Charlotte Chapel (Edinburgh) facts for kids
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Charlotte Chapel is a Christian church in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is officially called Charlotte Baptist Chapel. This church is part of the Baptist faith and focuses on sharing its beliefs. It is connected to groups like the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches and the Pillar Network.
History of Charlotte Chapel
The Charlotte Chapel church family started in January 1808. A young businessman from Edinburgh, named Christopher Anderson, began sharing Christian messages in the Pleasance area.
By 1816, the church in Pleasance was too small for everyone. So, Christopher Anderson bought Charlotte Chapel. This building had been used by another church group that moved to St John's Church. The original building had two floors and could seat 750 people.
Christopher Anderson was the pastor until 1851. The church grew, and by 1873, it had 232 members, with many more people attending services.
Over time, the number of members started to decrease, mainly because people moved away. By 1901, the church did not have a minister and only a small group of people attended.
Then, Joseph Kemp from Hawick became the new pastor. He helped the church grow again. He even held outdoor meetings on Princes Street. More people joined, and in 1907, plans were made for a new building.
The new church building on Rose Street cost £7,250 to build. It opened in 1912 and could seat exactly 1000 people.
In 2008, the church celebrated its 200th birthday! This big event happened during Peter Grainger's time as pastor. The celebrations lasted a whole weekend in October.
They had a fun Scottish dance party called a cèilidh at a local school. There was also a special lunch at the Assembly Rooms on George Street. Modern hymn writers Keith & Kristyn Getty also performed a concert.
Many former members came back for the 200th anniversary. Guest ministers like James Moser, Derek Prime, and Alistair Begg also visited. Alistair Begg, who is from Scotland, used to be an assistant pastor at Charlotte Chapel in 1975. He returned to lead the 2008 celebrations. He preached at both the Sunday morning and evening services at the old Rose Street location.
A book about the church's history was also written by Dr. Ian L.S. Balfour. It was called Revival in Rose Street: A history of Charlotte Baptist Chapel, Edinburgh.
The Church Building Today
In 2013, the St George's West Church building closed. This building belonged to the Church of Scotland. In May 2016, Charlotte Chapel moved into this building. It is located at 58 Shandwick Place.
