There has been a church meeting on the site of our present building for over 120 years. The original church, known as Poplar and Bromley Tabernacle, was linked to the famous Metropolitan Tabernacle, where Charles Spurgeon was the minister.
The first minister of Poplar and Bromley Tabernacle was Mr Lambourne, who had been a student at Spurgeon’s College for Pastors. He had a fruitful ministry which was commended by Charles Spurgeon in his church magazine, “The Sword and the Trowel.”here has been a church meeting on the site of our present building for over 120 years. The original church, known as Poplar and Bromley Tabernacle, was linked to the famous Metropolitan Tabernacle, where Charles Spurgeon was the minister.
From 1898 to 1945 there was a long ministry by Mr Alfred Tildesley. Mr Tildesley was notable for his enthusiastic use of the early movies to draw people into the Tabernacle.
During the war the old building was bombed, and after the war, the church joined together with another Baptist church, Berger Hall, whose building was also bombed. Berger Hall was a Baptist church, named after William Thomas Berger, who was the first home director of the China Inland Mission. Its premises had been in Empson Street, Bow. A famous member of the congregation had been Geraldine Taylor, daughter in law of Hudson Taylor.
The combined church was named “Poplar and Berger Baptist Tabernacle”. A new building for the combined church was started in 1950 and completed in 1958.
In 1998, the church decided to simplify its name to the current “Poplar Baptist Church.”