South Norfolk church set to mark 200th birthday 

Attleborough Baptist Church is celebrating its 200th anniversary in September, an exciting milestone since a small band of people first met in 1819 for prayer at the home of local watch and clockmaker James Dawes. Denise Gee reports.

With numbers of the group growing, the church soon moved to a 20 by 10 foot barn where a selection of deacons and preachers from the surrounding area started preaching the gospel. On August 25, 1825, they officially formed Attleborough Baptist Church – the congregation made up of seven members, with two of them baptised on that day in a small pond nearby.
 
Expanding further, in 1932, a wealthy resident of Old Buckenham built a chapel with accommodation in the village for Joseph Green, a popular young preacher from Diss who walked from Diss to Old Buckenham on Saturdays and back on Tuesdays.
 
Green received offers to serve from both Old Buckenham and Attleborough, but felt called by the Lord to preach in Attleborough, so the wealthy benefactor went on to build the chapel in Hargham Road. This is where the church still meets, albeit in the school that was next to the old chapel – the latter was demolished because of disrepair.

September celebrations

For the celebration weekend in September the church is planning the following:

Friday 12: A movie quiz night for the public presented by Andy Godfrey, a well-respected preacher and film critic. Andy will be discussing a selection of hit films through a Christian lens.
 
Sunday 14: A special service, including previous members and pastors, and leaders of other churches in the community.
 
Activities are not confined to the celebration weekend or 2025. Women and men’s ministries are up and running to reach out to the community and the church is planning to present an external Alpha course, having done internal training. It also plans to stage an evangelistic outreach event with a renowned speaker, potentially in 2026.
 
“We are very excited about what God is doing in our town and in our own church,” says Pastor Rob Gee, who joined the congregation in 2023.
 
“Numbers are increasing steadily and we are planning new events and new outreaches for the months ahead. This year we are very aware and very humbled to realise how we stand upon the shoulders of numerous faithful believers who, over 200 years, have planted and watered the seed of God’s Word in this place and we thank God for granting us the privilege of continuing this work. We’re keen to connect with churches in our area and across the county in efforts to spread the gospel to the many in our communities who are searching for the truth.”
 
 If you are keen to attend/participate, please contact Rob at pastor@attleborough.church or tel: 07714 720078. The church would also be grateful for any information about the church from any of its previous members.
 
Website: www.attleborough.church
 
Pictured top is the Attleborough Baptist church today and, above, back in 1925.