Winsor Mission
Evangelical Church

The history of our Church

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The church at Winsor grew from a prayer request of lady from Copythorne attending a missionary conference in Islington around the year 1871. She put forward a prayer for the ‘Dark places of the New Forest’ and a lady from Alton hearing this prayer ‘felt constrained in the love of the Gospel to consecrate herself to the work in the locality...’ Together they started holding open air meetings before renting rooms at Fritham and Cadnam. Numbers soon increased and it was decided to build the current Mission Hall on land donated by local horse dealer James Taylor. On December 28th 1881 the Church was opened for the first time.
 

The Mission Hall became the centre of village activities, holding Band Of Hope meetings, evening classes and even a Penny Banks Savings Club. Sunday School Classes were particularly well attended and the current School Room was built in 1888 on land donated by Samuel Pope (a church deacon of the time).

Around 1904-1907 the church was incorporated into the Southern Baptist Association and received ministry from Rev Millar Jones and later Rev Vokes. By 1934 the Church returned to itinerant ministry and became part of the Gospel Life Boat Mission under the leadership of Sydney Dance. From 1965-72 Mr C Charmin became pastor supported by an organization called the Come Back to God campaign. The Church continues to this day to be supported by lay ministry.