Preaching Report

Yesterday I was preaching at Salhouse Baptist Church, Chapel Loke (a Norfolk word for a very minor road), Salhouse. Salhouse Baptist Chapel is one of the oldest Baptist chapels in Norfolk, dating from about 1802. It is a four-square red brick building with a gallery around three sides and a huge pulpit on the fourth. An oil lamp still hangs from the ceiling, although the chapel is now lighted with electricity. The Baptistery is fed by a spring behind the chapel and there is a graveyard beside the building. The old stables, separate from the chapel, have been converted into a lounge and kitchen. Photographs will follow, God willing.

I had been warned that the congregation would be small, and it was. The galleries were empty, and there were just a few people in the pews. Yet I trust the Lord was there to bless us. The congregation were attentive and friendly, and there are some unbelievers who often attend (they didn't yesterday). The church is dependent on visiting preachers, mostly from Suffolk (there are six churches listed in the Grace Directory in Norfolk and thirty-six in Suffolk).

Humanly speaking, Salhouse chapel seems doomed to closure. Please pray the Lord would keep it open.