Beginning Stories

In the first half of the 19th century, Park Road included fields and farm buildings, ‘Mathers Dam’, the mill, some old cottages, and some mansion houses. By the latter half of the century, plans for the new terraces were being made and a number of churches served Toxteth. One such church was Ebenezer Chapel on Beaufort Street, led by William Peddie Lockhart, a lay preacher, and friends. The constant need for rent and repairs costs and the growing congregation led to Lockhart and others seeking God’s guidance for a new place of worship, which would be free and open to all who wanted to listen to teaching from God’s word.

Once they believed God had given them the go ahead, they worked quickly in raising the building funds needed, with Lockhart vowing that the church would open free from debt. Land was acquired on Park Road, with the church designed to seat up to 1,500 people, and further offices and teaching rooms attached.

The Rev Charles Haddon Spurgeon, at that time the Pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, was invited to preach and lay the foundation stone, on 7th September 1870. As Toxteth was still fairly green then Mr Spurgeon asked Lockhart, “Where are you going to get your congregation?” On the 20th October 1871, Lockhart conducted the first service in the new Church, with the sermon given by the Revd Birrell using texts from the Acts of the Apostles.

Toxteth Tabernacle was one of the largest churches of its day in Liverpool and although it strove to welcome people from all backgrounds, it was criticised for essentially being a middle-class church. More respectable shopkeepers filled the pews, eager to hear Lockhart’s teaching, although there continued to be services later on a Sunday for those in working men’s clothes.

From its beginning with 122 members, by the Tenth Anniversary in 1881, this had increased to 745 members, and 700 children and 60 teachers in the Sunday School.

Many other places of witness developed from the Tab including Garston and Speke Baptist Churches, and by the 100 years Anniversary, members had gone out from the church around the world, including to parts of Africa, India, South America, Thailand, Ethiopia and Nepal.

Alongside other dedicated leaders, deacons and lay people, the following have pastored the church at Toxteth Tab: