Kelvedon Congregational Chapel

The handsome, and well-proportioned Congregational Chapel at Kelvedon in Essex was built in 1853 as the datestone proudly shares. In typical Congregational fashion, this chapel came several years after the founding of the actual church, the gathering of believers. The first members banded together in 1812 and this was their solemn and heart-warming declaration:

“As many of us have a disposition to give ourselves to the Lord, we believe it is both our duty and privilege to walk as brethren, to cultivate love and kindness and watch over one another, to pray for each other, to bear one another’s burdens, to visit in affliction and strive to comfort each other in adversity; thus, shall we manifestly declare that we are Christ’s disciples because we love one another. We therefore subscribe our names as hereafter put down as testimony to the Redeemer.”

What they then lacked in a building they more than made up for in their fellowship, love and concern. We could learn much from our spiritual forebears.  

But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

1 Thessalonians 4:9

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