Bradford Infirmary Street Bethel Baptist Church History

BRADFORD:
Bradford Infirmary Street Bethel Baptist Church History up to 1912.

No new Church was formed in the Bradford District between 1832 and 1850. In the latter Infirmary Street, year a number of members of Tetley Street Bethel. left and started a new cause in a small room in Longcroft Place. The present chapel was erected in 1853, and the school premises were added a few years later. During fifty years, eight ministers have held the office of pastor and exercised faithful ministry. When, very early in the present century, an attempt was made to start a Baptist Central, Mission in Bradford, in Westgate Hall-the Old Westgate Chapel-the Infirmary Street Church formed the nucleus of the enterprise, though some services were still held in the Bethel Chapel.

When the new mission proved unsuccessful the former position was reverted to at Bethel. The Church is face to face with similar difficulties to those which induced the Churches at Westgate and Tetley Street, both of them in the immediate neighbourhood of Bethel, to migrate to the suburbs. Faith-fully service has been rendered, but latterly it has not been found possible to support a pastor, and student pastors have supplied the pulpit. During the last two years, Mr. Leslie Chown, grandson of the Rev. J. P. Chown, has rendered efficient service in this capacity. There is a good Sunday school.