Uckfield Baptist Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Uckfield Baptist Church |
|
|---|---|
The former chapel in 2010, seen from the northwest
|
|
 Location in East Sussex
|
|
| 50°58′37″N 0°06′00″E / 50.9770°N 0.1000°E | |
| Location | London Road, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1HX |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Churchmanship | Strict Baptist (to 1920); General Baptist (from 1920) |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 15 May 1785 |
| Events | 1789: chapel in London Road opened 1874: chapel rebuilt 2005: chapel closed; services moved to Manor Primary School |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Congregation active; chapel closed |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 31 December 1982 |
| Architectural type | Chapel |
| Style | Georgian/Vernacular |
| Years built | 1788–89 |
| Groundbreaking | 1788 |
| Completed | 22 February 1789 |
| Closed | 2005 |
Uckfield Baptist Church is a Christian group that follows the Baptist faith. They are based in the town of Uckfield in East Sussex, England. Even though their services now happen at a local school, this church group has a long history.
It started in 1785 when some people left another church nearby. They built their own church building, called a chapel, in 1789. This chapel was used for over 200 years until 2005. At that time, the building was closed and sold to become homes. The original "simple brick chapel" was rebuilt in 1874. It is now a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical and architectural site.
The church was formed because of different ideas about faith. These differences caused a split in the group that met at Five Ash Down Chapel. People who believed in certain ideas about faith and baptism left that church. They formed a new, separate church in Uckfield in 1785. Four years later, their own chapel was built. Another split happened in the 1920s. This was when the church changed its main beliefs. Some members who disagreed left and started a new church in Uckfield, which still meets today.
Contents
History of Uckfield Baptist Church
How the Church Began
The story of Uckfield Baptist Church starts with another chapel. This was the Five Ash Down Independent Chapel, which opened in 1784. A man named Thomas Dicker junior had a strong religious experience in 1772. He started holding meetings at his house in 1773. So many people came that his father gave land for a chapel to be built.
From the beginning, the Five Ash Down Chapel followed certain Christian ideas. These ideas were common in many churches in Sussex during the 17th and 18th centuries. These churches often started as small groups of people who shared similar beliefs. They believed in ideas like predestination. Traveling preachers were very important. Leading members of these chapels often helped start new churches nearby.
Different Beliefs Lead to a Split
Another group, called the Strict and Particular Baptists, shared some of these ideas. However, they also believed that only people who had openly declared their faith and been fully immersed in water (called believers' baptism) could become members. They also practiced closed communion, meaning only their members could share in the communion service.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, many churches changed their beliefs to become more like Strict Baptist churches. But it was also common for groups to split up. This happened when people disagreed about beliefs or when a new leader had different ideas. Many new churches were formed by members who left their old congregations. Most of the Strict Baptist churches in Sussex started this way.
Just one year after Five Ash Down Chapel opened, its members disagreed about baptism. Some members believed that only total immersion baptism after a confession of faith allowed someone to join. These members left and started meeting at a farm near Five Ash Down. On May 15, 1785, a Strict Baptist church was officially formed there.
Building the First Chapel
The group met at the farm for about three years. In 1788, they got the right to use a piece of land in Uckfield. At that time, Uckfield was a large village that was growing into a market town. A permanent chapel, which became Uckfield Baptist Church, was built. It opened on February 22, 1789. Important leaders from other chapels helped open it. The new church had a pastor who lived there until 1800. It also had pastors for most of the 19th century.
_(Datestone).JPG)
Rebuilding and Another Split
The church's future became more secure in 1871. This was when the church gained the right to own the land. In 1872, the land was officially put into a trust. This meant it was to be used "for the use of Particular Strict Communion Baptists." Because of this, the old chapel, which was in bad condition, was torn down. A new, larger brick building was built in its place. This new chapel opened on October 28, 1874.
Just as disagreements caused churches to split before, it became common for Strict Baptist churches to split in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This happened if leaders or members started to believe in ideas linked to General Baptists. General Baptists had different ideas about faith. These differences were very important to people in the churches of rural Sussex.
In 1908, a new pastor introduced General Baptist beliefs to the Uckfield church. This led to another split in 1920. Members who wanted to keep the Strict Baptist beliefs left. They started meeting at the Foresters Hall in the south of Uckfield. This building was later officially registered as a place of worship. It is still used today as a Strict Baptist chapel.
The Church Today
The 1789 chapel was registered for weddings on February 1, 1838. This registration was moved to the new chapel in 1876. It was canceled on June 15, 2005. Worship at the church building stopped that year. The building was sold to be turned into homes. The church group then moved their services to Manor Primary School in Uckfield. The church is connected to Baptists Together (the Baptist Union of Great Britain) and the Evangelical Alliance. The church's old records are kept at the East Sussex Record Office.
Architecture of the Chapel
Uckfield Baptist Church was given a Grade II listing by English Heritage on December 31, 1982. This means it is a "nationally important" building with "special interest." As of 2001, it was one of many Grade II listed buildings in the Wealden area.
It is a "simple brick chapel" with one floor. It is mostly made of red brick, with some darker bricks at the front. It has four windows on the side facing the road. These windows are evenly spaced and have rounded tops. The windows still have their original glass bars. The roof is tiled. The front of the building has a pointed roof with decorative wooden boards. Even though it was rebuilt in 1874, it still looks like buildings from the Georgian period.
See also
