Hall Green Baptist Chapel

Hall Green Baptist Church was the second Baptist church to be built in the village. The reason for the split of some of the congregation from West Lane Baptist Church at the top of the village, established in 1752, is not clear, but by 1821 a number of Baptists were worshipping in a barn at the bottom of the village which still stands to the right of the bridge at the bottom of the hill. There are suggestions that the dispute could have been over the use of instruments to accompany the singing or differences of opinion with the Rev Miles Oddy who was know for his steadfast views. Whatever the reason, it is unlikely that they were doctrinal as at this time both the West Lane and Hall Green Churches were Strict and Particular Baptist churches, a branch of the church adhering to the doctrine of Calvin.

The breakaway group formed a church and by 1825 a new Baptist chapel had been built at Hall Green. Today the interior of the church is as it was in the nineteenth century; built in the Italian Renaissance style it is light and airy with an ornate pulpit, grand organ and first floor gallery. The Chapel runs popular services for the community such as a toddler group, youth club, Christian book shop and library.

Haworth manages to support two Baptist chapels as over the years each has gone in a different direction. Whereas West Lane joined the Baptist Union, Hall Green has remained independent. Following a review in the 1970’s the description Strict and Particular Baptist was dropped in favour of the more accessible Grace Baptist Church. Hall Green favours an evangelical style of ministry, helping to establish a church with Pakistani Christians in Bradford and working with other churches in the Yorkshire Gospel Partnership.