Channon's Children

Not all of the young worshippers shown in this picture have been located yet by former Purley Baptist Church worshipper Michael Shergold, one of the organisers of the reunion on April 30 this year.

He is calling on any of those active in youth groups at the church under the leadership of Reverend Channon during the 1950s to get in touch.

Channon's children in 1953: Rev W G Channon (back, centre) with a young Michael Shergold (middle row, centre, directly In front of Rev Channon) and Jean Shergold (front row, sixth from left). Were you one of Channon's children ?

Mr Shergold, who now lives in Selsey, West Sussex, has dedicated a section of his website to finding as many members of Channon's children as possible for the reunion.

On it, he says: "Channon's children is the name we have given to the large group of young people who worshipped at Purley Baptist Church in the 1950s under the inspirational leadership of the late Rev W G Channon.

"We wanted a reunion of 'Mr Channon's young people' but that seemed rather a mouthful and 'Channon's children' was in fact the way Mr Channon and his wife treated us all.

"We have rather arbitrarily picked the '1955 group' as the target and so in late April 2005 we are inviting all who were active at that time, and that we can contact, to join us in a day of reminiscence, renewed friendship and thanksgiving at Purley Baptist Church.

"Of course there are many other groups of Channon's children in his previous and subsequent churches.

This reunion, however, is really for those in the 1953 picture and their friends and seniors, but, of course, we won't turn anyone away."

Rev Channon came to Purley Baptist Church in 1949 from the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London and stayed there for 14 years.

When he arrived church membership was about 180 but it grew to 500 and while there was, at first, only a handful of young congregation members, the church's youth Christian Endeavour group became the largest in the country.

Rev Channon left Purley in 1963 to go to university in Cambridge where, aged in his 50s, he studied and obtained a degree in theology.

Mr Shergold, 69, adds: "A lot of us will remember that period of our lives fondly and Rev Channon.

"He liked football and he and his wife didn't have children of their own so thought of us as their children.

"Another reason why Channon's children was so significant is that a lot of us met our spouses during this time.

"I met my wife, Jean, there in the 1950s when we were both active in the Christian Endeavour .movement at the Baptist Church in Purley.

"We, have even managed to find some of the older members, some of whom are now aged in then 80s and 90s, who will be coming along.

"I would like to stress that, first and foremost, this is a social occasion we are trying to organise, not 3 religious event.

"I understand that some members of the congregation have changed faiths and might not feel that they are welcome but this is a reunion and everyone is welcome. "It is a chance to catch up."