www.kidderminster-unitarians.org.uk

New Meeting House Church Kidderminster

Home of the Kidderminster & District Unitarians

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  • Life Events - Special Services ....
  • Our Life Event Services, being in the Unitarian tradition, are special and unique. Because we are not constrained by any fixed system of theological belief, Unitarian services for Child Welcoming, Marriages, and Funerals can be tailored sympathetically to meet the spiritual needs of the participants.
  • We respect the best in all human and religious traditions and will consider willingly the organisation of either an appropriate Unitarian Life Event Service or an alternative Event Ceremony for persons from less flexible Christian traditions, from other Religious Faiths, and from agnostic or humanistic backgrounds.
  • Our Minister Emeritus, the Reverend Ann Latham may be contacted regarding Child Welcoming, Marriages, and Funerals or for general consultation.
  • Social Activities ....
  • Friday Mornings: The Church and Church Premises are open from 10am - 12.30pm on Friday mornings for Spiritual Reflection, Social Activities, Discussion Events, Refreshments (Coffee,Tea and Biscuits) and for the Friendship of our Church Community.
  • Kidderminster Operatic and Dramatic Society (K.O.D.S.): The Society meets regularly in the Church Hall to rehearse for the numerous productions they perform each year. These are usually held at The Rose Theatre in Kidderminster. For more information visit the K.O.D.S. WebSite at http://www.kods.org.uk. or contact the secretary Jackie Rutland by Email at webmaster@kods.org.uk
  • Rambling Group: We have a small but keen group of ramblers who take it in turns to organise monthly rambles in the lovely Worcestershire countryside. Rambles usually take place on the first Thursday of each month. For more information contact Roger Mathews by phone on 01562 850538 or by Email at roger@mathews8763.fsnet.co.uk
  • Kidderminster Cyclist's Touring Club (C.T.C.): The cyclists group meet every Tuesday evening during Autumn & Winter months. Contact Secretary John Preston by phone on 01299 401005.
  • New Meeting House Church ....
  • New Meeting House Church InteriorThe church is set well back from the road and approached between lawns flanked by trees, shrubs, and flower borders. It dates from 1782, but was greatly enlarged a century later in 1882 when the striking neo-gothic frontage was added. The interior also benefitted from the 1882 improvement, with the addition of a vestibule entrance, wooden galleries and a chancel. Beautiful Stained glass windows, several by Hardmans of Birmingham, depict the life and teaching of Jesus, and rare acaustic tiles from Jackfields of Broseley, Salop adorn the chancel walls. However, the greatest treasures within the church have to be the 17th c. carved Jacobean pulpit of Richard Baxter (which was once situated in Kidderminster's Parish Church) together with his Complete Works (18th c) bound in four large volumes.
  • New Meeting History ....
  • Kidderminster UnitariansNew Meeting's origins reach back to the days of the civil war in England and Richard Baxter, who served as a chaplain in Cromwell's New Model Army. Richard Baxter was one of over 2000 ministers to be ejected from the Church of England in 1662, because of their refusal to conform to the introduction of a new standardised liturgy and prayer book. A further edict by parliament, forbade them from preaching within five miles of their former living. Baxter was forced to leave the town he loved, but his spirit of freedom in matters of religious belief and practice lived on in the town.
  • Later on, in 1689, The Non-Conformists, or Dissenters as they became known, were allowed by Parliament to erect their own places of worship and Kidderminster saw the founding of the Old Meeting House beside the banks of the river Stour close to the town bridge. It was a condition of the 'Act of Toleration' that such churches were to be placed discreetly in a location set back from the road - often behind shops and houses, and Kidderminster's first 'Meeting House' was no exception.
  • In 1781, the much loved and long standing Minister of the Meeting House -the Rev'd Benjamin Fawcett died and the controversial appointment of a successor led to a split in the congregation. A significant minority decided that they felt unable to worship under the new Minister and on Boxing Day of that year, they took the momentous decision to leave and form their own church. Less than a year later in October 1782, the New Meeting House was formally opened in Church Street with great decency and solemnity.
  • Today the Unitarian congregation still cherishes Richard Baxter's spirit of freedom, and refuses to lay down fixed articles of belief in the form of creeds and dogma.

Contact Persons ....

Kidderminster UnitariansChurch Address:
New Meeting House
Church Street
Bullring
Kidderminster, Worcs.
England, DY10 2AR, UK

  • For further information about Kidderminster Unitarians contact:
  • Secretary/Treasurer:
    Roger Mathews
    29 Woodlands Road
    Cookley, Worcs.
    England, DY10 3TL, UK
    Phone: 01562 850538
    Email: roger@mathews8763.fsnet.co.uk roger@mathews8763.fsnet.co.uk

Our Minister Emeritus:
Our Minister Emeritus, the Reverend Ann Latham may be contacted regarding Child Welcoming and Naming, Child Baptisms, Marriages, and Funerals or for consultation:-
Phone: 0121 602 2091
Email: ann.latham@tiscali.co.uk ann.latham@tiscali.co.uk

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