Richmond Baptist Church will celebrate 175 years of worship, fellowship and community service on 31 October and 1 November, marking a history that stretches back to the earliest days of European settlement in the district.
The church's story began in 1851 when a small group of Richmond settlers sought to establish a church in their growing community. They sent a request to England for a young minister to lead the congregation and oversee the development of the church.
Their request was answered by the Reverend Decimus Dolamore, a Baptist minister from Yorkshire.
When Decimus arrived in Nelson, however, he discovered the Richmond settlers could not afford to support a minister independently. He accepted an invitation to become minister of Nelson Baptist Church while also agreeing to oversee the Richmond congregation.
On Sunday, 2 November 1851, 15 foundation members formally united in church fellowship at the Nelson School Society's schoolroom in Richmond under Decimus' leadership.
The original minutes, recorded in copperplate handwriting, begin: "Let it be remembered that on Sunday the second day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one the following members were united in church fellowship at the school room at Richmond by Mr Decimus Dolamore".
The 15 members were Richard and Sarah Hart, William and Lucy Dartnell, James and Ann Harford, John and Sarah James, Mr and Mrs Plymmer, William Jessop, James Wadsworth, Mrs Stanton, Sarah Brown and Sarah Ann Haycock.
Services were held in the schoolroom on the corner of Queen Street and Salisbury Road, where an antique shop stands today.
The early years were challenging. Roads were little more than tracks and travel was generally by horseback, bullock or on foot. Rivers had to be forded, and poor road conditions sometimes prevented members from attending services.
For many years, church gatherings were planned around a full moon, helping settlers travel safely after dark.
When the old schoolroom was returned to Nelson in 1853, the congregation proceeded with plans to build its own wooden chapel. The building opened on 17 September 1854, with the Reverend Dolamore, the Reverend S. Ironside and the Reverend T. Nicholson overseeing the occasion.
In 1858, James Kidd sold part of Section 26 in Queen Street to the church trustees for five shillings sterling.
Within eight years of the first chapel being built, repairs were needed. In October 1862, the congregation decided to construct a new chapel rather than continue spending money on the existing building. The replacement chapel opened on 5 April 1863, followed by a public tea in the evening.
Congregation numbers increased during the mid-1890s as several families joined the church, including two Lammas families and George Talbot's family.
George and his wife, Frances, arrived in Nelson aboard the Cresswell in 1858. In 1890, George became Richmond's first mayor.
Despite this growth, Richmond Baptist Church continued without a resident minister and ministry support was maintained through the Nelson church and local lay preachers.
By April 1899, the chapel again required extensive repairs. As the cost exceeded the congregation's means, the trustees decided a new building would be more practical than further repairs.
The new chapel officially opened on 8 April 1900.
In November 1901, the church celebrated its jubilee, marking 50 years since its establishment.
A significant milestone followed in May 1918 when the Reverend Ernest Tasman Jones arrived from Kaiapoi to become Richmond Baptist Church's first resident minister since its founding in 1851.
Between 1925 and 1981, the church had a succession of ministers, many serving for periods of one to five years.
The arrival of the Reverend David Costar in 1981 marked the beginning of a long period of leadership. He became the church's longest-serving minister and retired in 2009.
By then, the congregation had outgrown its building. Despite alterations and additions in 1984, the premises could no longer accommodate the growing membership.
For 14 years, services were held at Waimea College while plans for a new church complex progressed.
In 1998, the congregation celebrated the opening of its new church complex on the current Salisbury Road site, providing space for worship and fellowship.
Today, Richmond Baptist Church is led by pastors David Jensen and Hans Van Lume.
The church will celebrate its 175th anniversary with a tea and commemorative programme on 31 October and 1 November. Those interested in attending are invited to contact the church by phone or email.
