Parish History

It was in January 1951 that the congregation of an Anglican Church first met in the Crush Hall of Manford Way Secondary School. This was the beginning of St. Paul’s Mission Church, to be a daughter Church of All Saints, Chigwell Row (Rector: Rev. G. R. Milner), under the Ministry of a Curate – Rev. P.H. Wingham.

Sunday schools and Saturday evening services were held in the school hall, and mid-week services and meetings were held in private homes on the Hainault estate.

The site of the church was to be in Arrowsmith Road, Chigwell and its foundation stone was laid on Saturday, 31st March, 1951, in the pouring rain. The building was to be a dual purpose church/hall and it was the first building of its kind to be erected in the Diocese of Chelmsford. The building works were completed and dedicated as the St. Paul Mission Church on 17th November, 1951. The service was officiated by the then Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Reverend Falkner Allison.

The first services to be held in the church took place on Sunday 18th November, 1951, and there were just 18 people on the electoral roll at the beginning under the leadership of the Rev. P. Wingham. He remained with St. Paul’s Church for almost 5 years, pioneering and establishing the church, eventually leaving on the 30th November, 1955. During this time, the boundaries had been established for the Church Parish area, and the Minister was now Priest-in-Charge.

The Rev F.H.Barber, the second Minister, was inducted on the 7th March, 1956, continuing until September 1960, during which time the Church was fully established and its membership and congregation built up.

The Rev. Peter Garner, the third Minister, was inducted on the 28th April, 1961. During his ministry, the dual purpose church/hall was converted to a church – now with a spire - and a new hall was built almost adjacent to the church, with space for a Garden of Rest in between the two buildings.

The Parish Church of St. Paul was consecrated on 6th April, 1963, by the then Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Reverend John Tiarks. The Garden of Rest was subsequently consecrated by the Bishop of Barking, the Right Reverend W. Chadwick on 9th April, 1967.

This new development was a tribute to the commitment of the church members, who were heavily involved in fundraising and in much of the practical work. Fittingly, since many of the local residents came originally from the East End, most of the contents came from East End churches bombed during the Second World War. The cross and candlesticks came from All Saints, Stepney, and the organ, smashed in Bow Church, was completely rebuilt by two members of St. Paul’s.

Rev. Garner was a pastor at heart, and began midweek Bible studies for the Church. It was his spirituality which paved the way for Rev. Trevor Dearing, the fourth minister of St. Paul’s (1970-75). Initially an evangelist in the Methodist Church, he moved to the Church of England as a curate, then worked for a while as a teacher before accepting the call to St. Paul’s. He had a very strong belief in the power of the Holy Spirit to heal, deliver and transform, and succeeded dramatically in putting across this message not just to the local church, but nationally and internationally. Suddenly, the church was packed as people came in from wide areas to hear his unique message. Youth work shared in the same explosion, with a youth club and young people’s meetings. The church was so busy that a curate was appointed – Rev. Tony Johnson – which was just as well, since Trevor Dearing’s ministry began to take him further and further afield. Eventually, he left, to develop his international ministry.

And the church went back to ‘normal’ – or did it? Certainly, the crowds, who had come to hear an individual, stopped coming, and St. Paul’s was able to return to its focus of serving the local community. But many people experienced a change in their lives which they never lost. There were problems. After such a dramatic ministry, and an equally sudden change in focus, people in the church had different ideas about the direction in which they should go. The time under Trevor Dearing affected people throughout London, and even further afield. But was it good for St. Paul’s and for Hainault? It depends who you ask. Some saw the effects on individual Christian lives; others saw a Church which was weakened and split.

Such major changes take time to adjust to, and the next two vicars – Rev. Alan Woodland (1976-1981) and Rev. Ron Davis (1982-1988), worked towards rebuilding and consolidation. Alan Woodland had a ministry of meditation and counselling, which helped to consolidate the fellowship groups which met in people’s homes, and also resulted in healing teams. Rev. Ron Davis brought to the church a concept of democratic shared ministry, and a special concern for the Hainault Estate. This period saw the development of the Eagle Fellowship, which is still flourishing, and now has connections with Hainault Evangelical Church. Unfortunately, ill health left Ron Davis unable to cope with the demands of the church, and he resigned in 1988.

Under Rev. Michael Learmouth, the remaining differences were dealt with and healed, and the church was able to rediscover its outward-looking focus on the community. He had a great concern for helping people new to the church to fit in, and gradually redesigned the church services to make them more friendly to ‘outsiders’. This period saw a rapid growth in provision for children and young people, under a team of committed leaders. 'Rock Solid', Highlanders, Friends of Jesus and the Holiday Clubs provided Christian teaching and fun activities for all ages. Busy Bees and Wheels and Squeals catered for parents and toddlers. Scouts and Cubs were also introduced and began to grow. A Church Army Officer, Paul Hamilton, assisted in taking the Gospel out to the community, and Alpha courses were begun.

After Rev. Learmouth’s departure for Harlow in 1997, the Rev. Christopher Cant took up the ministry. His concern for the spiritual development of the congregation has resulted in the training of Sarah Clarke-Moisley as a lay reader, and the ordination of Rev. Henry Pradella, who became the curate and is now carrying out full time ministry as the Vicar of Rainham. Once more, the church is working together to support its members and reach out in service to the community. But there is always more to do.