The story of BRBC as it is today, really started on the 20th May 1894 when a group of Baptists in Horsham first met together in the upper assembly rooms of the Kings Head hotel. Services later moved to an upper room of the original Co-op building in East Street.

1897 The Tin Tabernacle

Three years later an iron building with a brick frontage was erected on land acquired in the Brighton Road to become known as East Parade Baptist Church or more colloquially as the 'Tin Tabernacle'. The dedication and opening took place on the 14th October 1897.

The 'Tin Tabernacle' saw services held there until July 1917 when it was sold to the Y.M.C.A., shipped out to France and used there during the First World War.

1907 The Old Hall

The 'Old Hall' as it became known was built to the rear of the main church building and opened in 1907 and gave service for the next 100 years.

A Sunday School was set up for young people and, soon afterwards, Boys' and Girls' Brigade companies were founded. These were later followed by youth clubs, football and cricket teams, playgroups and mothers and toddlers groups.

1923 A New Church

A new church was built on the site and the foundation stone was laid in 1922 with the church being opened on the 17th May 1923.

The church has been outward looking and socially active from its inception and this strong tradition has continued down through the years, underpinning the current church's mission of service to the community.

This mission has also been projected beyond the confines of Horsham to the wider community, with significant continuing contributions being made to causes at home and overseas including charities, relief agencies and missionary societies, and the support of individuals from the church as they go out into the world to offer their services to those in need. The church has strong links with communities throughout the world including: Brazil, Cambodia, Haiti, Kenya, Nepal and Romania, supporting charities and churches with funding and people.

1968 The New Hall

The 'New Hall' was built in two stages in 1968 and 1972 as can be seen by the different coloured bricks used.

By the 1990's, this assortment of buildings, which had served former generations well, had reached the end of their useful and economic lives both physically and practically, and needed to be replaced.

We had plans for the future of BRBC that couldn't be fulfilled within the current buildings. It was our desire to see the church as a resource to the local and wider community that lay behind our decision to redevelop the whole site, which started in the late 1990's.

After many years of planning and fundraising we finally moved out of the building in Brighton Road and moved into The Royal British Legion Hall in Chichester Terrace in January 2007.

2008 The Church Today

During the next 18 months the buildings on the site were demolished and our new building was erected.

We moved into the new building in June 2008.

Ministers

Over the years a number of ministers have served the church
1893-1894             Rev Thomas Breewood
1894-1898                         Mr Hill
1894-1898                           Mr Walter Ridley Chesterton
1894-Nov 1907          Rev Charles Clapp
Aug 1908-1917                Rev Adam Waugh
Jan 1919-Oct 1923      Rev Henry Francis Cross
1924-1928                          Rev W B Stapley
1929-1938                       Rev Charles Clapp
Oct 1939 Rev A E Johnson
1946-1961 Rev David Rigden Green
Aug 1961-1965 Rev David Gardner
Feb 1967-Jul 1980 Rev Paul Bishop
1982-2008 Rev David Richardson
1985 Rev Dr Andrew Jones
1986-1989 Rev Mark Burleigh
Sep 1990 -Sep 1993 Rev Andrew Westlake
Sep 1994 - Jan 1998 Rev Julie Shimizu
Sep 1994 - Jan 2001 Rev Nick Lear
Jan 2002 - Aug 2005 Rev Jayne Durham
Nov 2009 - Dec 2024 Rev Dr Tim L Carter
Sep 2013 - Jun 2017 Rev Jac Parson
Sep 2019- Rev Michael Hogg

There are more details here .

Whoever you are, we believe that there is something for you at BRBC, so why not come along and meet us? You would be very welcome.

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits from 10am, before the service begins. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. We share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. Following this is a time of sung and spoken worship. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 20 minutes. Often a person will pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. Sometimes people share things that they believe God is saying to the whole church family. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. There is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

images: Services

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 3 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
BRBK (4-11 years)

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. Part way through the service, the leader will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting Connected

House Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out House Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Leader 1		Leader 2
Leader Intro		Leader Intro

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

(Handwritten Signature)