Harlow, Essex, Baptists (Fore Street)

Harlow, Essex, Baptist Church (Fore Street) -- Benjamin Severn was pastor of the Baptist church in Harlow from 1795-1816.  During his ministry the chapel was enlarged to seat 600 persons.  Two vestries and a schoolroom were added as well.  To many in the congregation, however, Severn’s doctrinal position moved into Socinianism.  “In consequence of this persuasion, several meetings were held on the subject.  Things went from bad to worse. Mr Severn was asked to resign by a majority of the members.  He refused and was supported in his determination to continue by the other half of the church. In consequence, the greater part of the members withdrew and fitted up another place of worship, which was opened for that purpose on Sunday, May 20th, 1816” (11).  As a result, Severn did resign, and soon after the two separated congregations reconciled and reunited in one congregation (12).  In 1817 Thomas Finch took over as pastor, and he resolved many of the lingering suspicions that remained among the two factions.  He remained there for 40 years. “It was during Mr Finch’s ministry that the authoress of the hymn ‘Nearer, my God, to Thee,’ Sarah Flower, and her parents were worshipers.  They lived in a house, now business premises, near the top of the High Street.  She was the daughter of Benjamin Flower, a man who devoted his life to the cause of political and religious liberty” (12).  Sarah Flower Adams is buried in the Baptist burial grounds at Foster Street in Harlow.  Flower is not mentioned in Finch’s booklet on the history of the church, first published in 1820 (13). See G. H. Young and J. W. Barker, A Short History of Harlow Baptist Church 1662-1962 (Harlow: Harlow Baptist Church, 1962). From the Church Book, Vol. 2, Finch writes (what would be his Biographical Memorials of the Baptist Denomination, Harlow, Essex [Bishop’s Stortford, 1820]) about Severn:

For twelve or fifteen years Mr Severn’s ministry seems to have been very acceptable and useful and the number of members was considerably increased; though it appears, from several memorandums contained in the church book that the conduct of many neither adorned their profession, nor afforded any satisfaction to their Minister and fellow members.  The congregation however became more numerous, and it was deemed advisable in 1810, to have the Meeting House considerably enlarged, so as to accommodate 6 or 700 persons,---the expense of which about £600..0..0 was raised by voluntary Subscriptions among the people.  The premises were like wise further enlarged and improved the following year, by the erection of two commodious vestries or School rooms, the larger for which about £300. were provided for chiefly by the same means, with the assistance of a few friends in the neighbourhood and in London. (n.p.)

See also Stephen Hulcoop, Extracts from the Minute Book of Potter Street Baptist Church Harlow Relating to Discipline of Members by the Church Meeting Covering the Period 1776-1827 (Harlow: S. H. Publishing, 2001).