History of the Middlesbrough Seventh-day Adventist Church

Up to 1934, the Middlesbrough Church had no building of it's own, it held it's meetings in a rented a room in the Temperance Institute. Additionally there were 'cottage' meetings in members' homes. Members then, now deceased, were Mrs Turner, Mrs Hewitt, Mrs Green these were three sisters; Mrs Dowson and her son Wilf. The Conference sent Mr Coppick, his wife and small daughter Sheila to help nurture the small company. There were two Bible Workers, Miss Handyside and Miss Hamblin.

In 1934 a Campaign was organised, run by Samuel Joyce who was advertised as an Irish Evangelist. The Scala cinema was hired for Evangelistic meetings. It was packed for a number of Sunday evenings, with lecture titles 'Adam or Ape', 'Life after Death', 'After Death What?', 'Spiritulism' etc. The lectures continued in a large dance hall and eventually Sabbath School was held there.

On November 16th 1935, officiating ministers Pastor O.M.Dorland and Pastor S.G.Joyce baptised approximately 50 new members. Included in that number were Gilbert Powls, Hilda Powls their sons George and Bert and Mrs. Mary Barker. In those days they had no church building, meetings and Sabbath Services were held in various places, above a furniture shop; above a noisy garage on Norton Street - where now is built the Cleveland Centre; in large empty houses and for a short time in the Temperance Institute.

A church building fund was started and the Bible Worker, Jenny Handysides, who had been sent to help Pastor Joyce in 1934, had a relative who 'had always wanted to build a Church' He was responsible for building the church in Granville Road that is still our meeting place. It was erected on a site that was vacant due to bomb damage during the second World War and was consecrated on 13th June 1959.

Since that time the church has run a number of Campaigns, more recently Pastor Michael Walker held a series of meetings in the James Finnegan Hall in Eston during 1993. The local minister at the time, Pastor Llewellyn Edwards, conducted a similar meeting a year later in the Coulby Newham area of Middlesbrough.

In the autumn of 1998 the 'Next Millenium Seminar' series was held in Guisborough and Stockton-on-Tees. This was an evangelistic programme broadcast via satellite from the USA. The next year a similar programme was launched in the autumn known as the 'Millenium of Prophecy'.

In 1992 the 'Pathfinder and Adventurer Club' was established. In the mid 1990s the number of members reached nearly 20, which was a large group for a church with a membership of approximately 50. Due to the passage of time, previous members of the successful club have moved from the area and currently leadership to run the club is unavailable.

Also during the mid 1990s the 'Wednesday Club' was created. This club catered for the children in the local community between 8 and 12 years of age inclusive and was held in the Church late Wednesday afternoons. Sadly this club has also been suspended because of a lack of volunteers to run the club.

There are other sections of the Church's history, please click on the relevant section below:

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