Castle Hill Baptist Church facts for kids

Castle Hill Baptist Church is a very old church in Warwick, England. It's one of the oldest Baptist churches anywhere! It started in the 1600s. Back then, some churches, called "non-conformist," faced tough times in England. But Castle Hill was lucky. Lord Brooke from Warwick Castle helped protect it.

Early Days of the Church

Because of the danger, the church first met in people's homes. In 1655, Castle Hill hosted a special meeting. Six other Baptist churches joined them. This meeting started the Midland Baptist Association. Today, it's called the Heart of England Baptist Association.

In 1685, the church moved to where it is now. They got a garden plot to use as a cemetery. This was because non-Anglican churches couldn't use regular church graveyards. For 15 years, the church still met in a house on this land. But in 1700, they built their first church building. This was a big step! Church records started in 1697. Around 1710, they began singing hymns in church.

Growth and Changes

The first church building lasted about 40 years. After that, John Cohen Rylands became the minister. His son later helped start the Baptist Missionary Society. During the 1700s, the church had between 30 and 100 members. Only adults who had been baptised could become members. This rule stayed until 1930.

At the end of the 1700s, the church started a Sunday school. But the early 1800s were still hard. By 1820, the church was almost closing down. A church leader named Lawrence Tatham saved it. In the 1830s, new laws gave more people the right to vote. This caused the church to split for a while. But ten years later, the church grew a lot. They needed to make the building bigger.

A New Building and Challenges

Even with the extension, the church kept growing. So, in 1866, they built a much bigger church. It was in the Gothic revival style. This new building replaced the old one from the 1740s. It covered almost the whole plot, including the old cemetery. In 1905, the Midland Baptist Association turned 250 years old. To celebrate, the church building was updated inside. They also added a pipe organ.

By the mid-1900s, the 1866 church building was in trouble. Woodworm was eating parts of it. Dry rot was also a big problem. The number of church members had shrunk again. It looked like the church might face the same problems as in 1820. Fixing the old building seemed impossible. The church didn't have enough money.

Finding a New Home

In the end, a new church building was built. But it took a long time, starting in 1970. That year, the pub next door to the church went up for sale. After many challenges, the church bought the pub and its car park. The church secretary even lent his pension money to help! Buying the pub used up almost all the church's money. They had to wait until the loan was paid off.

In 1976, they bought more property. This was the church hall of St Nicholas parish church. The old pub became general church rooms. The church hall was used for youth work. The car park was very helpful in busy Warwick. But the 1866 church building kept getting worse. By 1986, it was too unsafe to use for services. Sunday services moved to the church hall on Gerard Street.

Building the Future

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, work on the new building really started. In 1993, Warwick Town Council and English Heritage said the 1866 building had to be saved. It was too historic to knock down. So, the plan for the new building was rejected. After more struggles, including with the Royal Fine Art Commission, a new plan was approved in 1997.

Raising money for the new building cost about £650,000. The church members gave money. They also got grants from charities and bank loans. In April 1998, the last service was held in the old church. Then it was taken down. The new building was finished less than a year later.

The church has become very lively in its new building. It holds many events. These include two Sunday services, a playgroup, and a youth group. In 2019, they decided to refurbish the church and church hall. This work, costing £86,000, was planned for 2020. The current minister is Reverend Kevin Johnson.