Our History
Colchester Baptist Church has a rich and interesting history.
read on to find out more!
CBC celebrates its 333rd Anniversary!
November, 2022
I am delighted that our Church Anniversary will be marked this year. We commemorate events of 1689. In that year the deeply unpopular Catholic James II was deposed in favour of the joint monarchy of Anglicans William III and Mary II in the so-called 'Glorious Revolution'.
At that time Baptists and other Dissenters were banned from worshipping so met in secret, if at all. The Anglicans realised there was a threat that Catholics and Dissenters could join together, so they made Dissenters tolerated. They could worship as they wished provided they registered their places of worship and their ministers with the authorities. Baptists were more than happy with that and what became Eld Lane came into existence.
I assumed that there would be many Baptist churches with foundation dates around 1689. However, research shows that we are only one of four modern churches that trace their beginnings to around then.
On the other hand about 75 churches claim much earlier foundation. Some are right but I suspect some claim dates based on the fact that there were known Baptists in that area much earlier. On that basis Eld Lane could claim a date in the 1630s. What is missing is a church membership or a paid minister.
Let us celebrate our spiritual ancestors who worshipped secretly and took the opportunity to come out into the open when they had the chance.