Our History 

We are a people who seek to hear God’s Word, live according to God’s Word and aim to do His will in our community”

Hinckley Baptist Church (HBC) has been part of the community of Hinckley since 1766 and in 2016 we celebrated the 250th anniversary of the founding of the church.  To commemorate this we published a book charting the church’s journey from the 1950’s to the present day (a book had previously been produced charting our history before this point).

The present building was built in 1807 and is located in the centre of the Town on Baptist Walk.

The birth of Hinckley Baptist Church began back in the mid 1700’s when there was a Christian revival in a small village called Barton in the Beans, approximately 10 miles north of Hinckley.  The first Meeting House was built in Barton in 1745, and had living accommodation above for its single members of the community.  The congregation described themselves as “independent”, but by the 1750’s had adopted General Baptist practises.  In 1760 the Society split into five separate churches;  Barton in the Beans, Kegworth, Loughborough, Kirkby Woodhouse (Nottinghamshire) and Melbourne (Derbyshire).

These congregations also later divided, so when the 150th anniversary of the Barton chapel was celebrated in 1895, more than 40 Baptist churches in the Midlands claimed direct descent from the Barton congregation, of which Hinckley is one.

The earliest meetings in Hinckley were held in the house of a Mr Dagley in Castle Street until in 1766 when a Meeting House was built in Wood Street.  On separating from the Longford church in 1773 the membership was recorded as 38, and by 1782 this had increased to 80.  William Smith had been appointed to lead the church in 1773 and when he died in 1797 the membership had increased to 180.

The continuing increase made the enlargement of the Meeting House essential.  The erection of a gallery was considered but it was finally decided to erect a new building and the site of the present building was purchased.  The current church was opened in February 1807 costing between £1700 and £1800 to build.  Further buildings were added in 1894, 1920 and 1938.  The 1894 Halls were to accommodate the increase in Sunday School numbers which had grown to over 500!!

The vestibule at the front of the church was added in 1920 as a Memorial and Thanksgiving at the cessation of the hostilities of World War 1 and in 1938 a Primary Room was added to the Sunday School Halls. In 2008 the 1894 halls and the 1938 Primary Rooms were extensively re-modelled and refurbished into our Pathways Centre which is now a great space for our community work.

Over the years the work and witness of the church has been maintained. Sunday School Young People’s activities have changed with the times and technology changes within our society today, but again, have never ceased. Similarly meetings of various kinds for adults have always had their rightful place in our church programme.

Dedicated men and women continue to worship and serve the Lord Jesus Christ in this church fellowship in and around Hinckley,  and we look forward to continuing the church (hi)-story In His name.