Oaklands Baptist Church

Jane Woodfall’s vision echoes through the years here at Oaklands Baptist Church. Imagine a bustling London suburb in 1866. Surbiton was a leafy escape from the city’s clamor. Jane Woodfall, a devout Christian, regularly journeyed to central London to hear the renowned preacher Charles Spurgeon. She noticed many local servants lacked the time and resources for such trips. Inspired, Woodfall purchased two cottages on this very site. She then presented them to Spurgeon. Her goal was a local Baptist chapel where ordinary people could hear the Gospel. A Sunday School hall opened in 1873. Oaklands Baptist Church, originally Surbiton Hill Baptist Church, followed in 1874. Spurgeon himself dedicated the church and delivered the first sermon, “By the Grace of God I am what I am.” Oaklands Baptist Church became one of over 150 similar “barn-style” churches around London, all built on land donated to Spurgeon. The first pastor, William Bastor, a student of Spurgeon’s, led the church until the late 1890s. A doctrinal disagreement then led a group to form Surbiton Baptist Church on Balaclava Road. Despite this initial rift, the two churches maintained contact and collaborated on projects over time. The late 1960s brought a period of growth under Pastor Richard Higbed. The church flourished with a strong youth program. In the late 1990s, the Balaclava Road congregation had dwindled. Discussions began between the two churches about reunification. After much prayer and discussion, led by Deacon Eddie Mooney, the two congregations merged in September 2000. They united under a new name and constitution: Baptists Together in Surbiton. This reunion funded new premises and the refurbishment of the Balaclava Road worship area. A period of pastoral vacancy followed. Then, in 2010, Adam Stacey became pastor, bringing fresh ideas for outreach. The church was renamed Surbiton New Life Baptist Church. This marked a new chapter in the church’s ongoing story, a testament to Jane Woodfall’s initial vision.