In 1884, congregations of over 150 were
meeting regularly in a room, known as the Mission Hall which was above the
Co-operative shop in Park Road, but a room on the ground floor was needed
and, at the instigation of the Reverend Alfred Binnie, a fund was set up to
purchase an "Iron Room" to be built on the present site. By October
1885, meetings and services were being held in St Nicholas Mission Room, as
it became known, on land offered by Mr Hawley.
St Barnabas Church
In 1905, the land on the corner of Albion
Row (now Albion Street), was bought for £311.15.0 and a licence was granted
on 27th November 1905 "for the church to be used as a mission church in a
working class area and for the preaching of the word of God, reading common
prayers and in celebrating Holy Sacraments". The church was renamed as
St Barnabas Mission Church and the building enlarged by the addition of a
sanctuary, fitted with an altar, font, lectern and a heating system.
The vicar at this time was the Reverend
Rowland Forster Hanning and there were two curates. Holy Communion
services were held on Sunday morning and evening with a Bible class for men
and lads in the afternoon. On Mondays there was a Mothers' Union
meeting in the afternoon and a Temperance meeting in the evening.
Baptisms with a short service and address and the choir practice took place
on Tuesdays.
The Reverend Hanning conducted the first
service of Holy Communion on Sunday 14th January 1906 and his letter in the
Parish Magazine states "This is a change bringing new opportunities. I
appeal, therefore, to the congregation of the mission church to make all the
use they can of this opportunity of gaining God's strength and grace through
this, the greatest of the church services, and of binding themselves
together into a strong body of earnest Christians by their mutual
intercession at Holy Communion, if possible, twice every month."
