionary work to the Afar people of Ethiopia. and became a Bible Studies Course marker who had 76 overseas students on her books.
The Church became a NIV Church that is they replaced the Good News Bible [ the Today’s English Version ] with the New International Version, not knowing it to be a Counterfeit bible..
Elaine and Arthur Coote began their child care career and overseas pen pal mailing ministry. We began running ALPHA Courses A team came from Florida to help us in A Partnership Mission. We have started recording morning services and study groups and making cassettes available to people who could not get to Church activities. The Deacons began looking at how to use our buildings more and better to serve the community and make plans for building changes to begin the 21st Century of the Christian... The Pastoral Team ministry after training, began in May 1999. This divided the congregation into 9 groups led by a Deacon with a team of 3 trained helpers. This was disbanded as unworkable in 2004
We assisted in distribution of over 6000 Gospels of Luke in town during December 1999. An Art and Crafts Exhibition was held in Spring 2000. and we helped staff the SWYPE group at Abbey Lane United Reformed Church. We participated in the Millennium Road Show on the Common in June 2000 with other Christians.. Our teenage group called themselves JKOS Just Keep On Smiling
In 2000 we twinned until 2006 with Dobrich Baptist Church in Bulgaria some of whose congregation are pictured here. A team of our members led by Malcolm4 went out to run a VBS Week for them. We also collected lots of toys, food supplies and aids but this had to go by boat and train and did not reach Dobrich but was distributed in other parts of that country. We also sent them this special banner
The Church bought a new electronic keyboard organ to replace the old organ now defunct. Our BB Band began leading the Remembrance Sunday parades, and even when unable to do so . provided buglers at the War Memorial and St Mary’s. The Royal British Legion in 2004 presented 2 new bugles for this purpose. 4 of our BB members made a commitment to Christ at the “Firm Foundations” weekend at Feldon.. Mrs Lynda Turner retired after 20 years as Anchor Boys leader Mr Les Revell retired after 20 years as an officer
That year too the Church welcomed Jamie Sawtell for training as a youth worker to work here in conjunction with studying at Ridley Hall Cambridge
Seen here in the middle of the Team that went to
Dobrich to run their VBS Week he lodged with Janet Claxton at first and then at Hill House. he did much work with Boy’s Brigade, on a weekly basis and at “Firm Foundations at Feldon Lodge, he worked with SWYPE. He developed and ran Youth ALPHA and ALPHA+ courses, and helped reorganise Sunday Club and was involved in “detached” youth work with
Essex Youth service & Saffron Walden Youth outreach project. He left in July 2004
A Steering Committee was set up in 1999 to prepare the Millennium Project of internal changes to the Sanctuary to make the building more user friendly for the 21st century. This led to the setting up of a Fund Raising Committee and the launching of the appeal for the Church Redevelopment Project in 2000 after the adoption of Margaret and Richard Davies and Associates as Architects with an anticipated cost of around £400.000.
Detailed plans and drawings were exhibited for the congregation to considered in the summer of 2001 and that autumn the congregation learned that the donations received , plus the tax refunds, and pledges to the end of 2001 exceeded £250,000, and we had access to interest free loans of over £30,000, and a BU Loan of £200,000
Another Church Weekend at Feldon Lodge was successfully held in Oct 2001. A moveable screen on casters was introduced to partition the Upper Hall. In 2000 and 2001 several parties of schoolchildren visited the Church buildings.
An early morning prayer meeting was commenced on Wednesdays at 7am moved to Thursdays in 2002.. Both our Church and Boys’ Brigade Company have web sites on the Internet and our minister communicates with quite a lot of us by email and mobile phone.
Three members of the congregation experimented with a Christian Pitch at Sunday morning Car Boot Sales monthly on the Common car park making contacts, having conversations and issuing literature and cassettes. One of our members accompanied a Soapbox Team to Kenya and a recent former member led a BMS team to Uganda for a month assisting with a building project and care of children. The Church celebrated Harvest with support of a project in Angola. Youth Alpha courses were started
In 2002 we again hosted such varied events as the District Guides Thinking Day, the Women’s World Day of Prayer, and the opening worship of the largest Good Friday Procession of Witness for years which held an open air service in the market place as usual and then walked on to the closing service at the Parish Church. We became involved in the Common Ground project with the bus on the Common on Friday nights to reach young people.
The bus went out of service in 2005.
At the beginning of the 21s century we had active youth work of various kinds. Scouts and Cubs
“Greenhouse” was organised on Sundays at Chris Wilkins home for the teenagers to study Christianity assisted by the Internet
Some members of the congregation hosted children from Chernobyl in Belorus for a summer holiday.. We hosted the 2nd Annual Assembly of the Eastern Baptist Association. Sunday evening worship changed to “Praise and Prayer” Sessions in the Church Hall
Boys Brigade catered 6-19 year olds through Anchor Boys in red jerseys , through Juniors & Teenagers
with a programme of Training with Fun. Activity
Awards, Duke of Edinburgh awards. Presidents Badge & Queen’s Badge with advanced leadership training
With plenty of hobbies, social skills, sport, outings,
competitions with other Companies ad Summer Camps. Alternate years at Whitecliff Bay IOW and other places like Runton, Swanage, Chideok,or in Wales, and adventures in Derbyshire.
Also associating with GB girls we run a Marching Band that participates in local events and National competitions.
We got into the habit of referring to the Church Family (Congregation) rather than the Church Fellowship (the Membership) and in October a new Directory of the Congregation was produced about the 40years after of the first edition of the Directory of Church Members. 233 adults were listed and 108 children and young people.
Our Girls were catered for by Girl’s Brigade at the Methodist Church or Rainbows, Brownies
For the youngest there are Tots & Co started in 1976 and for everybody Sunday Club from 4 - teens
Lots of different activities to help teach God’s word to this age group, Members of the congregation led by Malcolm before moved were active leading Day School assemblies and Christian Clubs in schools
We had our last service in the old church on Easter Day, 2003
In May we held an Auction of Treasures and then a team of volunteers cleared the furnishings of church and halls into 2 store rooms, much stuff was taken to the Recycling depot,. Downstairs pews were removed and the platform and pulpit demolished
The Builders “”Bakers of Danbury” moved in during June. 2003 Life Deacon Jack Turnbull a former MD, in his role as Premises Steward acted as overseer of the project in liaison with the Company.
We had our last service in the old church on Easter Day,
In May we held an Auction of Treasures and then a team of volunteers cleared the furnishings of church and halls into 2 store rooms, much stuff was taken to the Recycling depot,. Downstairs pews were removed and the platform and pulpit demolished
The project included removal of pews, pulpit and organ, levelling the sanctuary floor, purchase of seating, redecoration of the sanctuary necessary anyway, rewiring the premises, a new foyer on the Audley Road side created from the former vestry. And installing a lift to the upper hall, , a new Church office, a new screen at the West entrance, and creation of a studio control room and chair store. Later on a team of volunteers replaced wiring and repainted the hall interior
Services were held from May to November at the County High School Drama Department (above) and the other churches of the town accommodated our mid week and Sunday evening activities. In August one week we used the VBS Marquee and a lot of our folk were involved in Vacation Bible School , leading groups, assisting with site security, preparing materials, selling Christian literature, supporting daily morning prayer meetings, and with Malcolm as Head
Through out the summer into the autumn a Church Review was commissioned organised for us by Rev Ron Messenger with 6 wonderful teaching sessions culminating in an open forum for comments, and a series of discussion groups after 2 of the mid week sessions and as home discussion groups on and a series of discussion groups after 2 of the mid week sessions and as home discussion groups on the theme “”Is the Church meeting the needs of” covering Men, Women, Young People 15-25, Children’s Leaders, People at Work, The Over 60’s, People who live alone, Marriage and Family. The feed back from all these sessions was put together into a 60 page dossier which was made available to the congregation to read,.
The Review revealed great deal of dissatisfaction with much that we were doing. Outside the Worship sessions about 100 people were involved in the review. This culminated in a meeting of Group Leaders, a Day of Prayer and a Church Day Review Conference, with the theme of “Stepping out Together” attended by about 60 people.
Our Millennium Project was to redevelop our buildings. Committees spent many hours planning. Architects Margaret and Richard Davies and Associates were appointed and “Bakers of Danbury” were commissioned to do the professional work, while a team of volunteers redecorated the halls.. Our pulpit was removed. Our Communion furniture was transferred to a church on the Essex coast. Our downstairs pews were replaced with chairs from the USA. Easier access was provided for disabled people, including a lift in the hall
Our organ was advertised unsuccessfully for 3 years on the Internet Then a team of volunteers dismantled it and packing it up in numbered lots including 1152 pipes and took it to Southoe near St Neots aiming to install it in st Leonard’s Parish Church there
Funds for this not being available it passed into the hands of businessman Peter Wood of Harrogate Director of a company of organ builders, restorers, and tuners destined for a North Yorkshire church. It found it’s way to a
de-consecrated cathedral in East German used as an Organ Mart. It was then in 2004 destined for Wloclawek on the river Vistula, in Poland but it did not get there It is now in a new Roman catholic church in the village of Dirgenheim in Bavaria, West Germany built in above the Church entrance door where Werner and Josef Muller. take turns to play it for worship
Also created was a special walk way from the front drive allowing access of wheel chairs to the new South Porch which replaced a narrow corridor, a store cupboard and the old minister’s and deacons vestry.
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Rev Malcolm Brown accepted the pastorate of Elland Edge Baptist Church at a village on the outskirts of Rastrick, Yorkshire North of Huddersfield with 30 members plus adherents and a few children, with an enthusiastic mid-week prayer meeting, In Rastrick there are 3 primary schools and 2 hospices and 3 other churches and a good relationship between them all. On Jan 11th,2004 a Farewell Service was held followed by Tea. Malcolm’s Induction was on Jan 31st 2004.
In 2004 Gavin Rowden a Senior Airline Pilot with Monarch Airlines was elected as the new Church Secretary and the Diaconate vacancies were filled. Two of our young men have pioneer new web sites and web boards David Timms set up
http:// thecross.boards20.com/ for testimonies, poems etc, closed in 2005 and Daniel Rowden set up
www.afraid clothing to sell Christian slogan “T” shirts with the profits going to charities. Since closed and he is married living in South Africa with his Finnish wife.
The Official Re-Opening service led by Gavin and Rededication of the Church Premises took place on March 6th 2004/.with the incoming BU President for 2004-2005 Rev Peter Manson preaching. Part of his message was a call to “making this house a House of Prayer for all Nations
A Half day of Prayer took place on June 19th and monthly First Monday Prayer Meetings began but this soon stopped
At Easter 2004 we had began using the new baptistry .
A New Studio for amplification, projection and recording was included in the renewed premises.
REV DAVID DOONAN
of Ashdon Baptist Church, son of the Baptist Minister of Athlone in Ireland and a former BMS missionary to Brazil was appointed Moderator
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A Fund Raising Committee was set up with a varied programme of monthly events to help clear the loan repayments by 2010. One of our members became General Secretary of Churches Together in Saffron Walden for the next 3 years retiring in 2007. The Luncheon Club was established twice a month on the second and fourth Mondays In 1907 membership of this was 48.
During 2005 several meetings were held for people thinking about Membership and new members were added. Our website was upgraded
www.sw-bc.org The wooden West Doors of the chapel were replaced with a central glass door with a new flight of steps and the side doors replaced with glass windows. A new metal safety rail was installed around the gallery. The Hall’s North staircase was carpeted. We obtained a microwave cooker and a dishwasher.
Our new West frontage was completed with new railed steps, a central glass door and two windows with our logo on
Our Boy’s Brigade Company began to celebrate their Silver Jubilee with a Display at the Town Hall and by the BB & GB Marching Band winning 5 trophies at the National Marching Band Championships at Stoke on Trent . A new Mission Co-ordinator was appointed. We saw growth in the Sunday Evening Praise and Prayer services and we joined with our other Baptist Cluster Churches at Ashdon, Great Sampford, and Thaxted for monthly Tea Services. We hosted a Maundy Service in the form of a supper in the chapel and Churches Together Pentecost Praise.
During May 2005 we met formally and informally with the Rev Simon Mattholie from North Winchester Community Church and after wide consultation with the congregation we appointed him as our 18th Minister. Several members of the congregation too part in the 2005 town Carnival for various organisations and the Church Fund Raising Committee organised a public barbecue on the edge of the watching crowds and provided seating for members of the congregation to watch