Our
recent
History
recent
History
How we came about
The Revd. J. Roland Englefield (Bridge Street) had already accepted a call elsewhere when the two churches united on the premises of the Wednesbury Road Church in January 1945. The Bridge Street buildings were sold and the Minister of the Wednesbury Road congregation, Revd. Kathleen U. Whitfield, became minister of the newly formed united church, known as Walsall Congregational Church.
The building of Broadway Church commenced in the autumn of 1958 and by the autumn of 1959 the church, assembly rooms and caretaker's flat were complete. It was opened and dedicated by the Revd. Dr. Sidney Berry on the 26th September 1959.
The members of the young church worked hard to raise extra money which enabled the manse to be built, and the building of the church hall soon followed.
At the time of opening, Broadway was a Congregational church, and on the Act of Union in 1972 joined with other Congregational and Presbyterian churches and became a member of the United Reformed Churches of England and Wales. In the year 2000, the Scottish Congregationalists joined the United Reformed Church, and, by Act of Parliament, on the 1st April 2000 the churches became known as The United Reformed Church.
About 23 years ago the Walsall Congregational Church was demolished and a multipurpose complex of buildings including a new church, Glebe URC, 
was built in its place. There was a shared ministry, the Revd. Warren Thorpe having oversight of three of the five United Reformed Churches in Walsall at that time - Broadway, Glebe and Rushall. Because of the social aspect of the Glebe Centre, on the retirement of Revd Warren Thorpe, Glebe URC was given a special ministry under Revd. John Cribbe. Broadway, meanwhile, called the Revd. Tracey Lewis and entered into a shared ministry with Banner's Gate.
It was during Revd. Tracey Lewis's ministry that Broadway and Glebe URCs held discussions concerning the union of the two churches, following which, and at the decision of both church meetings, the union of Broadway and Glebe took place in October 1993. The united church became known as Broadway URC. Broadway URC, together with other local churches,retains strong links with the Glebe Centre and holds regular services there as well as having responsibility for the maintainance of the fabric of the Centre.
Broadway relinquished its shared ministry with Banners Gate, entered into a new shared ministry with Blakenhall URC and rejoined the Staffordshire Union.
was built in its place. There was a shared ministry, the Revd. Warren Thorpe having oversight of three of the five United Reformed Churches in Walsall at that time -It was during Revd. Tracey Lewis's ministry that Broadway and Glebe URCs held discussions concerning the union of the two churches, following which, and at the decision of both church meetings, the union of Broadway and Glebe took place in October 1993. The united church became known as Broadway URC. Broadway URC, together with other local churches,retains strong links with the Glebe Centre and holds regular services there as well as having responsibility for the maintainance of the fabric of the Centre.
Broadway relinquished its shared ministry with Banners Gate, entered into a new shared ministry with Blakenhall URC and rejoined the Staffordshire Union.
Broadway, together with Blakenall and Hatherton, make up the United Reformed Churches in Walsall.
The history of Broadway is linked with two former Walsall town centre Congregational Churches - Bridge Street and Wednesbury Road. It was in the post-war period from 1920 onwards, that both churches suffered considerable decline, and with much anguish of mind, the congregation at Bridge Street opened discussions with the Wednesbury Road congregation with a view to union.
After the end of the Second World War, when buildings restrictions were eased, a site at the corner of Broadway and Sutton Road was bought from Walsall Corporation for building a church, assembly rooms, caretaker's flat and a manse.