The History of the Present Church

The church’s origins go back to 1922, when members of Winner Street Baptist Church, Paignton and Upton Vale Baptist Church, Torquay met in Preston to look for a suitable site on which to build a new church in this developing district within Torbay.  They found a plot on offer for £2,000 – a substantial sum in those days, but one which, in faith, they believed they could raise.

And so it proved.  The first building was opened on 30th November 1927 and was called 'The Institute'.  It was deliberately erected to one side of the land acquired in order to allow for the later construction of a larger and more substantial worship centre.

The second project was the building of a manse, whose stone-laying ceremony took place in 1930.  Following this, and to cope with the demands of a growing Sunday School, a wooden building was put up behind the church.

By 1939 the church members had raised 2/3rd's of the funds needed for the creation of the main church building.  In August of that year there was great rejoicing when the stone-laying ceremony took place. Construction continued even though the country was at war, and the new building was officially opened on 1st May 1940.

Since that time several further additions have been made.  These included, in 1974, a second hall at the rear of the premises from funds given by Ethel Webber in memory of her sister Elsie Doidge.  A coffee lounge and offices were also built and all the rooms linked together in one complex.  

Most recently, in 2008 a major refurbishment of the entrance area and coffee lounge was completed and Coffee Heaven now serves as a modern internet café for the church and community.

Ministers

The full list of past ministers is given below:

1929 - 1935 Revd. W. J. Phillips

1935 - 1945 Revd. Howard R. Johnston

1946 - 1960 Revd. Bernard Mason

1961 - 1966 Revd. John R. Blanshard

1967 - 1970 Revd. Ian Mallard

1970 - 1973 Revd. Gwilyan Williams

1974 - 1981 Revd. Peter Lorkin

1982 - 1986 Revd. Michael Newell

1987 - 1996 Revd. John Quinn

1997 - 2002 Revd. Jeremy Brown

1998 - 2005 Revd. Simon Wheeler  

Members

In recent years a number of old minute books recording both deacons meetings and church meetings have been discovered. These provide a fascinating insight into the day to day life of the church over the past 80 years!

Earliest records currently available reveal that the membership in 1937 stood at 81. This gradually grew until the record of 178 members was achieved in 1963. Over the next 32 years there was a steady decline so that by the end of 1995 membership stood at 103.  Currently numbers are at a similar level to this, and our hope and prayer is that God will bless and increase us in the years to come.

      © 2008 Preston Baptist Church                                                                                           Designed by David Lloyd-Hoare Bsc(Hons)