Our Story

Broadmead Community Church began as part of Northampton’s expansion between the two world wars. During the 1920s, new housing was being developed in the area between Kettering Road and Eastfield Park. A site was given to local Baptists so that the growing estate could have a Christian presence at its heart.

The church was originally expected to be called Park Avenue Baptist Church, after Park Avenue North, where the site stood. Instead, the name Broadmead Baptist Church was chosen in honour of the historic Broadmead Baptist congregation in Bristol. Broadmead Avenue subsequently took its name from the church rather than the other way around.

The first part of the church opened in 1932. The story preserved by the congregation recalls that when a worker known as Sister Beatrice opened the doors on the first Sunday, around fifty children were already waiting outside. It was an appropriate beginning for a church in which children’s work, Sunday school and support for families would remain important for generations.

Architect F. H. Allen designed a considerably larger church complex, but only the schoolroom and hall were initially constructed. A permanent main worship hall was intended to follow. The outbreak of the Second World War prevented that next stage from proceeding, and the rooms designed largely for education and community use became the congregation’s principal church building.

This unfinished beginning became one of the defining features of Broadmead’s story. For more than eighty years, generations worshipped, taught children, held meetings and served the neighbourhood in what had originally been intended as the preliminary phase of the church complex. Although the building did not match the founders’ complete architectural vision, the underlying purpose endured: to share the Christian faith and support the spiritual and social wellbeing of the surrounding community.

By the beginning of the twenty-first century, Broadmead was increasingly describing itself not only as a Baptist congregation but also as a church serving the whole community. A new constitution was adopted in 2009, and the organisation became formally known as Broadmead Community Church. The broader name did not mean that the church had abandoned its Baptist roots. It remained Baptist in belief and governance while presenting itself publicly as a church for people from many backgrounds and as a base for practical community work.

This renewed vision was accompanied by a major building project. Planning began in 2008 after the congregation concluded that replacing the ageing premises would be more economical and effective than continuing to extend or repair them. Fundraising began in 2010, supported by regular giving, special events, grants, loans, the sale of the church manse and individual donations. Adam Eakins also became pastor in 2010 and led the church during much of the redevelopment period.

Planning permission for the new centre was granted in 2012 and renewed in 2015. Demolition and construction began in October 2017. The project was designed not simply to provide a larger Sunday worship space, but to create a flexible community centre containing halls, a chapel, nursery facilities, kitchens, offices and meeting rooms.

The church received the keys to the first phase in December 2018, and the ground floor opened in January 2019. Samuels Christian Nursery, children’s activities, community programmes and church gatherings were among the first users of the building. The new centre represented the fulfilment of a building ambition that could be traced back to the incomplete plans of the 1930s.

A second phase was completed in 2020, adding the principal auditorium, café space and lift. Although this coincided with the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, the new areas were used during the lockdown period. In 2021, the remaining upper-floor work was completed, including additional meeting rooms, toilets and a large kitchen.

Broadmead’s modern centre now allows the church to express both parts of its identity. It remains a Christian worshipping congregation rooted in Baptist belief, while also offering nursery provision, pastoral support, children’s and youth work, social activities, exercise groups, cafés, companionship groups and spaces used by community partners.

The story of Broadmead is therefore one of a vision repeatedly adapted rather than abandoned. A plot was given for Christian work on a new estate; a church opened with children waiting at its doors; a war left its original building unfinished; and the supposedly temporary rooms served the congregation for more than eight decades. The eventual replacement building did more than complete an architectural project. It reaffirmed the original purpose of Broadmead Baptist Church in a new form: to be a visible, welcoming and practical Christian presence within its neighbourhood.

Timeline

Date	Development
1920s	Land is given to Northampton Baptists so that the developing estate between Kettering Road and Eastfield Park can have a Christian presence.
1924	The earliest known church meeting records and financial accounts begin.
Early 1930s	The proposed name Park Avenue Baptist Church is replaced by Broadmead Baptist Church, honouring Broadmead Baptist Church in Bristol.
1932	The first church rooms open. Around fifty children are reportedly waiting when the doors open on the first Sunday.
1932–1934	The initial schoolroom and hall, designed by F. H. Allen as part of a larger church complex, are constructed.
1939	The outbreak of the Second World War prevents the planned main church hall from being built. The school and community rooms continue as the principal church building.
2008	Planning begins for the replacement of the old church with a purpose-built church and community centre.
1 April 2009	A new church constitution is adopted.
2010	The church formally becomes known as Broadmead Community Church. Fundraising for the new building begins and Adam Eakins becomes pastor.
2012	Planning permission is granted for the new church and community centre.
2015	Planning permission for the redevelopment is renewed.
October 2017	Demolition of the old premises and construction of the new centre begin.
December 2018	The congregation receives the keys to the first phase of the new building.
January 2019	The ground floor opens. Samuels Christian Nursery, church gatherings and community activities begin operating in the new centre.
2020	The second phase adds the main auditorium, café area and lift.
2021	The remaining upper-floor facilities are completed, including meeting rooms, toilets and a large kitchen.
2022–2024	The church helps organise community conversations for Eastfield and the Headlands, encouraging cooperation between residents, churches, schools, voluntary groups and public services.
Today	Broadmead Community Church continues as a Baptist congregation, place of worship and community centre serving the surrounding neighbourhood.