History of Attleborough Baptist Church - 3
After the hard times of the mid-19th century, Attleborough was thriving
again. Its population had doubled once since our church was founded.
There was employment on the railways and more in textile mills,
including the elastic webbing factory on The Green. By the end of the
century, the village population would double again, thanks to the new
residential areas of Park Street and Gadsby Street (named after
William Gadsby,
born in Attleborough in 1773, who later became a prominent Particular Baptist
preacher in Manchester).
1878 Rise and fall
Less than ten years after a long spell with no pastor, the church had
absorbed the spirit of the age and put up additional buildings. This
third pastor was Rev. John T. Felce,
who came to the church in 1878. During his ministry the New Schoolroom
and vestries were added to the church in 1881
(see 1921 photograph above).
A good deal of controversy arose about this time, and there are still many
circulars published on one side and the other upon matters which
concern the church alone, and could not therefore be published in a
survey of this kind (the 1921 Centenary booklet)
even if that were desirable. The controversy seems to have arisen through some
slight misunderstanding, and could easily have been stayed by a little
Christian forbearance, and a little less sense of dignity on one side,
but in the end the misunderstanding ended in the resignation of
Mr. Felce, and the secession of some members to the Mission Room in
Hall End.
(In the eight years that John Felce was our minister,
40 new members joined the church, ten of whom are marked in the Register of Members
as "Left for Mission Hall 1886", together with two who become members in 1875.
They seem to have left before the minister joined them, since those remaining struggled
to pay the minister's stipend.
The Midlands Baptist Association paid the difference but Mr. Felce could not
accept that the deacons were paying him enough. When the Midlands Baptist
Association took their side against his, the findings were printed for
distribution to members and to those who had seceded, but Mr Felce could not accept
this outcome and left in March 1886, founding in a cottage the chapel we today
(2001) know as Hall End Wesleyan Reform Church.)
1885
Real unity in the church seems to have been secured during the
two years it was without a pastor. The church wisely sought to forget
those things that had disturbed its life and hindered its efficiency
and strove to bind together in christian love both members, minister,
and officers.
1887 23½ year ministry
Into this new atmosphere the Rev. Walter Satchwell was introduced, and
he took full advantage of its life-giving properties. There are still
in membership with the church to-day (1921)
fifty-two members who were gathered in the days of this long and
strenuous ministry. The church flourished, the members were uplifted,
and the evangel faithfully and zealously proclaimed If the super-
structure that had been reared upon the Covenant of the first sixteen
members had seemed some times to be shaky and unsafe, in the days of
Mr. Satchwell's ministry all faults were remedied.
These were the beginnings of better days for the church, the
membership increased, the services were re-organised so far as form
went, the Sunday School became more vigorous, officers and teachers
felt the breath of this new movement and the church began to take its
proper place in the denominational life. Mr. Satchwell was ably helped
in his work by his wife, and it was by her energy and skill in
needlework, that the present Ladies Sewing Meeting was first formed, an
organisation that has been ever a continual help and inspiration to the
minister and officers. After labouring faithfully for 23½ years,
increasing infirmity at last compelled Mr. Satchwell to lay aside the
work he loved, though he ever retained an interest in the affairs of
his old church.
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