Bonny Downs Church celebrated it's official 100th Anniversary on Tuesday 8th April 2008.
The story of Bonny Downs Baptist Church
Bonny Downs Mission - 1897 - 1908 ... Charles Howe came from East Ham Baptist Church and stayed for 53 years! For 3 years, the mission held open air services, ran a Sunday School, visited homes, and led people to faith in Jesus. In 1900, the work moved into a rented room in a shop on the corner of Flanders Road and Darwell Close (then Bonny Downs Road) opposite the present Church.
The Church in a converted shop - 1908 - 1930 ... In 1908, 20 members with 6 deacons, led by Pastor Howe, formed Bonny Downs Free Church. Sunday and mid-week services, Church Meetings, open air services, house-to-house visiting, tent missions, Sunday School, Girls Club, Women's Own, Young Men's Bible Class (pictured below), Boys Club, Children's Services, Boys Brigade, Men's meetngs, concerts and social evenings served the church and reached out to the community.
The Church building - 1930 ... More houses, growing families, and overflowing premises led to the formation of a building fund in 1912. By 1922, land was earmarked and much fund raising followed, including leaving a pot in the 'Drum & Monkey' public house in Vicarage Lane. The Church was built (pictured below), and opened in 1930. All debts were finally paid off in 1947. All activities centred around the Church in Flanders Road, including Baptismal services, weddings (the first in 1935), Sunday Worship and a large Sunday School (200 children and 30 staff in 1936).
Struggle and survival- 1939 - 1976 ... Depression in the 1930's, the 1939-45 World War, large population movement, the congregation decimated and work cut back. The building survived, despite being bomb-damaged when an incendiary bomb dropped through the roof and landed on the front stage without catching fire! The Church joined the London Baptist Association in 1946. Charles Howe left in 1950, and died in 1951. No records exist for 1939-45 and 1957-64. A succession of lay pastors, Fathing, Claydon and 'a loyal few' worked on. In 1969, there were 29 members but no deacons or secretary. Youth work began to grow again after Graham and Ellen Cordery joined the Church in 1967.
Steadying and strengthening - 1976 - 1996 ... Alan Griffith came from East Ham Baptist Church to become Secretary and lay pastor, joining both the Laming and Cordery families. A morning Sunday School of 50-60, an evening congregation of 12-15, the Sisterhood, Girls Brigade and Youth Club slowly grew. Guest services, youth work and coffee mornings reached out. Student pastors from Spurgeons College, and the first full-time Minister in Kevin Rayfield during 1989-91 followed.
Growth into the community - 1996-2008 ... Between 1996 and 2008, Dave Mann brought vision and enthusiasm. The Church grew and moved out. In 1998, the Bonny Downs Community Association was formed by local Church members to manage the Well Community Centre and Flanders Field. Worship and work took place at The Well and Flanders Field, linked with a network of small church groups. A Portugese speaking fellowship and an Urdu-speaking congregation have also been established during this time. In 2005, Richard Marzetti joined as Minister, and Andrew Hewett, a London City Missioner, began a door-to-door visiting scheme. A new Church plant, Bonny Downs North, was formed by 20 of the 100 members in 2007.
About the Bonny Downs area ... part of East Ham, E6, London Borough of Newham. A mainly residential area, framed by Barking Road, High Street South, the A13 and the A406/Roding.
Early history of the area ... The rivers Thames and Roding, with marshes and flooding dominated ... Then, grazing fields for sheep and pigs, and arable land for potatoes, cabbages and onions. Ditches, windmills, lanes and tracks covered the area. Roman Road reminds us that Roman soldiers passed through. The influential Barking Abbey was founded in 666, but in 1086 only 72 people lived in East Ham. By the 1700's, large Manor estates controlled almost all of the area, and one of them, Burnells, gave its name to Bonny (Burnells) Downs.
100 years ago ... The East Ham population had grown - 1861 = 2,264 - 1891 = 32,713 - 1901 = 96,018. In Bonny Downs, the first houses and roads ran off Vicarage Lane - Mountfield, Telham, Bonny Downs, Wellstead. Towards the Thames, industry had arrived. The huge Gas Light and Coke Company in Beckton, the massive Docks and sewer bank (now The Greenway) changed the landscape. An 1894 map shows an infectious hospital, a sewerage works and a gypsy encampment where the busy Newham Council Central Depot runs off Folkestone Road, but also records Wall End Farm, Clockhouse Farm and Manor Farm.
Population ... Three waves of people have come over the years. During the period of 1890-1920, housing for workers in industry drew largely from East London (Poplar, Bow and Bethnal Green) and from Essex. Council house developments in the 1930's and post-war rebuilding in the 1940-50's brought more new people in as others moved out. From the 1960's have come immigrants, slowly at first but now accelerating - Caribbean, Asian, African, Eastern European. The world is now with us.
Look around now ... There is a thriving Community Centre at The Well; four schools - Vicarage Lane, St Michael's, Nelson and Langdon; three Playing Fields - Flanders Gooseley and Langdon; two Care Homes and a project for the elderly; District Post Office; Territorial Army Centre; White Horse Public House; Newham Town Hall; Library; Leisure Centre.
Faith flows...
- The ancient Christian Church of St Mary's, High Street South, was established 800 years ago, and is the mother of all the Church of England congregations in East Ham.
- High Street Methodists trace their beginning to home services in Mountfield Road in 1872. Their Church building in High Street South was replaced in 2007.
- Baptists began work in the open air in 1897, started a Church in a converted shop in 1908, opened their building in Flanders Road in 1930 and worship there and at The Well Community Centre.
- Roman Catholics were under Barking until 1926, when St Michael's Church and School were opened.
- The East Ham congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Napier Road began in 1950.
- New Christian congregations, including a Portugese speaking fellowship and an Urdu speaking congregation (All Souls) and Central Harvest Church are the most recent additions.
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Centenary Events
Bonny Downs street party 05-05-2008!!
Many thanks to Alban for putting this short clip of the event together for us.
Official 100th Anniversary
Changing lives...
Musical Concerts
Friday July 4th
The Well, Vicarage Lane, E6
&
Tuesday September 16th
Bonny Downs Church Hall, Darwell Close, E6
Kids Holiday Bible Club
Monday 28th July – Friday 1st August
Bonny Downs Church Hall, Darwell Close, E6
Watch this space for details
on more events....
We would like to continue to see Jesus changing lives and transforming our community and our world ... and with that in mind, we are launching our Centenary Fund to have a building fit for the 21st Century.
If you would like to contribute to the project, please send your gift to :
Centenary Fund, Bonny Downs Baptist Church,
Darwell Close, East Ham, London, E6 6BT.
Please make cheques payable to 'Bonny Downs Baptist Church'
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