Dawley Baptist Church

Park Road

Dawley Bank

Telford

TF4 2BB

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church.enquiries@dawleybaptist.org.uk

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The first Dawley Baptist Chapel in 1846 was built on the site of a former Bull Baiting and Cock Fighting area.

The area was chosen to remove this use of the site and was chiefly inspired by two men both called James Jones. The one was a farmer at the Piece Farm and the other was a Charter-master living in Old Park.

Our History

James Jones. (Mossey Green)

One of the Founders of this Church.

He served it faithfully for 52 Years

1846 to 1898.

Both were deacons in neighbouring Baptist churches, the one in Wellington and the other in Broseley.

When one considers the distance from Dawley to Broseley, it becomes obvious that these were two very dedicated men for there was no convenient transport in those days.

Most of the Baptist congregations in this area were small, and few were able to afford settled ministers. Our own Church at Dawley had to wait till 1849 before the first Minister was appointed but the records show that while we have had 22 ministers since then, there has never been a period greater than three years without a minister.

The longest serving minister was Rev Arthur Lester (1892 - 1920)

a period of 28 years.

In the early years ministers, for whatever reason, did not seem to stay long

with most staying for 3 years or less.

The period from 1892 till 1958 was a very stable part of our history with four consecutive ministers serving for 28, 11, 17, and 8 years respectively.

Rev William Williams. 1920 – 1931

Rev Arthur Lester. 1892 – 1920                                              Rev Mostyn Jones.  1931 – 1948

Baptisms at Dawley Bank prior to having a church were performed

in the open air in a stretch of water called Morgan’s Pool

among the pit mounds.

The next really long serving minister was the Rev E. Price Stephens who served from 1977 to 1988, a period of 11 years.

In the cover page of the first Minutes book for this Church

the following information is recorded.

The Baptist Church Dawley Bank was formed in the year 1848

Before the erection of the Chapel (1846), worship was conducted for 30 years in a private house; being straitened for room, and feeling the claims of the population in the neighbourhood, an effort was made, and the present building erected, for preaching the gospel in connection with their own denomination.

The Rev Mr. Wrigley, was ordained the 1st pastor of the Church on January 1st 1849. About this time two schoolrooms were added to the building.

Mr. Wrigley resigned his charge at Christmas 1849 and removed to Blackburn in Lancashire.

Alfred Cox, having received a unanimous invitation from the Church to become their pastor, accepted it and entered upon his labours November 24th 1850.

Owing to the increase of the congregation & Sabbath Schools an effort was made in the spring of 1852 to erect galleries in the Chapel with free sitting for the poor. The Chapel was opened Sunday May 25th & the entire cost was £48-9-5, the whole was collected & paid by the end of August 1851.

In July 1851, a bazaar of fancy & useful articles was held at the Friends Meeting House, New Dale for the liquidation of the debt on the Schoolrooms, by which a profit of £40 was realised & the debt reduced.

Several Pounds worth of goods still remains to be disposed of, the whole of which was kindly contributed by friends in the neighbourhood.

The remaining goods were offered for sale on Monday & Tuesday, the 26th & 27th of April 1852, in the Schoolrooms belonging to the Chapel, by which a profit of £13-1-5 was realised.

Thomas Skemp having received a unanimous invitation to become their pastor.

Entered upon his labours 1st August 1857

Ministers of this church from its foundation

The first records of the Church also show that the Rev Mr. Wrigley was ordained the 1st Pastor of the Church

on Jan 1st 1849. He served till Dec 1849.