History of the Church
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The first Baptist Church in the village of Holmer Green was a small brick and flint structure built in 1869. At that time Holmer Green was a small hamlet of some fifty cottages, situated between the Buckinghamshire towns of High Wycombe and Amersham. The population was about 150 people, the employment being mainly in agriculture or fruit growing. The church building was altered and added to over the next 130 years. By the late 1980's, the village had grown to a thriving community comprising modern housing estates and a population of over 4,500. The number of people going to the Baptist Church on a regular basis had also considerably increased, and the existing building was becoming inadequate, both in terms of size and structure. The members had a vision of a brand new Baptist Church and enquiries were made to establish whether this was a feasible idea. It was, and under the leadership and ministry of Rev Hedley Feast, the members were encouraged to work and pray for the fulfillment of this vision. Rev Feast moved back to Oxfordshire in 1993, but fund-raising continued and by 1999, planning permission had been obtained and sufficient funds were available to commence the project. It was decided that the year 2000 would be an appropriate time for the opening of the new church, and construction work began. The new building was completed by the end of 1999, and the first worship service was held on 16th January 2000 - a great time of celebration and thanksgiving to God. Since the opening of the church it has been used not only by the church but by various other organisations, including walking clubs, children's groups and youth groups. From March 2001 to January 2004, Rev Graeme Harrison was the minister and it is recognised that in this period there was a growth in the spirituality of the church and also an increase in the number of people attending, especially for the youth groups.
After a period of 18 months without a minister Rev Mike Pons, was inducted to this post in September 2005. |