Our beginning as a Church came from a Church split in 1919. There was a Church called the Protestant Reformers in Liverpool, its Pastor was a well known and famous Protestant minister called George Wise, aided by some very capable elders.
George lead a Sunday afternoon bible study with over 1000 men in attendance.
The Church was independent, Protestant and very militant, in a City that has had its share of sectarian violence and division.
The City of Liverpool was greatly blessed by an overflow of the Welsh revival, many people where converted, and there was a great influence from J.C. Ryle and his strong evangelical stand in the Anglican Church of his day, being the first bishop of Liverpool.
Due to a very large influx of Irish Roman Catholics during the potato famine the City became a totally different place.
The Reformers was in the centre of a strong militant Protestant community, known for its staunch anti Catholic teaching, and George Wise was a very strong Protestant preacher.
In 1919 George Wise died, leaving them without a Pastor, there where two Elders who where in contention to take up the mantle, it was not an easy job to follow such a strong character.
T.B. Wilmot and H.D. Longbottom (Longbottom went on to be Lord mayor of Liverpool in 1950) where both in the running, Wilmot wanted to take the Church in a more biblical and spiritual direction and Longbottom believed that being a more politically Protestant Church would be best.
Both parted ways and Wilmot formed the Liverpool undenominational Church (Later to become Stanley Park Church) we met in a cinema building in Anfield (Oakfield road) and then later purchased our own building, only to be compulsory purchased by the council, for an approach road to the mersey tunnel which was never built.
This brought about the move to our current building on the corner of fountains close and Walton Lane opposite the bottom of Anfield road.
The building was built as a Welsh Baptist place of worship, designed in 1875 then built and opened in 1901, and was called Stanley Park Mission, it was a vibrant hub in the community.
For reasons unknown to me at the moment, by the 1930s it was up for sale and we moved in, later changing the name of the Church to Stanley park independent evangelical Church.
Wilmot was the Pastor, he was not Baptist by conviction so he nailed down the Baptistry and christened babies.
When he died he was followed by Pastor Wolstenholme, he was Baptist and a friend of Lloyd Jones, he was pastor for many years and the Church became reformed in its doctrine.
He was followed in the 70s by Pastor George Evans, George became arminian in his doctrine after studying in Emanuel Bible college in Birkenhead, known for its holiness teaching, George baptised children and adults (although not together Haha)
When George left, Nigel Preece took the reins after being recomended by Alun McNabb a well known preacher from Dudley. Nigel lead the Church through some tumultuous years and brought the Church back to more Baptist and Calvinistic doctrine.
After Nigel left to take on a Pastoral post in the south of England, Eddie Roberts was appointed Pastor.
At this point the Church was small (around 12 attending and 7 members) and this continued for over a decade with not much numerical growth, but but by God’s grace plenty of spiritual growth.
God graciously blessed the Church in 2021, this came after exercising Church discipline in 2020, removing a couple of unruly men. After this adopting the 1689 confession of faith to tighten down our theological stand, so that wolves would have a harder job chewing through our protective shield of doctrinal orthodoxy.
Then we made the decision to continue worshiping together during the government’s unwarranted imposition of lockdowns, because of their ungodly belief that Churches are not “essential” in times of crisis.
The Lord kept up safe, as well as adding to our numbers through many people getting saved, and baptised and added to the membership, we had dropped down to 3 members at one point, and now have a membership (all giving assent to our confession of faith) of 27 and an attendance has gone from 12-14 to 45-55.
But far more important than numerical growth (that we all need to stay open) we have seen amazing spiritual growth, we have a lovely sence of unity around our agreement of confession of the key doctrines of scripture.
We have recently joined, as a founding member, the ACBC (Association of confessional Baptist Churches UK) with some lovely brothers and sisters who confess the same things as we do, which as far as I am concerned is a genuine, gracious move of God in these days of doctrinal confusion and saddening apostasy in many places that where once known for their Protestant, Reformed beliefs.
So all that said and done, the Lord has, in His providence, brought us on an ever developing journey of over 100 years of the ups and downs in Church life, and has by His amazing Grace brought us to a position in our history (that I never imagined in the days when I would preach to just four faithful ladies, saying “welcome to the women’s meeting” on the Lord’s day morning) where I can only fall to my knees and praise our ever glorious, gracious and sovereign God for “calling us in to the Kingdom, for such a time as this” and look to Him to guide us and keep us from compromise in the days and years ahead, if the Lord does not return before then.
Psa 107:8 “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”