Following Michael Wotton’s departure, the Church was nearly a year without a Pastor. It appointed the Secretary to act as Chairman, and the Rev. Hector Harcup (formerly of Newhaven, then living in Waterlooville) to act for special pastoral matters. During that time the Church lost another of its influential foundation members, Charles J. Quinton, M.B.E., who amongst other things had been Secretary of the Civil Service Lifeboat Association.

In July 1969 a unanimous invitation was given to the Rev. Alan Burrell of Bovey Tracey, Devon, to the pastorate. He accepted the call and was inducted on 15th November that year, when worship was led by the Rev. David Boone, M.A. and the Induction by the Rev. Vivian C. Evans, General Superintendent. The manse had again been redecorated and rewired and the windows replaced.

At the end of that year the membership had risen to 95 (reaching the 100 mark in 1970), there were 68 members of the Women’s Fellowship and 47 members of the Over-Sixties Fellowship. By the end of that year, too, the debt on the building had been cleared and from 1st January, 1970 the whole of the minister’s stipend and expenses were borne by the Church and no further grant from the Baptist Union Home Work Fund was sought. The Church could regard itself as ‘fully fledged’ and able to look forwards and outwards.

The minutes show, however, that the Church was not complacent, and weaknesses and failings were faced and tackled. At that time, in particular, there was a need for reorganisation of the youth work and an influx of young couples who had experience elsewhere enabled this to take place in 1970, with the formation of Boys’ and Girls’ Brigades and a Friday ‘Mixed Youth Club’. David Rippon was Captain of the Boy’s Brigade and Cilla Wood Captain of the Girls’ Brigade, with Anne and Michael Ballard leading the Friday Club. David Reynolds and Roy Hopkins were appointed to lead the Youth Fellowship and Beryl and David Reynolds to have special responsibility for students.

Jim Pilbeam had retired as regular organist in July 1969, but agreed to share the duties with Joyce Dines and Win Pay, who were joined by Ida Pickard the following year.

In July 197l a programme called ‘Grow and Go’, edited by the Rev. David Boone, was introduced by the Kent and Sussex Baptist Association and the Church adopted this for study in its house groups for three years. There was a marked increase in attendance at these groups in the year 1972, which was described in the Secretary’s Report as “a full and happy year in the life of the Church.” There were 26 youth workers, 157 children under 14 and 38 young people between 14 and 18 in contact with the Church, 92 of whom were on the Sunday School registers. Some of the Youth Fellowship walked the South Downs Way and they accepted responsibility for some ward services at Graylingwell Psychiatric Hospital.

Some of the other events in the period from 1971 to 1976 were as follows:

• The diaconate increased to seven in December, 1971.
• Lord Longford’s efforts in Parliament towards application of Christian principles in publications and on television were supported.
• Application for direction signs at either end of Sherborne Road (in cooperation with St. Wilfrid’s Church) again turned down by City Council.
• Worthing and District Baptist Women’s League elected Mrs. Joan Thatcher as Vice-President, in 1972, to be President the following year.
• Revised Standard Version Bibles purchased for church use in March, 1972. (The minute says ‘by a majority’, indicating some lack of unanimity about this.)
• Amplification equipment and an induction loop (to assist deaf worshippers) purchased in March 1973, at a cost of £200.
• A float was entered in Chichester Gala, July 1973.
• Request from General Superintendent for help to Westbourne Chapel in March 1974. Agreed to support with ‘car loads’ from time to time.
• Purchase of minibus considered but not proceeded with.
• Proposal to form separate Baptist Associations for Kent and Sussex supported (December 1974). Secretary subsequently appointed to serve on Steering Committee of the new Sussex Baptist Association.
• An electric duplicator was purchased for £300 in July 1975.
• A ‘teach-in’ on ‘Towards Christian Maturity’ by Rev. Andrew Kane of Durrington Free Church, Worthing in November, 1975.
• In September 1976, the original strip lights in the church were renewed.

The need for increased accommodation, particularly for children’s and youth work, first discussed in September 1972, became increasingly pressing and it was decided to add a new hall and two additional rooms. In October 1974 a tender of £11,034.67 was accepted from T. F. Ames of Fishbourne and work commenced on 30th December, 1974. It was a terribly wet winter and the extension was not ready for occupation until June, 1975. It was opened on 14th of that month and the Rev. George Cumming, B.D., of Eastbourne, was the speaker. In retrospect the ‘North Hall’ as it came to be called, was not quite large or high enough for games such as badminton, but with its high windows and guarded lights it proved to be an excellent acquisition for youth work and general purposes.

On 12th September, 1976, the Church reached the 25th Anniversary of its formation and this was celebrated by return visits from the former Moderator, the Rev. Hubert Janisch and the first Minister, the Rev. Albert Crowther, the Rev. Michael Wotton by now a Baptist Missionary Society missionary in Brazil, sending a tape-recorded message.

In October a further ‘teach-in’ was held, this time by the Rev. David Boone, entitled ‘Four Pictures for a Church’. This and the earlier series by Andrew Kane, proved good stimuli for the life of the Church. During 1976 the Rev. Vivian Evans retired as General Superintendent and was succeeded on 29th January, 1977 by the Rev. W.C.R. (Bill) Hancock, who, like his predecessors, took a continuing interest in the Church.

From the mid-1970’s there was a renewed interest in Christian healing in the Church and a re-emphasis on the various aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit, some members being influenced and helped by what became known as ‘the Charismatic Movement’. The Church was fairly open to this, though it contributed to divisions which became more pronounced some years later.

The Silver Jubilee of 1976 found the Church in good heart, with Sunday congregations at a high level and most parts of the work going well.