The History of Surrey Chapel
This is a short summary of an excellent pamphlet prepared for our 150th Anniversary by Dr Ros Codling outlining the history of Surrey Chapel. The full pamphlet is available to download here.
SURREY CHAPEL was founded by Robert Govett (MA Oxon), who came to Norwich in 1841 as a curate at St Stephen's Church. His preaching soon attracted large crowds. But in 1845 - the year that the first steam train ran from Norwich to London - he withdrew from the Church of England, persuaded that the New Testament teaches baptism of believers by immersion. Followed by a large number of supporters, he began holding regular services in a large hall. In 1854, mainly at his own expense, a large grey brick and flint chapel was erected between Ber Street and Surrey Street. It was called Ebenezer Chapel, but soon became known as Surrey Street Chapel, and finally just Surrey Chapel.
Govett was a prolific author of tracts and commentaries. He was still preaching with great vigour at the age of 87, just a few weeks before his death in 1901. David M. Panton, who had assisted Govett, was invited to become the second pastor of Surrey Chapel. DMP (as he was affectionately known) was born in Jamaica to an Anglican family, but came to England to study, taking a law degree at Cambridge. He too was a great Bible teacher, drawing huge crowds at prayer meetings, Bible studies and Sunday services. Many were brought to faith through his ministry. The Sunday School at this time had over 600 children. Many of the church's young men and women were called to full-time missionary work overseas. DMP wrote numerous tracts and in 1924 launched the 'Dawn' magazine. In later years, because of his health, he preached only once a month at Surrey Chapel, eventually retiring in 1941. The Chapel was then without a pastor until John D Clark was appointed in 1948. However, after three years of faithful ministry, Clark returned to missionary work in Ecuador.
A period of decline in the life of Surrey Chapel followed, as the church was without a pastor until 1963. David W. Middleton, who had come to faith as a young man in Surrey Chapel and gone on to study at London Bible College, was then invited to become pastor. And so a third great Bible teacher came to the church and it began again to grow in numbers and spiritual life. His ministry attracted large numbers of students, many of whom went on to full-time Christian ministry.
In the 1980s the crumbling Victorian Chapel building and the surrounding developments led to the church's decision to relocate elsewhere in the city. Surrey Chapel moved to its present site in 1985. Although the church was no longer in Surrey Street, it was decided to retain the name Surrey Chapel, because of its historical significance.
David Middleton retired with ill health in 1995 and died in 1998. The Chapel will continue to be a centre for Bible teaching, with the appointment of Thomas Murray Chapman as the Pastor of Surrey Chapel from September 2002.
[Surrey Chapel does not hold copies of any of the publications of R. Govett or D.M. Panton.]