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Midland Churches: A History of the Congregations on - General ...

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BHRMINGHA&I.<br />

WAVERLEY ROAD.<br />

Foul~dati<strong>on</strong> st<strong>on</strong>e laid Thursday, 20 January, 1898.<br />

Opened, Saturday, 8 October, 1893.<br />

MINISTERS.<br />

Edward Joseph Sale ... Jan., 1894-Feb., 1895<br />

Henry Harold Johns<strong>on</strong>, B.A. Oct., 1897-<br />

This society at Small Heath is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> result ,<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a determined missi<strong>on</strong>ary<br />

effort in <strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> suburbs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> city <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Birmingham, by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Midland</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

Christian Uni<strong>on</strong>.<br />

For a time <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>gregati<strong>on</strong> worshipped in Little Green Lane's Board<br />

School, where <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> first service was held <strong>on</strong> Sunday evening, 5 November,<br />

1893, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> preacher being Edward J. Sale, formerly C<strong>on</strong>gregati<strong>on</strong>al minister<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Solihull, who was shortly afterwards appointed its first minister.<br />

In a few m<strong>on</strong>ths <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> place <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> meeting was changed to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Board<br />

School in Sommerville Road, a locality more c<strong>on</strong>venient for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> majority<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> worshippers, where <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y were also able to begin Sunday School<br />

work.<br />

In February, 1895, Mr. Sale resigned, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> minutes recording <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>-<br />

gregati<strong>on</strong>'s-<br />

gratitude for and appreciati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> his services in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> past, and its best wishes<br />

for his happiness and welfare in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> future.<br />

Pending <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> appointment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r minister, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Uni<strong>on</strong>'s Missi<strong>on</strong>ary<br />

Agent, John Harris<strong>on</strong>, took charge <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> society and was resp<strong>on</strong>sible for<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> regular weekly services,<br />

On December, 1895, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Church Of th,~ Sa~iiozw-SO l<strong>on</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> scene <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

George Daws<strong>on</strong>'s labours-was closed, and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> trustees decided to sell <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

large building. So so<strong>on</strong> as this was known <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> committee <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Midland</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

Christian Uni<strong>on</strong> sent in an applicati<strong>on</strong> to be made residuary legatees in<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> interest <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Small Heath c<strong>on</strong>gregati<strong>on</strong>. The negotiati<strong>on</strong>s terminated<br />

successfully, with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> result that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sum <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> A850 was secured towards <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

building <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a permanent church <strong>on</strong> a site in Waverley Road. Only <strong>on</strong>e<br />

c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> had been stipulated, and that rightly, viz., that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> society should<br />

be based <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same broad principles as those <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Church <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

Saviour.<br />

The foundati<strong>on</strong> st<strong>on</strong>e was laid by Stopford A. Brooke, M.A,, LL.D.,<br />

<strong>on</strong> Thursday, 20 January, 1898, most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> proceedings taking place in<br />

a temporary ir<strong>on</strong> building <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> site <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> future School house, adjoining<br />

that <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> church. The chairman <strong>on</strong> this auspicious occasi<strong>on</strong> was Alder-<br />

man W. Kenrick, M.P., he being supported by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Lady Mayoress <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

Birmingham and a large ga<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ring <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> friends.<br />

The building comprised in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> present c<strong>on</strong>tract c<strong>on</strong>sists <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> church<br />

<strong>on</strong>ly ; school buildings, and a tower and spire to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> church are to be .<br />

added as so<strong>on</strong> as possible. The church is planned with nave, aisles,<br />

chancel, organ chamber, and vestries. The interior has sitting accommo-<br />

dati<strong>on</strong> for 500 worshippers. The architects are Messrs. John A. Grew, <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

Birmingham, and S. H. Eachus, <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Wolverhampt<strong>on</strong>.<br />

On I October, 1897, Henry Harold Johns<strong>on</strong>, B.A., <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Manchester Coll.,<br />

Oxford, began his ministry here.<br />

The serm<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> occasi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> opening <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> church was preached<br />

by Joseph Estlin Carpenter, M.A., vice-principal <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Manchester College,<br />

Oxford.

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