Special birthday celebrations in Minchinhampton

 

THERE are anniversaries, and there are anniversaries.

In the last twelve months, I’ve celebrated sixty-eight years of life, fifty years since I started at university, forty-three years of marriage – and almost thirty-six years of living in Minchinhampton.

But there’s a much bigger number coming up.

The house my family moved into in 1979 has its own anniversary this year.

Our home, the Old Baptist Chapel in Minchinhampton, was founded on March 29, 1765 – exactly 250 years ago today.

When our home was built in 1765 it was a splendid example of eighteenth century non-conformist architecture, a substantial barrel-roofed church with gothic windows, gallery and pulpit, the original Baptist Church in Minchinhampton.

Sadly, our Victorian ancestors removed or adapted most of the original features – but you can still see its gothic downstairs windows and main doorway.

And if you go into the 1834 Baptist Church building on Tetbury Street you can also see part of its mosaic floor.

This bears the 1765 date of the original chapel’s founding in 1765 – exactly 250 years ago last weekend.

But churches are not just buildings.

Minchinhampton Baptist Church has outgrown both its 1765 and its 1834 premises and now meets on several sites, including renting premises from Minchinhampton Youth Centre.

Today, Palm Sunday, was the exact date on which 250 years ago the Baptist Church was founded on its original site.

My wife and I have been members of the Baptist Church congregation ever since we turned the chapel into our home and moved to Minchinhampton in the 1970s. On Palm Sunday we celebrated the 250th anniversary along with all our friends at church – including three past ministers who made a special return visit to Minchinhampton.

Reverend Liam Eaglestone, the church’s current minister, puts it like this: “At the Baptist Church, we want to acknowledge the past with gratitude – but our main focus will be on ‘250 acts of kindness’ to benefit today’s residents of Minchinhampton. Look out for what’s coming!”