Batley Baptist Church History

BATLEY:
Batley Baptist Church History up to 1912.

The Batley Church was born of the desire for progress which actuated the Leeds District. A chapel being vacant in Wellington Street, the Baptists were gathered together, and Mr. J. H. Hardy, of Rawdon College, appointed as their pastor. After necessary renovation, the "old brick chapel" was opened on December 12th, 1875, and the new cause, with its Sunday School, flourished exceedingly. Between the years 1878 and 1882, dissensions sorely harassed the good work, but the Yorkshire Baptist Association came to the rescue, and the enfeebled fellowship removed from the little room-in which it had worshipped since Mr. Hardy's resignation, in 1880-to a more central one in Commercial Street.

In 1883, Mr. A. Cooper, of the Pastor's College, was called to the pastorate, and in 1885 the Church acquired the present Park Road Chapel, which it purchased from the "Christian Brethren" at a total cost of £1,700. £700 was raised and the remainder borrowed from the Loan Fund, the Church afterwards receiving a grant of £500 from the Building and Extension Fund. Rev. J. Aldis, junr., became minister in 1891, and in the next year considerable structural alterations were made. He was succeeded, in 1895, by Rev. F. Wynn, who was followed by Mr. P. D. McGowan, in 1899, and by Rev. W. H. Tomkins, in 1904. Mr. Tomkin's brief stay of two years was accompanied with many tokens of the Divine blessing. Mr. J. Wadding-ham, a member of the Church, undertook its oversight for nine months, but the County Association, after three years in which the Church had seriously declined, came to its assistance. A committee was formed from the neighbouring Churches, and Rev. F. W. Butt-Thompson was invited to the pastorate. He commenced his ministry in October, 1910, and, under his care, the Church is steadily regaining her lost ground.