Potted History of New Malden Evangelical Free Church
In 1906 a young couple living in Clapham were looking for a home in the country within easy reach of London. Leaving the Train at Raynes Park they found a pretty country lane wandering through the fields and scattered farms.
A new housing estate was being built, and at 138 Seaforth Avenue Mr and Mrs Howlett found the house of their Choice.
There was no nearby Church, and as families began to move in they felt a growing concern that there was no Sunday School nearby.
They invited a few children to their house for Bible reading and singing. Three girls came along the first Sunday, after a few weeks they asked if their brothers could come too.
The classes rapidly increased until nearly every room in the house was being used - one class met on the stairs! By 1910 adults began to attend meetings in the house, soon the numbers became too great for the services to be continued there.
The pennies the children gave were saved in a box for the building of a hall. One night the house was ransacked in a burglary yet amazingly on a chair in the front room the collection box was untouched amidst the mess left by the thief.
In the summer of 1925 ‘West Barnes Gospel Hall’ was opened and dedicated to the worship of God.
This article was drawn from the church history booklet ‘1925-1975 The first 50 years’ if you would like a copy please e-mail Bob Mullins.
