The Second Half of the Twentieth Century

In 1948, Mr. O. C. Thomas of Aldwick, Bognor Regis, who was President of the Brighton District of the Kent and Sussex Baptist Association, seeking to advise the Association on the establishment of new Baptist Churches, was concerned to discover what towns and villages in West Sussex were without Free Churches, and he invited the author to undertake a survey based upon 1931 census population figures (there was no census in 1941 owing to the war). Several villages with populations between 1000 and 2000 were identified as being suitable places for Baptist outreach, but the survey revealed that of the larger towns in the County Chichester was the only one without a Baptist Church. The whole of West Sussex was expanding very rapidly at that time, the census of 1961¹ revealing that the population had risen from 228,080 in 1931 to 411,613 – an increase of 183,533 in 30 years. So far as the City of Chichester was concerned, the increase had been 5,222 between these years and there was much house building, including three large estates, on none of which had provision been made for a Free Church. Neither the Congregationalists nor the Methodists had felt able to undertake any new work, owing to their existing commitments.

When it was discovered that in the years from 1948 to 1951 a number of Baptist families had moved to Chichester, a group of 17 persons met on 9th February, 1951 at the home of the author and his wife at 53, Willowbed Drive, Chichester, to “discuss some form of Baptist work in Chichester.” It was an interesting ‘coincidence’ that the Baptist Times that year had had a series of articles by the Rev. A. Russell Smith, on places without Baptist Churches and in the issue of 25th January, 1951² there was a long section on Chichester, in which the writer suggested the convening of a meeting of Baptists in Chichester to form a Fellowship. On the very date that article appeared the invitation to the meeting on 9th February had already been sent out, and it seemed a confirmation of the Holy Spirit’s leading.

At the meeting it was agreed³ that “(i) Morning worship of a private nature be held on the four Sunday mornings in March at the Coronation Hall, in Chapel Street, (ii) A Committee of three (Messrs. Cheesman, Hubbard and Thatcher) be appointed to arrange details of these services and make tentative enquiries at the County Planning Office regarding sites on the new housing estates in Chichester, and to make proposals with a view to the eventual establishment of a Baptist Church.” After the four Sunday mornings, on 30th March, another meeting was held at which 22 persons were present and the Rev. Hubert Janisch, M.A. of Christchurch Road Baptist Church, Worthing, that year Moderator of the Kent and Sussex Baptist Association, had been invited to preside. The Committee had met the Congregational and Methodist Ministers to keep them informed of the existence and objectives of the Chichester Baptist Fellowship, and use of one of the Methodist chapels had been considered, but it was decided to meet for both morning and evening worship at the Cicestria Hall (Y.W.C.A.) in North Pallant from 1st April, 1951. The author was appointed as Secretary of the Fellowship, Mr. John T. Hubbard as Treasurer, with Messrs. Arthur Brown, Fred Cheesman and Pastor Dowley (of Westbourne Chapel) as other Committee members, an ad hoc chairman to be appointed at each meeting. Hubert Janisch expressed pleasure at this development and offered the help of the Kent and Sussex Baptist Association.

It is interesting that the earlier pattern of local autonomy, with advice and help from ministers and members of other churches (very like the ‘messengers’ of former centuries) was being followed here. In fact at the next meeting on 22nd May 4 we find Hubert Janisch again in the chair with three senior deacons from the Worthing Church (Messrs. C. Joslin, Mr. Mills and Mr. R. W. Thatcher) in attendance. The Committee proposed:-

“That a Baptist Church, to be known as Chichester Baptist Church, be formed; that it should have what is commonly known as open membership, and its doctrinal basis be those tenets of faith set out in the constitution of the Kent and Sussex Baptist Association.”

It was:-

“RESOLVED – That after some months of fellowship together, and feeling ourselves led of the Holy Spirit, we propose that the Chichester Baptist Church be formed upon a constitution to be agreed and, for that purpose, we instruct the Committee to take the necessary steps, and request Mr. Janisch to act as Moderator.”

The meeting closed with the Benediction and the Doxology.

Some further meetings were held to agree the constitution, including a ‘Covenant of Membership’ (Appendix 4 ), and those wishing to become foundation members were asked to signify their intention to the Secretary, so that transfers could be obtained from their former churches.

Bearing in mind the history of Eastgate Chapel, the original members were concerned that the constitution of the new Church should be so drawn that it would retain its Baptist character. They were conscious of the conflict between the desire that members of the new Church should be only those who had professed faith in Jesus Christ by the ordinance of believers’ baptism into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the criticism that this might exclude persons who had had a real spiritual experience in another Christian community, and specially in the case of a husband and wife who had come from different churches. The Rule adopted by the Church in this connection said: “In exceptional circumstances applications for membership from persons (including transfers) who have not been baptised by immersion on profession of faith, may be entertained by the Church, provided the other conditions ... are satisfied and the applicant recognises the truth of believers’ baptism.” Members received under this Rule were to be entitled to all the privileges of membership, except that they were not permitted to vote on any matter affecting the constitution. The Church has continued to have this ‘open membership’, the decision regarding each application being within the discretion of the Church Meeting.

From July 1951, the Sunday services were again held at the Coronation Hall (since demolished), but other meetings were still held in the homes of the members.

¹The Census figures were as follows:

²Baptist Times. 25th January, 1951. Series by Rev. D. Russell Smith No IV.“Advance through Local Initiative”. Quotes Willis’s Records as saying of the Eastgate General Baptist Church: “The congregation worshipped in the chapel which still stands at the cattle market by the east gate, near the Lavant, at that time an open stream in which they at first baptised.”
³Chichester Baptist Fellowship Minute Book No. 1.
⁴Ibid