Chapel Next the Green (the history of Twickenham Congregational Church) index page
The Church decided not to hurry into filling the vacancy, probably to improve the finances. However at the end of 1891 a unanimous call was sent to Rev Arthur Calvert, which was accepted. At Hinckley, his first church, he had built the membership up “in spite of a touch of new theology which was not easily accepted by older members of the Church“
Now that the LCU grant had ceased finances were under pressure and the stipend, only £160, was guaranteed, for the first year only. In February 1892 Mr Calvert took up his duties. Members to join that year included the Misses Kate and Ethel Purchase in early June, followed by their parents, William and Lydia a few weeks later. The following year Mr Calvert was told that although the £160 stipend could not be guaranteed the Church would try to raise this figure. To assist in this it was agreed “that the present system of envelopes be discontinued (the present envelope users being asked to adopt the pew rent system instead) also that pew to pew collections be made after each service, alms bags being used for this purpose”. The pew rent system had been in operation in 1886, but there is no record of it having been abandoned.
During this period it appears that not all members were fully supporting the Church possibly because of Mr Calvert’s ‘New Theology’. Matters came to a head in May 1894 when the retiring Deacons, William Allison and John Gould, declined to accept re-election. At their request a Special Church Meeting was held on June 7th and a long and heated discussion took place. The feeling of the meeting was that “there was a great want of interest shown by a large section of the church and congregation” and the Pastor concurred in this view.
It came as no great surprise when it was announced the next February that Mr Calvert had accepted a call to the Oldham (Regent Street) church. At the same meeting the entire Diaconate retired and was replaced by a Committee elected “to attend to all matters pertaining to the Church, including the raising of funds, mode of raising funds etc”. The nine elected included two ladies, Mrs Reid and Mrs Tite; on the death of the latter in 1899 a memorial tablet was erected in the church.
Mr Calvert moved from Twickenham in March 1895; he served at Oldham until 1902 and then appears to have withdrawn from the Congregational ministry.