Eynsford Christian Fellowship (Baptist)
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The History of the Eynsford Christian Fellowship

The history of Eynsford Baptist Church, 1938-1940.
In the period of the interregnum of 1938, the Deacons needed to consider what type of man they needed. The meeting of the 31st January, summarised these qualities; "That he be evangelical, preferably under 50, & one who would get about among the people". Bertram Carpenter was considered, a student of Spurgeon's College. He had made a good impression, when he "preached with a view". The contract offered was for three years at an annual stipend of £200. Unusually for the Deacons' minutes copies of the correspondence are preserved;
22.3.38 Dear Mr Carpenter, We have much pleasure in informing you that after due deliberation & prayer, the Church last evening passed the following resolution, Viz, "That Mr B. H. Carpenter be given a definite call to the Pastorate of the Eynsford Baptist Church for a period of three years, to be renewed if mutually agreeable. This resolution was supported by a strong recommendation from the Diaconate who are unanimous in their desire that you accept the Pastorate of our Church. The stipend would be £200 per annum; with the use of the Manse, rent & rates free. In hope and prayers, trusting to receive a favourable reply, and that you may bring to this Church a ministry which may be richly blessed in bringing many souls into the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in establishing and strengthening our Church in the faith. On behalf of the Church We are, yours in the Master's Service. Not many days had past, and only four days later the affirming reply was received.	24th Mar 38. Dear Brethren, It was very encouraging to receive your letter of invitation to the Pastorate of the Eynsford Baptist Church. Although I know you were holding a business meeting which was concerned with settlement, I must confess that I was rather surprised to receive the Call. Consequently you have caught me in a very uncertain frame of mind, and since I received your letter I have been very uneasy. You, as a Church, have tried to discover the mind of Christ; It is now for me also to find God's will. There can be no use in my coming to you unless I am convinced that God has planned this for us. If there is that conviction, we as a people will have no need to fear. This is a tremendous decision which I am now called upon to make, for it may influence many lives. I would therefore ask you to join with me in seeking the guidance of God through prayer. I believe that already he is guiding, and I am becoming continually easier in mind, but I would ask you to be patient with me a little longer that I may be convinced. This is of vital importance to yourselves as well as to myself should I accept the Call, and I believe you will readily agree with me. At the same time it is not fair that you should be kept waiting long, so that I promise you a definite answer not later than March 31st, one week from today. I would like to take this opportunity of expressing my great appreciation of the kindness shown to me during my visits, I feel that already I have made many friends, so that I can truthfully say that I feel really at home with you. Praying that God will continue to guide us, and that He may in his own good time make clear the path before us, and with heartiest Christian greetings to you all, Yours very sincerely, Bertram H Carpenter.
A meeting was held with the Pastor elect on the 7th April 1938, when Bertram announced that in August, just before he takes up post, he would be married, to his future wife at present living in Glasgow. The close of the minutes reflected the joy of that meeting "After a very happy meeting Mr Carpenter closed with prayers"! The minutes of 11th October 1938, reveal an unusual problem for the period. The Secretary raised the question regarding a car park for the Church. It is recorded "Messrs Gibson's yard was being used unofficially, also this was at times inadequate". It was thus proposed that the Village Hall be approached to enquire whether their car park could be used, and at what cost. By January 1939, a reply had been received, that a fee of 2/- (two shillings - 10p) a week was required. This was considered excessive, and the matter dropped.	28th March 1938. Dear Brethren, The invitation to the Pastorate of Eynsford Baptist Church has been much on my mind since I last wrote to you. I am very glad now that I did not hurry my decision for God can always be relied upon to give us light if we trust Him. Consequently now I am convinced that God has called me to work with you. The least I can do is to obey that Call; but let me hasten to add that I do so with great joy. I would like you to know, too, that I do not accept the call because I believe the work is easy. On the contrary, I am fully aware of the big task which awaits me. Indeed, it was largely the task which made me hesitate in the first case to accept your invitation, for I felt I was not gifted enough to succeed. But I know now that with help and guidance of God, and your support in prayer and work, God's cause will not fail. Meanwhile, I would earnestly invite you all to join with me in supplication before God that He will prepare us all to work together in unity that His name may be glorified and Christ's Kingdom extended among the people of Eynsford, With warmest greetings to you all, Yours in his Service, Bertram H. Carpenter.
The problem was unusual for the day, as it was not until the late 1950s that cars became common place and afforded by those of reasonable income! Perhaps the Village Hall, considered that a Church with members rich enough to afford cars, was rich enough to pay the 2/- per week! The garden at the Priory Hill Manse was very large. In July 1939, the young Pastor, asked the Deacons for assistance with the garden, which was beyond him. The Deacons agreed to help. The War featured in the minutes of the 2nd October meeting, with seeking to obtain the cost of "blacking out" the Church. Also, the difference in years between the young and inexperienced Pastor, and his Deacons of a more senior age, began to reveal itself, when the Pastor asked if he could commence a series of meetings "for the discussion of Pacifist views", and was warned by the Deacons "that it would be very unwise to hold a meeting of that kind under the present circumstances", and it was therefore agreed to shelve the matter "for the time being". The Pastor, at the same meeting sought to deal with failing institutions of the Church and proposed that the Christian Endeavour Meetings be replaced by an all age Bible Study. The Deacon who was the Secretary of the Christian Endeavour Meetings strongly opposed such a move, and saved the ailing institution. In the meeting of February 1940, it was revealed that the 'honeymoon period' of the Pastor's ministry was well and truly at an end, with the Deacons criticising his ministry; asking "Whether he considered he was giving enough time to the work of the Church and to visitation". The Pastor answered that he was, and that he reminded the Deacons that he "had a considerable amount of study to do for the Baptist Union". The keeping of the old was not restricted to the Christian Endeavour Meetings, as the dumping of rubbish at the back of the Church was a regular practice, and in May 1940, the Rural District Council had written to the Church to ask them to remove it. The criticism over visiting was misplaced. Bertram records in a letter sent to the Church only recently; 7th February 2006; "I did the best I could with visitation. I had to walk everywhere. Sometimes 12 miles there and back as I had no bicycle on £200 per annum I could not afford to buy one. On one occasion I missed a meeting of local Baptist Churches to the annoyance of a wealthy Church member. She said I was paid to go. She was one of those with a car but failed to offer a 'lift' - I would have had to walk 14 miles across country". A meeting was held by the Deacons 19th August 1940, to discuss the Pastor's future, and to considered "as two years of the three years for which he was invited, had expired" whether he was to be offered a further period. A meeting was to be held, with ballot papers issued. However by 31st December, it was reported in the minutes that Mr Carpenter had "received a call to another sphere"!  The note that Bertram had "received a call to another sphere" was a simply an euphemism to cover that shoddy way in which the Church had sacked him. The Church did not allow Bertram to continue his full three years. On returning from a holiday, he found a letter waiting on the doormat, which according to Bertram's notes, informed him that "a Church Meeting had been held to consider the Pastorate - so therefore your ministry will end Sept 1940". Bertram notes; "Of course the basic hostility was that I was a pacifist and the sooner I was 'out' the better. People like Dr. Soper (of Kingsway Hall and a leading Pacifist) was not thrown out - nor Rev Cripps - also a Pacifist and Area Superintendent of the West Midlands Baptist was also spared - and many others. Probably age was on their side." Great optimism greeted the beginning of Bertram Carpenter's ministry with a genuine reliance upon the guiding of God. That early ministry certainly would have been a learning curve for the Pastor, but it had become clear, that with his authority being seriously eroded by the Deacons, his time had drawn to an end. He could no longer be effective in those circumstances. Perhaps the recipe of a young and inexperienced Pastor, and elderly Deacons, who had firm and perhaps unreasonable opinions of what was expected of their Pastor had proved a poor combination. The sadness was that the Church had failed a servant of God, and appears to have failed to follow scriptural guidance. Bertram went on to become the Pastor of Umberslade Baptist Church Hockley Heath Solihull (famed for its architecture) and  of Jersey Baptist Church 1949 - 1954. Hebrews 13. 7. Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith. 17. Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you. Redemption is the gracious act of God in Christ, and such action can be mirrored by the faithful. Some 66 years later, in March 2006, the Pastor of the Eynsford Baptist Church, along with the Elders, appointed Bertram as an honorary Pastor, a position he happily accepted. Compiler The Rev'd Dr Michael Foster
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History of the Church Chapter 1-1: 1775-1905  
History of the Church Chapter 1-2: 1775-1905  
History of the Church Chapter    2: 1905-1906  
History of the Church Chapter    3: 1905-1938  
History of the Church Chapter    5: 1940-1950  
History of the Church Chapter    6: 1950-1960  
History of the Church Chapter    7: 1960-1969  
History of the Church Chapter    8: 1969-1980  
History of the Church Chapter    9: 1981-1989  
History of the Church Chapter  10: 1990-1999  
History of the Church Chapter  11: 2000-2009  

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Eynsford Christian Fellowship (Baptist)