This little Baptist Church stands in the fields at Orby, near Skegness in Lincolnshire.
It has a fascinating history stretching back over 300 years.
There
had been a small group of Baptists meeting in Burgh-le-Marsh for some years
when, in 1664, King Charles II gave the Royal Assent to the Conventicle Act
which allowed for the imprisonment of all persons over 16 years of age who
attended any non-conformist gathering. As a result of this Act, these Baptists
were forced to abandon their meeting in Burgh, but they refused to give up
their worship. Each week they made their way into the countryside and held
their services hidden away amongst the trees, hiding from the soldiers.
In
spite of all the dangers the witness continued and grew, so that in 1701 they
were able to build the simple chapel which still stands today. By this time
there was more toleration, but it was still dangerous for Baptists, and the
Chapel had a thatched roof (now tiled) so it looked like a barn. During worship
there had to be a lookout from a tree, and a trap-door just above the pulpit
was provided so that the preacher could make his escape.
A
feature of the site is the open air baptistry which was last used in 1971.
To visit this place is to be reminded of the faith and courage of the Baptist
forefathers in Lincolnshire. Today it remains in relative lonely isolation,
though now near a farm, and on the edge of Spilsby
airfield, a second world war bomber base.
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