Shirley Baptist Church, Solihull UK facts for kids

Shirley Baptist Church is a special place of worship for people who follow the Baptist faith. It is located in Solihull, a town close to Birmingham in England. The church building is on Stratford Road, and its halls face Trinity Place in the Parkgate area. This church started a very long time ago, in 1797! It is part of bigger groups called the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the Evangelical Alliance.

History of Shirley Baptist Church

Early Beginnings

The story of Shirley Baptist Church began in 1797. At first, a group of people from another church in Birmingham met in an old pub. This was a temporary place for their worship. Later, in 1845, they moved into their very own church building. This new place was called a Chapel and was in the Sandy Hill Farm area.

A Special New Building

The church building you see today was built in 1910. A kind couple, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Braithwaite, paid for it. They built it to remember Mrs. Braithwaite's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Guy. That's why the church is also known as the Guy Memorial Chapel.

Modern Updates

More halls were added behind the church in 1913. These halls were made even bigger in the 1930s. They even included a house for the caretaker. These older halls and the caretaker's house were taken down in 2012. A brand new set of church buildings opened in 2013. The Deputy Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Ken Hawkins, officially opened them.