Cradley Heath Baptist Church

The church is noted for appointing Britain's first recorded black West Indian pastor, Rev.

He continued the sermon, but began Bible study which led him to part, amicably, with Cradley Baptist Church.

Of the original 4 deacons, church officers responsible for practical administration, two deserve mention.

Until a baptistry inside the building had been provided, baptisms were often carried out in "the cut" – a branch of a local canal.

[3] An explanation is needed of the doctrinal issue which led Tunnicliff to leave Cradley Baptist Church.

Related to this is a concept that the elect are "born-again" by a work of God, which John Calvin thought to have happened to him when he was baptised as a baby by an Augustinian friar.

Related to this is another concept, "Irresistible Grace", which teaches that the "elect" cannot resist the call of God, and that the "non-elect" cannot respond to it.

[6] In many respects, however, as expressions of Protestant thinking in the 16th century, Arminianism and Calvinism have much in common and are like brothers from the same family.

Cradley Heath Baptist Church is notable for having had the first Afro-Caribbean Minister in the Black Country, said to be the first known in Britain.

Extracts from his journal published in the Primitive Methodist Magazine show 6 months successful work in Jersey and Gurnsey.

[13] But Kendall in his 1906 history says Cosens had to be recalled after being fined for tactless comments about young people in his audience.

[14] During mission work with John Nelson in Weymouth he left the Primitive Methodists after a disagreement, and joined the Baptists.

In the 1987, Sandwell Council made it a Grade II Listed Building, as being a significant landmark.

As well as the Sunday morning meeting, Cradley Heath Baptist Church is involved in providing for the needs of people in local nursing homes who cannot get to a place of worship.

There is also a short open-air meeting for hymn singing on some Saturdays, sometimes in the market, or on other open spaces just before Christmas.

Community activities include a "Toddlers Group" on Friday mornings, and a gardening club on the first Thursday evening of the month.

The Cradley Heath Flower & Gardening Club was originally planned for the summer of 2009, but is so popular that it continues to meet during the winter.

On 5 November 2009, the Special Demonstrator at the club's Open Evening was Andrew Lloyd, Florist from Stourbridge.

The Christmas activities in December 2009 included a "Christmas Spectacular" concert featuring children from nearby Springfield Primary School and a special guest appearance from international rising star Charlie Green, a semi-finalist on "Britain's Got Talent" in 2008.

In 2010, this was donated to local charity Loaves 'N' Fishes to provide toys to needy children.

This was at about the same time as lead was taken, twice, from the roof of the nearby public library building, and from a number of private houses.

Cradley Heath Baptist Church blogspot site with notice board including samples of messages by various preachers.