The Milford on Sea Baptist Church building is one of the oldest Baptist churches in the New Forest region.
The church was founded in 1816 by Mr Evans, who in a period of five years saw over one hundred people join the congregation. He also oversaw the building of the church in Barnes Lane.
In 1964, by developing land surrounding the Church, the present manse and church hall were built, along with additional car parking. Later in the 1990's the organ was up-dated, and a new floor and baptistry installed.
As the church moved into a new millennium, multi-media and a new PA system were installed. In September 2010 a tea point area was added to the rear of the Church, enabling a time for refreshments and fellowship to take place at the end of the services.
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About Milford on Sea Baptist Church
Sunday services have an average attendance of 40-50 people, with most ages represented. The services are quite informal, and energetically mix different traditions, old, new and in-between, with a strong focus on communal singing.
Tea and coffee is served after the morning service and everybody is made to feel welcome, both residents of the area and holiday-makers, whether believers, seekers or sceptics.
Recorded sermons are available on the church website.
The Baptist Church is a child-friendly church, and children can either stay for the whole service, or leave before the sermon for Sunday School. There are toys at the back for those that are too little to enjoy Sunday School.
There are also lively youth services, with plenty of music and singing.
The church also host various events throughout the year, such a quizzes, coffee mornings, and other activities for people to meet, and to bring the community together. They also collect old tools for TWAM (Tools with a Mission) who then restore them and ship them out for use in Africa.
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Community Church Activities
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| Keyhaven Quay Songs of Praise - 2019 |
In addition to activities held in the church, they also support a number of village events, such as 'Songs of Praise at Keyhaven Quay', the 'All Churches Services' on Milford on Sea village green, and at Christmas, 'Carols on Green'.
A commemorative Cytisus tree was planted in the church garden to mark the occasion.
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200th Anniversary - 2006
To celebrate their 200th anniversary, the church hosted on a number of special events, in addition to the regular quizzes and worship services.
The first such event was a concert with local professional opera singer, Colin Judson, along with his wife, Pippa Judson at the end of February 2006. After that there was a Café Church, a Missions Day in March 2016, and a concert with a young singer-songwriter whose grandparents were members of the church.
There was also a Flower Festival in May 2006, which saw a few hundred people visit the church in Barnes Lane. Most of the 21 separate displays were based on passages from the Bible, and a lot of talent and imagination had gone into the arrangements of flowers and props.
The beneficiary of the event wasn’t the church itself but Oakhaven Hospice, which as a result received a donation of several hundred pounds.
To close the anniversary celebrations, an Anniversary Concert with Boscombe Salvation Army was held on the 2nd July 2016.
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Reverend David Hellsten
Reverend David Hellsten was a popular minister from the time he was inducted at Easter 2011, until moving to pastures new in January 2024 to become pastor for a congregation in Redditch near Birmingham.
To read more about David, his time as a missionary in Albania, and writing his first novel, please click here.
Barnes Lane, Milford on Sea SO41 0RN
01590 645469
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