Avenue's History
1874: Weekly prayer meetings began in the home of a local resident, with around 20 people attending.
1875: A Public Hall in Southend was hired (funded by John Edwards of Camden Town) for Baptist Sunday services at 11.00am and 6.30pm, with weekly visiting preachers (including at least one woman), and a children’s service at 2.30pm.
1876: The iron chapel in Hamlet Road (formerly an Anglican mission hall) was purchased for £650 as a permanent home for the Baptist Tabernacle, seating around 500 people.
1877: The first baptismal service took place in the new church, with two men and four women baptised.
1878: The first full-time minister was appointed (annual stipend £120); membership stood at 42.
1882: The minister resigned and, with 26 members, left to form a new church in Clarence Road.
1896: Membership reached 175 (51 men, 124 women; 60 married, 64 unmarried).
1899: A new site was acquired at the corner of Milton Road and Avenue Terrace, and construction of the current church began at a cost of £12,000. A planned south-west spire was never completed.
1901: Thursday 30 May. The doors of Avenue Baptist Church opened for worship, marking the congregation’s 25th anniversary.
1905: The Sunday School had grown to 451 children and 30 teachers, requiring a second storey to be added to the hall. On one outing, children consumed 28lbs (12.7kg) of sweets and 28lbs of biscuits.
1918: At least 17 Avenue men lost their lives in the Great War, though the building remained undamaged.
1923: An upper gallery was added, increasing seating capacity from 600 to 1,000, using columns included in the original construction in faith.
1926: The current manse in Park Crescent was purchased for £2,000. Carey House bungalow was also bought (with a Jubilee offering of £1,139) for use as a young people’s institute and caretaker’s house.
1933: The Primary Hall was added to accommodate the growing number of young children.
1937: A children’s service from Avenue was broadcast live on the BBC regional wireless programme.
1939: 3 September, 11.15am. During a morning service, a note confirmed the UK was at war. Although churches remained open, within a year, most activities ceased and membership dropped significantly.
1943: A landmine exploded just south of the church, damaging the roof and windows. The congregation met in the hall but returned to the damaged church to sing the doxology. One member was killed during the war.
1948: A new minister was sought, with requirements including strong preaching, youth engagement and evangelical conviction. The first female deacon was elected, though it was another 20 years before the next.
1952: Seven deacons resigned over concerns that the Young Wives Club was too secular.
1959: Avenue Bible Week began, attracting seaside tourists. Over four years, 158 new members joined, lowering the average age.
1973: The derelict Carey House was demolished and replaced with six flats.
1976: A communion service was televised live, including hymns, a children’s talk, Boys’ Brigade band, readings, solos, a sermon and communion, all within 45 minutes.
1980: The Avenue Trust opened Johnson House, providing four flats.
1992: The two-storey hall was replaced with a single-storey multi-purpose space, including storage, reception, kitchen, toilets and an upstairs youth lounge. Foundations were laid to support a future additional floor.
2010: Membership stood at 119, with a further 110 on the pastoral care network. Around 800 people used the church buildings each week.
2016: The sanctuary was reconfigured: pews replaced with movable chairs, choir stalls removed and a raised front area created. A new cross-shaped baptismal pool was installed, along with four stained-glass windows representing Creation and Trinity; Easter and Pentecost; Baptism and Communion; and Mission and Justice.
Choir stalls and organ
(Before Redevelopment)
