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Leeds York Road Baptist Church History

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LEEDS:
Leeds York Road Baptist Church History up to 1912.

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LEEDS, YORK ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH

The York Road Church was established on December 3rd, 1861. It consisted of 31 members, who secured their dismissal from the Mother Church at South Parade for this purpose. These friends had for many years been engaged in the Sunday School, founded in 1842, in Steel Street, removed later to Joy's Fold, and now being conducted at the Miners' Institute. The letter of dismission prognosticated many difficulties-a prophecy abundantly fulfilled; but these many difficulties have, through the grace of God, been overcome. In the Church's early days practical help was rendered by the Itinerant Society, and more recently by our County Association, but York Road rejoices that during recent years she has been a self-supporting Church, with an outlook brighter than ever before. In 1871, when the walls of the present building were nearing completion, they were blown down during a severe gale, and the question "whether the project should be abandoned" was considered. Happily the decision was in the negative, but the calamity heavily increased the financial burden, which, for years, seriously harassed the work of the Church. York Road is now happily free from this incubus.

The neighbourhood has always been regarded as especially difficult for Christian work, but that recently there has been a most encouraging response to the Church's efforts is evident from the fact that last year York Road received thirty-two members into her fellowship by baptism. The ministers at York Road have been Revs. James Roberts, James Jack, John Compston, John Bell (1874-6), J. Smith (1876-80), J. Kitchener (1881-7,) W. J. Wintle (1890-3), C. Riseborough (1894-8), and P. Miller (1900-4). Its present pastor, Rev. A. G. Haste, settled in 1906, and the Church has recently celebrated its Jubilee with much rejoicing and thanksgiving. The Church has been earnestly supported by its officers and leaders and a succession of devoted pastors, and now enters upon her fifty-first year of service with a spirit of faith and good cheer.


Transcribed by Colin Hinson © 2014
from the "Present Churches" section of
The Baptists of Yorkshire
by Rev. J. Brown Morgan
and Rev. C.E. Shipley