Sharon's Personal Pages
Churches
This page is all about the many churches I have been involved with over the years. It may look as though I have a "wanderlust"; it's certainly true that I have moved around more than most, but it's also due in part to the quest that my parents embarked upon to find the "perfect church".
Of course, we never found it, but I wouldn't say the journey has been in vain... through it we have learned some very painful lessons: now we know "that the trying of (our) faith worketh patience" James 1:3
The churches here are (or were - some of them are sadly no more) all very different: both in terms of doctrine, worship style and so on. My background though is evangelical (Bible-based) and my own understanding of the Scriptures [being mostly in line with Baptist teachings, (although with some charismatic or Pentecostal leanings)] and my preferred Worship style [being a balance between traditional hymns accompanied by piano or organ (or brass band) and the more modern style choruses accompanied by guitars etc.] reflect my experiences.
I would love to hear from anybody who knows
me
or who goes to any of these churches now
For convenience, I have separated the list of churches I have attended according to when I attended them!
* Willesden Green
Evangelical * Elim Pentecostal *
* Crusaders * Grace Baptist *
* Watford Tabernacle *
Willesden Green Evangelical Church - I don't actually remember this as I was very wee! I was born in 1971 and we were living in Neasden, so this was where my parents were going. The building changed hands to become a Pentecostal church just before we moved, and I remember that, when I was still quite young, my father had a collection of old wooden church-seats, hymn books and a little pedal-organ that he had "inherited" from the fellowship.
Elim Pentecostal Church, Watford - We moved to Watford in 1975 when I was just 4. I have very fond memories of this church and especially the Sunday School. Mrs. Kerswell was the Sunday School leader (so maybe her husband was the pastor? I can't remember) and Ian Meredith was the assistant Pastor.
Crusaders: Inbetween these two churches I went to a young children's Bible study group called Crusaders which was run by a lovely lady called Elaine Boxhall. I met up with her recently and discovered that she has been praying for me regularly over the last 20 years, and I'm sure that her diligence has played a part in my coming back to the Lord, so I just want to pay tribute to the faith of this great Christian lady.
Grace Baptist Church, Carpenders Park - This was a 'church-plant' which was started by Mr & Mrs Brittain from Baptist Midmissions in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Stan Brittain was the pastor, and Eleanor was the Sunday School leader. We spent some precious years together, and I have very fond memories of the choruses we learned and of a summer Bible camp we went to one year (as well as Eleanor's tasty brownies!) Sadly, though, it wasn't meant to be - the group was too small to support itself, and the Brittains got a new posting in Swindon.
Watford Baptist Tabernacle, now Derby Road (Strict) Baptist Church. We were here for around three years when Pastor Ian Mayhew was the minister. There was a huge Sunday school at the time (maybe 50 children or more), and I also went to a Youth group called Nimrods here.
* Stanmore Chapel * The Salvation Army * Farnley *
* Folly's End *
Stanmore Chapel - We moved from Watford to Stanmore in 1984, and we were here for a little while when Pastor Lucke (did he have a first name?!) was the minister. Polly Barton ran the Sunday School. I also went to Campaigners led by Cathy Woosley. I helped to run the crèche for a while. http://www.stanmorechapel.findhere.com/
Roxeth Hill Salvation Army Corps, Harrow - I was invited here by a friend from school, Clare Papps, in about 1986 and ended up spending many happy years here and even went to work at the Salvation Army Head Office for nearly 10 years! Harrow Corps was, atypically of The Salvation Army, very charismatic and lively at the time. The Salvation Army have their own movement-wide youth group, Corps Cadets. http://www.salvation-army.org
Farnley - This was a very charismatic little group in Thornton Heath in South London which I went to when I lived near there. They were lovely people and I even went on holiday with them, but I sadly haven't managed to keep in contact with anybody.
Folly's End - This is a really big Charismatic church in Croydon. It is really unconventional and "rocky" (their leader, Dave Markee claims to have been the one-time bass player with Eric Clapton, I'm told!) They're affiliated with the "Toronto Blessing" movement. They also have a Christian school and have a thriving youth ministry which includes "Christian raves"!
I have to say that I don't necessarily agree with *everything* that they teach, (when I asked for their articles of faith, they told me they believed the Bible...) and I'm not by any means convinced that the Toronto Blessing is genuine; however, I do think that Folly's End is doing a great work bringing into the Kingdom young people who might otherwise never even hear the Gospel. http://www.follysend.org
* St. Martin's * Community Church Oxhey * Elimkyrkan *
* Vasakåren Salvation Army * Carpenders Park Church *
* Milton Keynes
Community Church *
St. Martin's United Reformed Church in South Oxhey, Watford. The pastor here was Rev. Ian Meredith (from Elim). I was baptized here in 1993 just before "Pastor Ian" moved back home to Scotland to be the pastor of a Presbyterian fellowship. I helped to run the youth group for a while.
Community Church Oxhey (CCO) I was here for a little while and made some friends. It's a little like Folly's End but "less so" - quite charismatic and modern. I think they may be affiliated to an international group that goes to a summer camp at Stoneleigh.
Elimkyrkan : We have recently returned from living in Stockholm, Sweden. While we were there, I went to a Baptist Church near Karlaplan: Elimkyrkan http://www.hoh.se/elim/ There was lots going on here, including a radio show called Radio Aqua, and they have a café-cum-bookshop on the ground floor of the church (this very civilised café-cum-bookshop arrangement seems to be very popular in Sweden!)
Vasakåren: I also visited The Salvation Army Vasa Corps in Stockholm several times and made some good friends there. They have a fantastic Gospel Choir, whose CDs are available to purchase by mail-order: VasaGospel http://home.bip.net/anders/fryk I wasn't involved with the youth group which, in Sweden, is The Salvation Army Scouts (Frälsningarméns Scoutförbund), but we did go to a little music group for children (Småbarnsmusikgruppen).
Carpenders Park Church - this was where I went when we came back from Sweden. Some of the people who had gone to Grace Baptist were here. The pastor is Rev. David Crowther and his wife Sally leads the Sunday School. I helped to run the crèche while I was there.
Milton Keynes Community Church - Until recently I have been going to a little "mostly Baptist" independent evangelical Christian group called Milton Keynes Community Church. They don't have their own page, but you might like to visit the pages of some of its other former members:
The former Pastor, Gareth Parkes: Gareth's page http://www.spurgeons.freeserve.co.uk
Terry Rogers, whose wife Lizette is my good friend and one-time "prayer partner": Terry's homepage with an amazing testimony - http://www.miraclesandsalvation.freeserve.co.uk/index.html
This page is under construction
I am
looking for links to the churches listed
© Sharon
Mortemore
06 February, 2000