Allerton Bethel sandy Lane Baptist Church History

ALLERTON:
Allerton Bethel sandy Lane Baptist Church History up to 1912.

The Church at Sandy Lane, like Queensbury, is one of the Old General Baptist Churches. It is Allerton, Bethel highly probable that Rev. John Taylor, of (Sandy Lane). Queensbury, began the work, when, on Sunday evenings, he used to visit the villages around, preaching the Gospel. The Church is certainly a daughter of Queensbury, and was formed in 1824, six years after Mr. Taylor's death. At the opening services of the chapel, the Revs. Richard Ingham, of Heptonstall Slack, S. Foster, of Farsley, J. G. Pike, of Derby, and T. Stevenson, names of eminence among General Baptists, took part. In 1835, Rev. Jonathan Ingham, of Halifax, became pastor. Whether Mr. Ingham was "passing rich" on it or not he received the stipend of £25 a year. The Church, as its records show, was extremely poor in this world's goods and burdened with an almost crushing debt.

Many joined the Church during Mr. Ingham's pastorate of thirteen years, and he was a man greatly beloved, but during part of the time the Church was unable to pay the promised salary of £25, and the pastor only received £16 per annum. He said he could "preach as well on £16 as on £25." In 1864, Rev. W. E. Winks, afterwards so well and honorably known as minister of Bethany Church, Cardiff, became pastor, and ministered for three years to largely increasing congregations. In 1873, Rev. Thomas Gill succeeded Mr. Winks. During this pastorate, fifty-three members were dismissed to form the Central Church at Allerton. Since then, Revs. W. H. Smith, W. Wynn, D. G. Miller, and J. P. Rogerson, have successively been pastors at Sandy Lane. The present chapel was erected in 1883, the foundation stone being laid by Mr. Angus Holden, then Mayor of Bradford. The pastorate is at present vacant.