Kings Road Church

Century of worship

The completion of a century of worship in their present building was marked by members of the congregation of Kings Road Evangelical Church, Berkhamsted, with a weekend of celebrations. This included a Thanksgiving Service, reunion supper and social evening.

Main speaker at the Thanksgiving Service was Dr. A. Hanton who was followed by Mr. John Watson – son of the well-known preacher, Mr. J.B. Watson, who spoke at the church’s 50th anniversary in 1925. Mr. Watson talked about the four freedoms the church has enjoyed as part of the Brethren movement – which grew out of the strengths and weaknesses of Victorian England. These were; freedom for people to apply the Bible as God’s Word in their thinking; the freedom given by Christ in daily living; the freedom of the Holy Spirit in worship and service; and the freedom of fellowship within the church.

Canon Bernard Hughes, Rector of Northchurch, spoke of the things that remain unchanging – a theme echoed by other during the course of the weekend. He was heard by over 50 former church memebers who had returned, as well as by representatives of other churches and of the local council of churches.

There were plenty of nostalgic memories when slides were shown at the social evening – though few could remember the scenes of the earlier pictures of old Berkhamsted, some of which were taken 100 years ago! More recent pictures illustrated different aspects of the church’s work – including some of a number of the younger members of the congregation helping in a mission last summer in the South of France.

The centenary was also marked by the publication of a special newsletter which traces the church’s history over the past 100 years and captures memorable moments pictorially and verbally as a permanent record.