It was a time of hope in May of 1841, as twenty-two Christians
sat in the beautiful, newly-built chapel on Buckingham Gate –
full of faith in God for how he would move in that downtrodden and
degraded area. With Westminster Chapel's first minister, Rev Samuel
Martin, at the helm, the church began to make waves in the
neighbourhood. Alms houses and schools were built, orphans were
cared for and work schemes were organised for unemployed men. Rev
Martin's gospel-preaching and Biblical authority made Westminster
Chapel stand out as a light of hope in what was then one of
London's poorest slums - rife with prostitution, squalor and drug
addiction. Even influential leaders of that time like Lord
Shaftesbury and Dean Stanley of Westminster Abbey began to hear of
the Chapel's impact in the area. By 1860, the 500-capacity building
was unable to accommodate a rapidly-burgeoning membership so a new,
1,500-seater building was designed, built and opened in 1864.
The area is not such a slum today!!
If anybody would like to expand on this series please do so.
Could you please let sadexploration know first so he can keep track
of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.
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