Part 5: John Hare

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

(1 John 5:5)

In 1959, the role of pastor was accepted by Mr John Hare, who held the position for around 15 years, until failing health caused him to step down. John was a member of the Young People’s Fellowship at Emmanuel during the 1950s, and it was here that he came to know Christ and decided to dedicate his life to him. John was a shining example of the best of Christianity – he continued to remain positive throughout his battles with illness and was a dedicated, passionate and active member of the church Diaconate and membership until his death in 2007. John was the kind of man who was always ready to give his support and advice to those in need and, heedless of his own problems, was a constant source of guidance to many of us.

Part 4: Pastor Baxter

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

(Psalm 9:9)

Pastor John Baxter (1892-1958) was minister to Emmanuel from 1926 until his death at the end of November in 1958. As the eldest of Samuel Baxter’s (also a Christian) 7 children – 5 boys, 2 girls – Mr Baxter became the co-owner of Baxter’s Confectioners and Bakers, founded in 1913, which was on the corner of the Wellington and Staines Roads. He was married to Eva May (née Gear, George and Frances’s eldest daughter) and had 3 children, Donald, John and Connie.

The church experienced many changes during Mr Baxter’s pastorate, both within the church itself, and in response to outside influences. Internally, it was decided in 1928 to rename the church from The Baptist Tabernacle to the name we all know it by, Emmanuel, and then in 1933 the new church building was committed to the Lord’s work.

Externally, of course, much of the world was to suffer in the bitter years of the 2nd World War. Emmanuel was not exempt from the effects of this conflict – towards the beginning, the Ministry of Labour requisitioned the rear hall and had 3 brick air raid shelters, with concrete roofs, built in what would become the car park. These were demolished late in the 1940s, but it would be another 10-15 years before the car park would be resurfaced. We were also victims of an incendiary bomb, but thankfully a vigilant neighbour spotted it early enough that no major damage was done. If you look closely, you can still see the area in the ceiling which the bomb came through.

After Mr Baxter was ‘called to higher service’, it was decided to rename the small room adjoined to the rear hall in his memory. These days, The John Baxter Room is regularly used for Sunday school which generally runs parallel to the sermon during the Sunday morning service.

Part 3: The Interregnum Years

I wait for my renewal to come

(Job 14:14)

In 1919, Mr Gear resigned as pastor, but although he moved to Wood Green, he remained connected with the church and was known to return from time to time, most notably at the opening of the new church building in 1933.
There followed an interregnum period until, in 1923, Mr Alexander Anderson took up the position of Honorary Pastor. We don’t really have any information about Mr Anderson, or precisely what distinguished his pastorate as honorary. Within 3 years however, Emmanuel had a new pastor, and he was to become one of our most fondly remembered and influential church members – John Baxter.

Part 2: Pastor Gear

My purpose is that they… may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ…

(Colossians 2:2)

Our first Pastor was the Rev George Gear (1867-1943), who, before he felt the call of the ministry, was a buyer for Harrods, no less. The pastorate at Emmanuel has largely been a ‘lay’ position – basically it’s not a paid job and as such, our pastors have generally taken the position in tandem with another career: in 1911, Mr Gear was listed as a linen draper. As a young man he attended Chiswick Baptist Church, and was, I believe, a member of the diaconate there. His father, Thomas Gear, was a veteran the Punjab war, and died young.

George’s wife was Frances (née Gibson), and they had 7 children.

The original church building was actually what we now use as the hall, Sunday school room and kitchen. The newer church would be completed in 1933 by Mr Gear’s son-in-law, John Baxter.

Part 1: A New Beginning

In the past God spoke to our forefathers.

(Hebrews 1:1)

In 1910, Emmanuel opened its doors to the people of Hounslow, with the aim of spreading the Good News of the Lord to all who chose to listen.

The first service of The Baptist Tabernacle was held on 23rd January, at 41 Whitton Road, and our membership was approximately 15. The house was that of Mr Ings, who is believed to have been the church secretary at the time, although any new information that could be provided about him would be gladly received.

Over the next 100 years, the church sought to grow in knowledge & love of the Lord and to provide a place for those people seeking the reassurance that walking with Jesus can bring. We have shared and interrogated the scriptures; brought the stories to life in song – for young and old alike; and have joined together in communion. In the early days of the church, there was even a register kept of attendance at communion, although the records seem to stop at around 1925…

Preliminary Timeline:

The below table is a rough skeleton of the most significant events in Emmanuel’s 100 year history. I am posting this here, before adding any more actual instalments to the history, as I would dearly love people’s contributions to the story. This is only a very rough outline, and it would be great to have more details or even to include some first-hand anecdotes to flesh out the basic facts. Please get in touch if you feel you can add to, or even correct, any of the sections listed here.