Morden Baptist Church: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}

{{multiple issues|

{{local|date=March 2010}}

{{Primary sources|date=March 2010}}

{{More citations needed|date=November 2023}}

{{Infobox church

| name = Morden Baptist Church

| fullname =

| image = Morden baptist church.gif

| imagesize =

| caption = The front of the Church from the one way system.

| denomination = [[Baptist]]

| associations = [[Baptist Union of Great Britain]]

| founded date = 1885

| founder = "Lovers of Jesus" group

| architect =

| style =

| years built = First buildings 1929

| dedicated date = 1885

| closed date =

| demolished date =

| deacon =

| minister = Elaine Youngman

| seniorpastor =

| pastor =

| location = Crown Lane, [[London Borough of Merton]]

| country = [[United Kingdom]]

| website = {{URL|https://www.mordenbaptist.co.uk}}

}}

'''Morden Baptist Church''' is a [[Baptist church]] in the [[London Borough of Merton]], England, UK.<ref name="YLG_2014">{{cite news |title=Hundreds of pounds raised for children in Zimbabwe at Morden Baptist Church summer concert |url=https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/11363004.hundreds-of-pounds-raised-for-children-in-zimbabwe-at-morden-baptist-church-summer-concert |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=Your Local Guardian |date=24 July 2014}}</ref>{{better|reason=very short article|date=November 2023}}<ref name="Char_Comm">{{cite web |title=MORDEN BAPTIST CHURCH |url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4045707 |publisher=Charity Commission for England and Wales |access-date=14 November 2023}}</ref>{{better|reason=primary source|date=November 2023}} The church building is on Crown Lane part of the [[Morden]] [[one-way system]]. It is affiliated with the [[Baptist Union of Great Britain]].

==History ==

"In 1880s Morden was a place of cornfields and cattle, a country district with three little far sundered groups of houses. Each group of houses had a public house at its centre. Those public houses can still be found - "The Plough", "The George" and "The Crown". On a Sunday evening in 1885 a little company of "Lovers of Jesus" gathered in one of the shops in what is now London Road, to hold a simple evangelistic service. They met, and sang, and prayed and read the Scriptures. Near Morden one of the iron building firms had a few sample buildings on show. When they abandoned the pitch, they offered an iron chapel for sale and Queens Road Church [[Wimbledon, London]] offered to buy it for Morden".

[[File:Morden Baptist Church Tin Tabernacle on Crown Road.gif|left|thumb|250px| The "Tin Tabernacle" erected in 1896 on the Crown Road site]]

In 1915 the membership was only 16. However the extension of the [[Northern line]] and development of [[Merton Park]], Morden and [[St. Helier, London|St. Helier Estate]] resulted in the numbers of church members rising to 84. 1929 saw the fellowship moving across the road from the 'Tin Chapel' to the "new" School Hall. This building still remains, and is now used for sports, playgroup, luncheon club and other activities. From small beginnings above a shop in 1885, who could have foreseen that exactly 50 years later, a new church would be needed (in addition to the School Hall) to accommodate the rapidly growing fellowship. So on 9 March 1935, the new church was formally opened.<ref name="PON_">{{cite news |title=A Grand Old Lady’s Proudest Moment |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000290/19350320/174/0008 |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=Portsmouth Evening News |date=20 March 1935}}</ref>

There is a memorial to people who were killed in the [[Second World War]] in the church.<ref>{{cite web | title=Wimbledon, Merton & Morden at War, 1939–45 | last=Mansergh|first=Ruth| date=30 Oct 2018 | url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Wimbledon_Merton_Morden_at_War_1939_45/LyXsDwAAQBAJ? | access-date=14 Nov 2023}}</ref>

As Morden ceased to be a quiet rural parish, and become part of London's suburbia, so the Church grew, developed and changed, Morden centre changed during this period. As the church continued to grow the old buildings proved inadequate to meet those needs. In 1990 a very substantial building scheme was undertaken to provide the current improved facilities, and including an enclosed concourse new offices and a sound-proofed [[cresh]] with a view into the main church. The Church now stands with the main entrance facing up Crown Lane part of the Morden one way system.

==Leadership==

The Current Ministers are Reverend Elaine Youngman and Reverend Darren Powell. There are also 'a board' elected from the congregation for a term of 5 year. Their role is to be the spiritual leaders of the congregation, responsible guiding growth and development of the church both, internally and though links with the community, part of their role is seeking future vision and care of the full-time leaders.

The church uses "missional clusters" to try to reach more people.<ref name="Campanale">{{cite news |last1=Campanale |first1=Andrea |title=Vital leadership that enables pioneer mission |url=https://baptisttimes.co.uk/Articles/386296/Leadership_that_enables.aspx |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=The Baptist Times |date=3 February 2014}}</ref>

==External links==

* [https://www.mordenbaptist.co.uk/ The church website]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

{{Coord|51.4019|-0.1972|type:landmark_region:GB-MRT|display=title}}

{{Churches in Merton}}

[[Category:Baptist churches in London]]

[[Category:Churches in the London Borough of Merton]]

[[Category:Morden]]