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Some notes on the history of our church...

On Sunday 30th May 2004, Pentecost Sunday, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of our church. We gathered outside by the foundation stone to pray and sing a hymn written by Rev John Thomas, who was in 1904 the Minister of Myrtle Street Baptist Church. Rev John Thomas from south Wales. He was a renowned preacher and the author of a number of theological books.

From 1900 to 1904 over 2,000 houses were built in green fields which became the area called Wavertree. At the same time as the Methodists built a new church, now Elm Hall Drive Methodist Church, the Baptists of Liverpool decided a new “church and school” was needed.

The Baptist Union offered a grant of £1,000 from its new “Twentieth Century Fund”, and a legacy of £4,700 was received from W J Clowes, a member at Myrtle Street Church. A piece of land was given freehold by Alderman W H Watts and the new building work began. In all it cost £12,000 to build the Church we still meet in.

Our Foundation Stone reads

THIS STONE WAS LAID TO THE GLORY OF GOD
BY
THE COUNTESS OF DERBY
MAY 26TH 1904

 

The Countess of Derby in question was Alice Maud Olivia (née Montagu) (1862-1957), the daughter of the 7th Duke of Manchester, wife of the 17th Earl of Derby and “Lady of the Bedchamber” to Queen Alexandra.