Poverest Road Baptist Church
Encyclopedia
Orpington
Orpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Bromley
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Its 1963 main building and 1936 school hall is home to a growing membership of many nationalities, including Chinese, Nigerian, German, South African, New Zealand and Ghanaian amongst others.
1930s to present
Poverest Road Baptist Church began its life when the burgeoning congregation at Orpington Baptist Church opted to establish itself in the Poverest area as a solution to its ever increasing size. Initial services took place in the living room of Poverest Farm, until 1936, when a modest hall was built on a small plot of land on Poverest Road, at the cost of £1,600.The building boasted its own baptismal pool under its main floor and, after the Second World War broke out just three years later, its own air-raid shelter.
Under the ministry of the Reverend E. Barlow, the Church gained phenomenal growth, necessitating a Primary Hall to house the Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
, which was built within the year.
The building was, yet again, outgrown by it occupants when, in 1958, the membership had risen to 137. Consequently, and after nearly 20 years of peace, the air-raid shelter was transformed into a Scout
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
den as space, once again, became an issue.
The building project realized by the then congregation was intended to be in three manageable stages. In 1963 stage one was completed, and the Reverend Paul Harrison was the new building's first minister.
Then came an after-school club, followed by a nursery; both of which took up residence in the old building. However, the second and third stages were never completed, and hence the church to this day lacks key facilities.
A nursery and after-school club still operate in the hall today, and the local Scout group still use the air-raid shelter as a den. But, sadly, the original buildings – now in their 60th year – are becoming impossible to maintain.
1.7m refurbishment project
Due to the accelerated rate of the hall’s deterioration, along with the need for the nursery and after school care within the community, and also the unfinished nature of the main building, fundraising efforts commenced in January 2006 to renovate and expand the current buildings. A multi-use rear hall is also planned.Funding through public events have included guest speakers such as Christian apologist John Blanchard, classical concerts, as Christian praise and worship concerts.
