Cowling Hill Baptist Church History

COWLING HILL:
Cowling Hill Baptist Church History up to 1912.

The Church at Cowling Hill has a history of 170 years, the Baptist faith being first introduced by that great itinerant, David Crosley. He founded this cause in the last year of his life, 1744. Cowling Hill was continued as a branch Church of Bacup until 1756. Mr. Nuttall, afterwards of Lumb, was a frequent preacher in these early days, his duty including a Sabbath day's journey of thirty miles and having for its reward the modest fee of a half-crown. Its pastors during the eighteenth century were S. Wilkinson (1756-9); C. Sugden (1761-72); B. Cowgill (1780-6); James Shuttleworth (1788-1826).

In 1826, Rev. Nathaniel Walton commenced a ministry which continued until his death in 1872. He had, in 1849, baptised Isaac Brown; his convert became his successor in 1875. It is worthy of remark that this little sanctuary, an outpost of the Baptist faith in Craven, has for more than a century supplied its pastors from its own ranks. Mr. Brown remained until 1881, and on July 7th, 1901-his seventy-ninth birthday-he preached the closing sermons in the old chapel, prior to its renovation. Mr. S. Parkes, a colporteur, served the cause with much fidelity from 1892 to 1903. The pulpit is at present supplied by lay preachers, and students from Rawdon. The Association Letter of 1842 says that the Keighley, Earby, and Hellifield Churches had their origin in part from Cowling Hill.