A brief history of CRBC
The Church was officially formed on May 7th 1882 by 45 members including Pastor John G. Wilson and 4 deacons. They worshipped in the Public Hall, Alexandra Street, the site of which later housed several entertainment venues - The Empire Theatre, the Rivoli Picture House, the ABC and Cannon Cinema, and The New Empire Theatre. Within a few months the church secured another site. May 17th 1899 saw the opening of a new brick built church. This building could be seen from the High Street via Weston Road. The old ‘Iron Church’ became the Lecture Hall. The Baptist Union handbook 1900 noted the following:
Soldiers used the church premises extensively during both World Wars. Between 1939 and early 1946 a canteen for the troops was opened. It is also recorded that the Hall was used in 1923 and 1932 for the unemployed. After 78 years of service the old Hall was demolished. It was replaced by a new building, opened on September 16th 1961. At a cost of £11,000, the building boasted a stage, a minister’s study, and an upstairs flat with an outside balcony. The old church building, together with the kitchen and toilets, was demolished in 1981. The building had been full of rot and the kitchen and toilets could have won a national prize for damp, snails and overall lack of hygiene. It was described in the Yellow Advertiser dated January 2nd 1981 as ‘too big, too tall and too cold’. The demolition left the ‘new’ hall, vestry and flat in existence. In the Centenary year, 1982, the new extensions were completed, removing all traces of the ‘old’ buildings and making way for the church layout as used today.