This the is third article in a series sharing the history of Kew Baptist Church, London. It was produced to be used by the church to reflect on God’s goodness over the 159 years of its existence. It formed the basis of a talk given on a Zoom call on 22 November 2020 at Kew Baptist Church, London. An audio recording of this talk is below.
By the time of its 100th anniversary in 1961, Salem Baptist Church at Parkshot in Richmond seemed to be steadily progressing, growing both spiritually and numerically. However, what happened next is slightly unclear, as the period from 1962 until the late 1970s falls in between the documentary records we have and when current members of the church joined.
We do know that a couple called Charles and Grace Phillimore probably joined the congregation around 1967, having previously planted a church in Balisdon. Charles served as pastor but appears to have died during his time at the church, as Grace was widowed and remained a member in the congregation until she left the area in the 1990s. It is unclear what state the church was in when they arrived. However, during this time, probably around 1973, the church made the decision to move from its location in Richmond to Kew. In this way, Salem Baptist Church in Richmond continued in Kew as Kew Baptist Church. It appears the main reason behind this move was that the membership of the church had reduced to the point that the buildings at Parkshot were too large for them and they thought they resources could be better used for God’s kingdom. Conscious that the property in Richmond was now worth an extremely large amount of money, they decided to move to a smaller property in Kew, our current building which was originally a Brethren hall. They believed the move would allow them to release the resources that were held in Richmond to support and strengthen other Grace Baptist churches. This is just one of many examples we have in our history of members making difficult decisions in order to bless and benefit the wider work of God’s kingdom.
Last week we noted that due to the generosity of various Christians, and the necessity of settling a legal claim, the church had ended up acquiring twice as much property in Richmond than it ever intended. Here we see that with God there are no accidental consequences. This unintended investment in Richmond in the late 1800s had turned out to be an extremely profitable one. When the properties at Parkshot were sold around 1973, a large sum was placed into a new trust, called The Richmond Trust, which continues to support numerous Grace Baptist churches right down to today. It also supported the church after it moved to Kew, purchasing five flats in Pagoda Avenue which provided low cost accommodation to church members for around two decades until 1999. These members would otherwise have not been able to afford to remain in the area and the church. A significant percentage of the salary given to the pastors of our church over the years also came from The Richmond Trust.
It seems that after Charles Phillimore died, the church was very small, with membership probably in single figures. It was only due to the efforts of a leader called Mr Mason that the church remained open long enough for the arrival of a couple called Robin and Clara Dowling in 1977/1978. Their arrival, and Robin’s appointment as pastor, was used by God to begin another period of real spiritual and numerical growth. Over the next 14 years, God would use Robin’s engaging preaching and Clara’s evangelistic zeal to bring the church back to life. A number of young Christians who had moved into the area joined the church, alongside more mature believers who were already living locally. There were also a number of conversions. Clara, a trained midwife, built strong relationships within the area and befriended many from less privileged backgrounds, some of whom came to faith and are still faithful believers today. The Dowlings had an open home, with lots of students coming for dinner in the evenings. They were like parents to many of the members, caring for them in practical ways and carrying all kinds of burdens. It was during this time that Dorothy and Melanie both joined the church, and to whom all of these memories can be attributed. By the end of Robins ministry there were perhaps 35-40 members at Kew Baptist Church, with an even larger number attending the morning and evening services. Dorothy recalls counting up the attendance at one service and finding out that including children, there were around 75 people there.
So many good things came out of these years. There were a number of talented musicians and writers in the congregation, who wrote their own hymns and compiled a special hymnbook. There were missionaries and preachers raised up and sent in these years who continue to serve God’s church around the UK and world today. The church was so zealous to bless the wider work of God’s Kingdom that in 1992, they made another difficult decision that involved them sacrificing to strengthen others. An opportunity had arisen for a missionary to be sent to teach at a Bible Seminary in Medellin, Colombia. In light of the New Testament pattern of sending your best servants to go and strengthen other churches and spread the gospel, the church decided to send and support Robin and Clara Dowling. As a result, the Dowlings moved to Costa Rica for language training before arriving in Colombia.
The practice of having a plurality of elders within the church had been strong through Robin’s ministry, and so when Robin left there remained one elder, Nigel Halliday. In order to assist him with the preaching and pastoral responsibilities, a second elder, Steve Gunderson, from the US was called and appointed. However, the next part of the story is perhaps the lowest point in the 159 year history of our church. Unbeknown to Steve, a long running dispute within the church was about to come out into the open and have disastrous consequences.
It appears that two factions had developed within the church in these years, with the epicentre being a dispute between two prominent and once close families. It was never clear what the cause of the dispute was, but there was growing tension and distrust over a number of years. Shortly after Steve arrived, relationships between certain members had broken down to the point that in one meeting, harsh words were said and blows were almost exchanged. The elders tried to address the dispute, but in doing so they ended up redirecting much of the anger to themselves. Tensions continued to escalate to the point that the Grace Baptist Association had to be asked to chair a church meeting in June 1995. In that meeting, a proposal was made that the church had no confidence in its elders, and it was passed by a small majority. How sad is it that these circumstances relating to confidence in the elders and the splitting of the church so closely resemble the circumstances at Rehoboth Chapel around 1860, which result in our church being formed in the first place. Not only was the church clearly split right down the middle, but it was now leaderless. The result of this meeting was severe. Before it, some members had already started to move away for various reasons. However, after the meeting, another group of members departed from the church. The church had now been reduced to 10-15 members who were scared and still divided over what had happened. Unsure what to do next, one member suggested that the church reach out to Jon Millar, pastor of Staines Baptist Church and a friend of our church for some years. Jon was asked to come across on a Sunday afternoon to moderate the meetings that the remaining members had and to help them try to move on from what had happened. In God’s grace, Jon was used in an amazing way to lead the church towards restoration.
Jon taught about fellowship and community over a number of weeks, and had a series of frank and open conversations with the remaining members. Just a few weeks after the meeting at which the church had effectively imploded, Jon called for a day of prayer and fasting at the church and invited Christians from all over London to come and cry out to God for restoration. Kew was quite a prominent church within the Association at the time and what had happened had shocked many. When members assembled at the church on the appointed Saturday, 5 July 1995, they were overwhelmed by the large gathering of Christians from all over London who had come to comfort and cry out to God with them. Despite being the hottest day of the year, many, including the elderly, had made the lengthy journey across London in stuffy conditions while fasting. It seems that God worked in the hearts of his people through the word of God, taught by Jon, and the Spirit of God, poured out in answer to prayer and fasting, as by the end of that summer, the remaining members experienced real reconciliation. On 10 September 1995, at Jon’s direction, the church celebrated the Lord’s Supper together again.
As remarkable as this reconciliation was, what happened next was even more so. For shortly afterwards, Jon received an email from Steve Gunderson, one of the elders who had been removed by the church in June 1995. Despite being removed by Kew, Steve still felt called to serve the church in England and asked Jon whether he knew of any churches that were looking for a pastor. Jon told him that there was a small church in Kew looking for one. Despite the divisions and difficulties that had exploded only months before, in 1996 Steve returned to shepherd the saints at Kew. Could God give any greater evidence that forgiveness and reconciliation is possible among his people? Or that he deals mercifully and gently with us? Rather than remove the lampstand from Kew, he restored the church in a remarkable way.
Steve and Sharon remained in the church for 9 years before returning to the US in 2004 for family reasons. During this time, while the membership remained small and in single figures, the once divided community became incredibly close. Many were built up by Steve’s teaching (particularly in the Gospel of John) and the question and answer time he had following his sermon each week. Following Steve’s departure, the church came to an arrangement with Duke Street Church, where each week they would send someone from their training programme to lead and teach. For around five years, this allowed the small church to continue meeting. However, when this arrangement came to an end, the future was uncertain.
With the assistance of the Grace Baptist Association in 2011, the church appointed Stephane Simonin as pastor. Stephane had actually been one of the trainees at Duke Street who had regularly served the church in previous years. As pastor, Stephane formed strong relationships with the members, who appreciated and profited from his preaching ministry. However, a year after Stephane arrived, he decided to resign, feeling that he was more suited to ministry within a leadership team than as a solitary pastor. For around a year and a half, from July 2012 until April 2014, the church was once again without a pastor. While this was not ideal, it was an incredibly profitable and spiritually enriching time in many ways. When it was not possible for a visiting speaker to come to the services, various church members would bring along a message to teach, some hymns to sing and things to pray for. The Holy Spirit was clearly seen in these services, coordinating all of these seemingly separate contributions members brought into one emphasis or theme. However, it was clear that this approach could not be sustained indefinitely. These months were particularly tiring for those on whom the leadership load fell most, as they tried to plan speakers, lead meetings and look for a pastor.
In May 2013 Robin Dowling, who had remained in contact with the members over the years, attended the service. The very next month he sent an email commending a certain Jonathan Worsley to the church for their consideration as their next pastor. After preaching at services a number of times, Jonathan was called as the next pastor by the end of the year and was appointed on 26 April 2014. The rest of the story from then to now you all already know, as this is the part of the story that have all featured and played a part in.
As we look back over these years, two things stand out to me – firstly is the generosity of the members in making difficult decisions to bless and benefit the wider work of God’s kingdom. In selling the properties at Parkshot and sending the Dowlings to Columbia, the church followed the example of not only New Testament churches, but our Saviour himself, giving up some of the good things we have for the sake of others. Secondly, is the grace of God to us as a church in 1995. Instead of allowing the church to fall into ruin, God gave great restoration and another 25 years of gospel proclamation as they continued in Kew. While surveying the history of our church as I have done over the last few weeks, as well as reflecting on the situation we face at this time, my mind has been drawn to Psalm 126. The first half of the psalm looks back to a great restoration God had performed for his people in the past, with verse 3 declaring, ‘The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.’ And yet, the fact that there has been great things in the past, does not mean that the psalmist does not face current difficulties. For in the second half we see him crying out in the midst of a current difficulty and looking forward to when God will restore his people again. Thankfulness for the past and hope for the future is surely where we find ourselves today. Just as God has done great and unexpected things for us before, as we move on from this moment and into the future, we can be sure he will do great and unexpected things for us again.
Psalm 126
When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negeb!
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.
ALEXANDER ARRELL