Whyteleafe Free Church 1885 to date. the Story of 140 + years
of witness
History or His Story?
Did you know:

 The church began as a Sunday School in the local postmistress’s front room.
 From 1892 to 1929 the church complex included a coffee house, gym and hotel and was
located on what is now the car park opposite the fish and chip shop.

 Pastor Carter was miraculously and totally healed sometime in the 1890s following a James
chapter 5 elders’ anointing, and this had long lasting effects.
 When he died in 1928, the owner of the church complex unexpectedly bequeathed it all to
the Salvation Army, making the church effectively homeless.

 The late 1920s and 1930s were therefore tough times for the faithful few, but the Lord
provided!
 The present church building was built mainly by members giving up their own time,
between 1964 and 1970.

 The church from it’s very beginnings had and still has a long involvement in either sending
out missionaries worldwide or helping to support them in fulfilling our Lord’s command in
Matt. ch.28v19 to go out to all nations and make disciples.

In 1902 Thomas Payne set out for Peru as an engineer in the remote city of Cuzco very high
up in the Andes and managed to evangelise through his work as an engineer. The rest of
his story can be found on pages 5-6 of the hyperlink booklet. (see below) Another early
missionary was Pastor Coultas who went to Ceylon, cow renamed Sri. Lanka We are
continuing to support various individuals and charities today in several parts of the globe.

 Over its history, the church has sometimes had a full or part time pastor, and for other long
periods, ministry has been shared by the Church Council, with some external support.
Every member ministry is both a great strength and a practical necessity!
 Following the long ministry of pastor Paul Riseley from 1997 to 2022, leadership now falls
to the elected elders, with some help from an experienced minister.
This and much, much more can be read in the hyperlinked booklet, Whyteleafe United Free
Church 1885 to 1985.

Please take time to read of God’s wonderful work amongst us!