History — Rushden Mission Church

A Brief History

Rushden Mission Church was conceived on the 28th December 1888 at a Sunday School Teachers Meeting at the Wesleyan Church in Rushden. The vision was for a Sunday School to be held at the Moor Road Day School (now the Youth Centre).

The birth of the Church occurred five years later on the 10th December 1893 when the new Sunday School met for the first time. The Wesleyan Sunday School of the time had 470 scholars and 66 teachers. 6 teachers and 26 scholars moved to the new project in Moor Road. The numbers in the Sunday School increased and in 1895 in response to requests made an evening adult worship service began.

In 1896, the young church moved to new premises in Station Road adjoining the "Jacques and Clark's" shoe factory. The new iron building was officially known as "The Mission Hall" but affectionately known as "The Tin Tabernacle".

The "Mission Hall" in Station Road, Rushden. Affectionately known as the "Tin Tabernacle" was the home of Rushden Mission Church from 1896 to 1901.

The green building in the foreground is the building used for worship until 1901 when the present building was completed. In the background is the old "Jaques and Clarks Shoe Factory" (now demolished) in Station Road, Rushden.

The site upon which the Church was built in 1900.

On the 7th May 1900 the decision was made to purchase land in Wellingborough Road and erect a new church building. The land cost £375 and the building works cost £2,275. The new church building was opened on the 4th July 1901. The records show that the building was designed to accommodate 450 people and by 1902 five hundred scholars attended the Sunday School.

The building in which we meet today was intended to be used as the school room, the church was to have been built later, on the land that we now use as a car park. In 1919 the last building related debts were cleared. After prayerful consideration it was decided to appoint a full time Pastor and leave the building of the church until a later date. In 1925 the Rev E. E. Bromage was appointed Pastor of the church and continued until 1944.

A History of Rushden - "Hearts and Soles" gives an amazing insight into the links between the shoe trade and the Chapels and Churches of Rushden. "Rushden Mission Church" under "Churches & Chapels" and "Jaques & Clark" shoe factory under "Shoe Trade" are featured. The section on Rushden Mission contains verbatim reports from the local newspaper of the time. Well worth a read and well done to the authors of this fantastic website.

If you want the history of Rushden Mission Band then have a look at the section on Leisure, Clubs and Societies.