Lyndhurst Baptist Church has been a place of worship for over 300 years. The church was founded towards the end of the 17th century as an Ebenezer Chapel - Ebenezer in Hebrew means "stone of help". The present building dates from 1848, although some of the tombstones go back to the early 18th century.
Our church was a child of the troubled and hazardous years of the 17th century, when, despite the power and wrath of the State, dissenting fellowships gathered to worship and serve the Lord, according to their Bible-based convictions as to the truth and redeeming power of the Gospel.’
Over the years, church fortunes have varied. In 1827, there were apparently only 2 church members and one of those was ill! Membership had risen to 11 by the end of 1828 and to 41 by 1841, when a new vestry was built.
Following construction of the present building, a gallery was added in 1851. The schoolroom at the rear of the church was constructed in 1892 to accommodate a growing number of children attending Sunday School. The porch was added in 1984, and the church hall, which replaced a 1950s building, was constructed in 1998.
References: New Forest Explorers Guide
