History of Vale

1851 to 1900  

In 1851 some of the members at Shore wanted to start a church in the valley to teach the growing numbers of children. The first service was held on Dec 21st 1851 in a hired room in Pudsey Bobbin Mill. The church was formally constituted on 13th June 1852 by Mr James Hodgson and Rev William Crabtree. A plot of land was acquired and a chapel and school room were begun. (The building cost £1210) It was opened on 3rd July 1853. The pulpit was supplied by local preachers until Aug 1855 when Rev Thomas Horsfield became its first pastor . In 1873 the chapel was enlarged and a school room built. Membership in 1901 stood at 138 with 240 scholars in the Sunday school.

History of Vale

1901 to 1950

In 1903 electric lighting was installed in the church. In 1911 the church moved from the Lancs and Cheshire association to the Yorkshire Baptist Association where it still is.
By 1939 membership had dwindled and the church could not support a minister. It was decided to share a minister and Rev Peace was appointed as minister of Vale, Lineholme and Roomfield and he stayed till 1944. There was then a joint pastorate with Lydgate which continued till 1949.

History of Vale

1951 to present

From 1952 to 1961 a joint pastorate with Lydgate was taken by Rev WB Wilson. 1963 to 1966 it was a joint pastoate with Shore. In the spring of 1969 the church building had structural problems and had to be demolished. Services moved to the slightly refurbished Sunday School building behind. There were then several joint pastorates with Roomfield and in 1997 a legacy left to the church made it possible for the church to invite Rev Kath Lawson to take up the pastorate. She retired in March 2016.