Our History
How it all began
1963
Meadgate Church began in a very small way – a Sunday School with two children and four teachers meeting in a home on the Meadgate estate. This was like a “grain of mustard seed” as it was to be the birth of the Meadgate Church we know today. That was on 8th September 1963.
Doris Hill welcoming the children at the back door of her home (c.1964).
1964
It is interesting to see how our Church developed as it was just over a year later on 19th December, 1964 that some 20 people attended the first Family Service.
1967
Later, on 23rd April, 1967 the Church reached another milestone, regular Services were held in Meadgate School. This opened new doors as soon after this a Wives Group and Senior Citizens Group was formed. However, this made the members realise that they really needed their own building, and the search for a suitable site began. Eventually the present site was located and felt to be ideal as it was in the centre of the Meadgate community. There was great excitement planning the new Church and it was to cost about £18,000 and take 30 weeks to build. The Church had been designated one of ecumenical experiment by the then Bishop of Chelmsford, where members of all denominations would be welcome to join in the Services.
The new Church building opened for Christian Worship and service in June 1972.
The then Vicar of St. Mary’s Church, the Revd. Jack Kingham sent a letter to the Church which said:
“Your building will be a great landmark in Baddow history and even more so in Church history as new relationships are forged between Christians of different Churches, and new steps in Church unity are taken which may prove to be a new way forward for the country as a whole.”
1988
Our Church has seen many changes since these early days welcoming several different Curates each making their mark on the future of the Church. However on 1st March, 1988 there was to be a big change for the Churches in Great Baddow as the Parish became a “Team Ministry” combining the three Church, St. Mary’s and St. Pauls and Meadgate. At this time Meadgate became a District Church with its own legally constituted District Church Council and Church Wardens. Most importantly it was designated its own Team Vicar. Curates only stay in a Church for a maximum of three years before they move on to take on a Parish of their own, but once we were able to have a Team Vicar, the duration of their work would be a minimum of seven years with a mutual option of them extending this for a further duration.
1995
Meadgate Church has gone from strength to strength and in 1995 we had to say goodbye to the Revd. Peter Nicholson who had been Vicar for 16 years.
1997
In 1997 we welcomed the Revd. Mones Farah and his wife Sally and three daughters.
2001
We had been wanting to extend the building for many years as it just wouldn’t accommodate the growing congregation and in 2001 a huge building project was undertaken. To extend our building we needed more land, and we were able to include some of the Council owned property between our building and the Co-op Stores, which gave us space not only to enlarge the Church, but also have a large kitchen and an integral hall which was much needed for our children’s and youth work. As a matter of interest the cost of this project was some ten times the amount of the original building!
Our church continues to grow and has many thriving ministries. In particular the Youth sector has its own Youth Minister for many years now and a Youth Intern. Check out our links to see the activities run by our church.
The Orchards Purchase Project
2020
As of the 16th September 2020, Meadgate Church has taken ownership of The Orchards, having completed the purchase from Essex County Council. We are extremely grateful to all who have donated to The Orchards Purchase Fund, to The Diocese of Chelmsford for providing the loan, and to Essex County Council for agreeing to sell The Orchards to Meadgate Church and for providing the community grant.
Rev Canon Tim Ball comments:
“At the start of it all the people of Meadgate church were invited to ‘Dare to Dream. They did and now owning the Orchards building completes a dream, and begins a new one. We are elated at all that has been achieved by the Church through prayer and vision, hard work and faith to believe that it could be done. We face new challenges in the future, but we face them knowing that in all that has gone before God has been faithfully with us.”
Over the years there have been particular people leading the way. Those who first conceived of it; Those who have faithfully and diligently prayed for it; Those who cleaned painted and built it; those who advocated for it; those who have negotiated it; those who did the financial planning and those who have given to it. We are so grateful to God for them all.
A brief timeline of The Orchards purchase
Meadgate Church had been renting the Orchards since 2014.
Purchase Opportunity
Following negotiations with Essex County Council (ECC) in 2017, Meadgate Church was given the opportunity to purchase the Orchards from ECC for £650,000. Once purchased it has been estimated that a further £150,000 will need to be spent to undertake essential maintenance works. Essex County Council generously awarded a community grant of £69,000 to Meadgate Church, subject to the sale completing, and this grant will go directly towards the cost of these works.
Agreed at PCC
At the AGM on the 29th April 2018, the Church voted unanimously to proceed with the purchase, and at the PCC held on the 18th May, it was agreed to hold a Pledge Day on Sunday 24th June. On the Pledge Day itself, an amazing £241,055 was pledged by way of one-off gifts, and £1,605 per month by way of increased monthly giving (both figures including Gift Aid).
Loan Agreed
In November 2018, Chelmsford Diocese agreed to loan Meadgate Church £425,000, repayable over 20 years.
Agreed at PCC
The PCC, at its meeting on the 30th November 2018, unanimously agreed to recommend proceeding with the purchase, and at the whole-Church meeting which took place during the morning worship at 10:30 on Sunday the 9th December 2018, the Church voted to proceed with the purchase (For: 92, Against: 1, Abstensions: 2).
Pledges
In December 2018, we began calling in the pledges.
Amazing Generosity
As of 28 December 2019, the amount raised from gifts stood at £415,613, and the increased monthly giving stood at £1,890 per month (both figures including Gift Aid).
Loan Size Reduced
Thanks to the amazing generosity of both Meadgate Church members and others from outside Meadgate Church, the amount which was needed to be loaned from the Diocese of Chelmsford was reduced to £260,000.
Sale Completion
Following a lengthy period of sorting out the fine details of the sale and purchase, the sale was finally completed on the 16th September 2020.
