The Story of Claremont Baptist Church
Under the auspices of the Baptist Union who wanted to extend the Baptist work in Cape Town, services of the Claremont Baptist Church began in the Claremont Town Hall in November 1902. By March 1903 a property in Grove Avenue had been purchased and the church was beginning to flourish. The first building was erected in 1906.
Unfortunately, after the first Pastor, the Rev. H J Batts moved elsewhere, the church struggled until the 1940's when it began to grow rapidly. In 1954 the new sanctuary was opened, seating 250 people and this was soon full. Recent Pastors include George Dennison, Roger Voke, John Wilton and Derek Stone, all of whom are well known preachers in South Africa and even abroad.
During the 1980's it became evident that the Grove Avenue site was a limiting factor to the growth of the church. Due to the encroachment of business and the introduction of Sunday shopping, the situation was not really suitable to a family-centered ministry.
In fact, by 1990, the youth ministry had dwindled to a smallish Sunday School and just a handful on Friday night youth programmes. At this stage, the average age of the congregation was over 60. In April 1991, the church was able to relocate to our present premises in Cook Road, Claremont. This church was purchased from the Dutch Reformed Church for the same price that the old building was sold for. This was a wonderful gift from our Lord. The current ministry of the church has evolved into being a family orientated community church. This is obviously meeting a need as we have seen consistent growth and development. We will continue to hone our vision so that we remain a vibrant, relevant and contemporary church.
Unfortunately, after the first Pastor, the Rev. H J Batts moved elsewhere, the church struggled until the 1940's when it began to grow rapidly. In 1954 the new sanctuary was opened, seating 250 people and this was soon full. Recent Pastors include George Dennison, Roger Voke, John Wilton and Derek Stone, all of whom are well known preachers in South Africa and even abroad.
During the 1980's it became evident that the Grove Avenue site was a limiting factor to the growth of the church. Due to the encroachment of business and the introduction of Sunday shopping, the situation was not really suitable to a family-centered ministry.
In fact, by 1990, the youth ministry had dwindled to a smallish Sunday School and just a handful on Friday night youth programmes. At this stage, the average age of the congregation was over 60. In April 1991, the church was able to relocate to our present premises in Cook Road, Claremont. This church was purchased from the Dutch Reformed Church for the same price that the old building was sold for. This was a wonderful gift from our Lord. The current ministry of the church has evolved into being a family orientated community church. This is obviously meeting a need as we have seen consistent growth and development. We will continue to hone our vision so that we remain a vibrant, relevant and contemporary church.
