Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
We are a small church located on the Hattersley Housing estate, which was built during the 1960s and is now facing reorganisation and redevelopment. We foresee many challenges and opportunities. Our worship services are relatively informal, and we try to make all newcomers feel welcome and at ease. In short, we try to be a fellowship where everyone is special and Jesus is Lord.
Horeb Baptist Church is a vibrant and Bible-believing gospel ministry located in Hattersley. With a rich history of faith and a heart for the community, the church stands as a beacon of hope and love. Committed to the authority of scripture, Horeb Baptist Church provides a nurturing environment for believers to grow in their relationship with God and each other. Through passionate worship, relevant teaching, and compassionate outreach, the church seeks to bring the transformative power of the Gospel to Hattersley and beyond. Horeb Baptist Church is a welcoming and inclusive family where people can experience the life-changing message of Jesus Christ
Horeb Baptist Church is part of a group of churches that make up the 'Old Baptist Union'. The Union itself began in 1880 when a Bible believing preacher noticed that the churchgoers at that time were developing a sort of watered-down belief in God.
There was a lot of reasoning and wrong interpretation going on due to what was happening in the world at that time. It was a time of empire and the industrial revolution, and a growth in scientific discoveries. 'The wealth of Nations', and the 'Theory of Evolution' had made their impact on society. Along with many denominations being affected by this the Baptist Union itself was also teaching such liberal thinking to their Bible college students, which in turn would be taught in the churches. The preacher in question was called Henry Augustus Squire. After he had prayed much about the way things were going, and having sought God's guidance on the matter, he realised he had to preach a message which would bring the church back on track, to follow the word of God, the Bible. He referred to himself as an 'old Baptist' because he wanted to do the things the Baptist Union used to do when they first began in the 1600's – stick to what the Bible says.
He was invited to preach to a small group who realised he was right, and more and more people heard the message. Churches with this in mind were established and a union of churches was formed. It was the 'Old Baptist Union'. It was God's way of making sure the truth was still being preached.In the early 1960's one of these Old Baptist Churches was holding its services in a converted public house in Garibaldi Street, Ardwick, Manchester . Due to redevelopment in the area they then had to move to a place in nearby Longsight.This too was demolished and the Pastor, David Sargeson, along with others in that area, were rehoused. They were moved to the Manchester overspill estate called Horeb.Fields had been transformed into streets with new modern houses with bathrooms which meant you didn't have to go outside to use the toilet.
Also a view of the countryside which was quite an improvement to what they were used to. It was 1964 and God spoke to Pastor Sargeson and his wife in the words of Revelation chapter 3 verse 8 “I have set before you an open door and no man can shut it”. A workman's hut sufficed as a place of worship and Sunday school. The Horeb church were faithful for 6 years of changing huts and different locations on the estate. Sometimes a scout hut or a youth club. And having to deal with 2 fires and many a time having no heating. But then in 1970 the present building was erected. Back then it was called Horeb Baptist Church. It was opened at 3pm on Saturday the 27th of June 1970 with Councillor Ken Ward present to represent the community.
We had many preachers filling in. One was keen and we voted but it didn’t work out. They were all a blessing to us as time went by and one that was amongst them was Mark Jackson. Mark had been and preached several times and it just happened that he was considering taking us on. He has a number of theological degrees and made it clear he stuck to the Bible. Also he had Pastoring experience and mission work in India. I too felt God was endorsing Mark. We had a vote, and it was a 100 percent yes. Then the next day apparently the pandemic meant we had to close for a month. Since then Mark took on the role of Pastor and brought friends with him to be supportive. He was ordained and inducted as Pastor in a ceremony conducted by Pastor Chris Whiteley 28 of February 2021. Mark and his wife Maggie are doing a good work caring for the church and reaching out to the lost and also being helpful to those he knows in India.
Thank you, Lord, for the care for Your Church here in Hattersley, and all Your blessings, and Your desire to bring the lost into Your Kingdom.
Ian Barker (Deacon and member of HBC)