Memories of Park Road Baptist Church

Down Memory Lane

When I was asked to write a page called 'Down Memory Lane', I readily agreed, but when I sat down to do it I realised that the older one gets, the longer the Memory Lane is.

One of my earliest memories of Park Road Church is being taken to an evening service by my father (parents please note). I was very impressed with the huge building, which at that time had multicoloured windows and unstained pews. There were three armchairs on the platform that attracted my attention. My curiosity getting the better of ne, and not wanting to miss anything important, I asked my father "Which chair is God going to sit in?" Many years later I discovered that they were for the minister and deacons conducting the Communion Service.                                                    

At evening service, the galleries were full of young people, young ladies on the Manton Road side and young men on the York road side. Sadly, many of these didn't return after the war. The choir stalls were also full and I can still remember some of the anthems we listened to - but don't ask me to sing them, I wasn't in the choir.

On some special occasions, such as the Anniversary or Harvest Festival, one of the deacons would get into the pulpit and ask us to sit closer together as there were more people wanting to come in. Then chairs were brought from the Choir Vestry and placed in the aisles.

When I started Sunday School, the Primary Dept. met in the backroom of the old chapel and the Beginner's dept. met in the lower room of the Assembly Rooms next door. Older children were in the main building and in the mornings after Sunday School we went to he church to sit in the appropriate gallery to have our star cards marked for church attendance. Our teacher told us stories from the bible, then we were given pencils and paper to draw the story. When we got home we drew the story again - we weren't allowed much other activity on Sundays, the only reading material allowed was the bible or The Christian Herald children's page.

There were many activities in the Assembly Rooms with children's and young people’s Meetings. It was also the scene of the annual Mirthquake - a concert given by the recreation club members and was eagerly looked forward to each year, as were the famous 'sausage and fish' suppers. The recreation field off Carey Way was used for summer activities (and at one time there was also a football team).

I was baptised on Sunday 30^th August 1942 along with seven others by Rev. Percival Jones. The verse given on my baptismal certificate was from Isaiah 54.2 "Enlarge the place of your tent... lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes". My faith has remained strong for the last 65 years and my "tent" has grown larger as I have taken an interest in missionary work. Currently I am the representative for 'The persecuted and suffering Church' at the Full Gospel Church.

For over 11 years, I was the full time caretaker of PRBC and had the pleasure of meeting many different people as various groups came to use the premises. On occasions I had ladies find me in the corridor, ask if I was the vicar, and would I 'do' their new baby. I had to explain that Baptists did not 'do' babies and sent them along to the rectory. We rejoiced to see the announcement of a baptism recently at Park Road.

All that we learn from ministers and discussion groups have been very helpful throughout our lives. One of the former ministers (Rev. A Stuart Arnold) at a special anniversary said "The best is yet to be" and we pray that this may turn out to be true as the Church moves forward in the coming years.