Datchet

Baptist Church

RECENT EVENTS : UP TO YEAR 2001
Between 1979 and 1983 three student ministers from Spurgeon’s College in London came to help in the leadership of the church. After Bob Anderson retired as lay pastor in June 1983, Philip Parfitt became part-time student minister while he studied at Regent’s Park College, Oxford. Philip and Christine and their children moved to Datchet in October 1983. At the end of his course, Philip became the church’s first full-time minister and was ordained at Datchet on 19 July 1986. He was also minister of Wraysbury Baptist Church until 1991 when they appointed their own pastor. In 1989 a ‘Partnership Mission’ team came from churches in South Carolina to various Baptist churches in Berkshire, including Datchet and Wraysbury. In 1991 Philip led a team from both churches as part of a return visit. In 1993 the church participated in a ‘40 Days’ mission project across Berkshire.

By 1992 it was clear that the premises which had been opened in 1955 did not meet all the needs of the church in the 1990s. Plans to improve the premises were drawn up and the extension was completed in 1995. On Saturday 2 December it was opened by Revd. Keith Jones, the Deputy Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain.

In June 1998 Philip Parfitt moved to a church in Bournemouth and the church began to look for another minister. In April 1999 the church contacted Revd. Christopher Mattock, who was then minister of two Baptist churches in Sicily, where he and his wife were working for the Baptist Missionary Society. Christopher was inducted as minister of Datchet Baptist Church on 23 October 1999.

The full story of Datchet Baptist Church is told in "Always Cinderella" by Douglas Sparkes. The book, costing £3.99, is on sale at The Bridge, Datchet Village Green.  Copies can be obtained by post from Datchet Baptist Church, 62 London Road, Datchet, Slough SL3 9JR price £4.75 including postage and packing. (Cheques should be made payable to Datchet Baptist Church).

1995 : Church with new extension 

Chris Mattock and Family

1993 : Family Fun Day