BBCEBH ProjectIntroductionThe Birmingham Baptist Churches exploring their Black History research project began in January 2025. It has entailed Gale Richards (principal investigator) working with adults and young people within six Baptist churches (co-researchers) to undertake archival research and oral history interviews. It is designed to help the participating churches re-narrate their church histories, in ways that acknowledge the largely overlooked experiences and contributions of their first Black church members (men and women), first Black deacons (men and women), and first Black ministers (men and women).
The BBCEBH Project is a research project of the Centre for Baptist Studies at Regent's Park College, University of Oxford. Their webpage is here:
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The Project Principal Investigator, Gale Richards is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow of the Centre for Baptist Studies.
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About the projectThe project builds on the work that has already been undertaken in the West Midlands, to uncover some of the earliest known examples of Black ministers leading local churches in Britain – Revd George Cosens, who served as minister at Cradley Heath Baptist Church from 1837 – and specifically in Birmingham – Revd Peter Stanford, who served as minister at Hope Street Baptist Church, Birmingham (the forerunner of Highgate Baptist Church) from 1889.
Questions that lie at the heart of this research project include:
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Story of the project
Each of the project churches’ stories provide important insights into the impact of migration, how racial discrimination can be addressed, and how multicultural or intercultural communities can be established. Their stories reveal the role churches played in Birmingham’s transformation from being a major supplier of the chains used to shackle Black people during the transatlantic chattel slavery period, to playing a leading role in the abolition of slavery movement, and then becoming home to thousands of Black people who arrived primarily from the Caribbean, to help rebuild post-Second World War Britain.
Project Resources
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Key First Black Leaders (click + to expand each section):
Revd Glenford Gordon
Esmie Mignott
Hazel Nunes
Jeff Nunes
Cassetta Williams
Thelma Balfour
Lebert Balfour
Lebert (Bert) Balfour 'A Faithful Servant'
Leader's Story
Louise Pennicooke
Gloria Richards
Lincoln Morrison
Influential Churches (click + to expand each section):
Cannon Street Memorial Baptist Church (CSMBC)
Key Leaders - Revd Glenford Gordon and Esmie Mignott
Cannon Street Memorial Baptist Church Photos
Cannon Street Memorial Baptist Church Photos
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Highgate Baptist Church (HBC)
Key Leaders - Hazel Nunes and Jeff Nunes
Highgate Baptist Church Photos:
Highgate Baptist Church Photos:
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Interview with Hazel Nunes
This video comprises edited extracts from an oral history interview of Hazel Nunes at Highgate Baptist Church, conducted by Gale Richards (principal investigator) and Daniella Diswemi and Samuella Diswemi (co-researchers). 
Below is the same edited interview as an audio MP3.
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New Christ Church (NCC)
Key Leader - Casetta Williams
New Christ Church Photos:
New Christ Church Photos:
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Interview with Cassetta Williams
This video comprises edited extracts from an oral history interview of Cassetta Williams at New Christ Church conducted by: Gale Richards (principal investigator) and Edwin (Ossie) Daly (co-researcher). 
Below is the same edited interview as an audio MP3.
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Edward Road Baptist Church (ERBC)
Key Leaders - Thelma Balfour and Lebert Balfour
Edward Road Baptist Church Photos
Edward Road Baptist Church Photos
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Interview with Thelma Balfour
This video comprises edited extracts from an oral history interview of Thelma Balfour at her home in Birmingham, conducted by Gale Richards (principal investigator) and co-researcher Leoner Gardner-Howard. 
Below is the same edited interview as an audio MP3.
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Selly Park Baptist Church (SPBC)
Key Leader - Louise Pennicooke
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Selly Park Baptist Church Photos:
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Interview with Kathleen Fraser
This video comprises edited extracts from an oral history interview of Kathleen Fraser at her home in Bournville, Birmingham, conducted by Gale Richards (principal investigator) and co-researcher Leoner Gardner-Howard. Also present in the room: Keith Fraser (son of Kathleen Fraser) 
Below is the same edited interview as an audio MP3.
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Six Ways Baptist Church (SWBC)
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Six Ways Erdington Baptist Church Photos:
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Interview with Angela Richards
This video comprises edited extracts from an oral history interview of Angela Richards at Six Ways Erdington Baptist Church. conducted by Gale Richards (principal investigator) and co-researcher Marcia Smith. 
Below is the same edited interview as an audio MP3.
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Birmingham-wide Church Context (click + to expand each section):
West Midland Baptist Association
West Midland Baptist Association (today known as the Heart of England Baptist Association) as the overarching body for Baptist Union of Great Britain churches in Birmingham and surrounding area, has had an important role to play in equipping churches to address racial discrimination, receive migrant and immigrant communities, and build intercultural or multicultural communities. One of its most notable initiatives was helping to bring over a Baptist minister, Revd Clement Gayle, from Jamaica, in 1964, to help with efforts to integrate Black Caribbean people into Baptist churches and wider society.
Ecumenical Scene
Baptist churches working in partnership with churches of other traditions (ecumenism) has been an important part of their stories of building more inclusive churches and wider local communities. In fact, Birmingham’s strong position in the ecumenical scene can be traced back to the city hosting the Conference on Christian Politics, Economics, and Citizenship (COPEC) in 1924. This undoubtedly helped to inspire the early establishing of important ecumenical organisations such as the Birmingham Christian Social Council (BCSC) in the 1930s, to help with the receiving of migrant and immigrant communities. BSCS was later incorporated into what is today known as Birmingham Churches Together.
Acknowledgements
The project has been funded by the following three organisations: St Peter’s Saltley Trust, Centre for Baptist Studies (Regent’s Park College), and Heart of England Baptist Association.
The support of the six project churches and the work of the twelve dedicated co-researchers (named below) has been pivotal to the project:
Thanks are extended for the support given to the project by Ian Jones and Paul Walker as two local historians, by Stephen Copson and Karen Smith as historians and trustees of the Baptist Historical Society, by Emily Burgoyne and Rebecca Shuttleworth at the Angus Library and Archive, by Alan Kerry in the construction of the project webpages. Finally, thanks are offered to the project management group I had the pleasure of consulting with – Helen Cameron, Ian Jones, Karen Martindale, and Tim Middleton.
The support of the six project churches and the work of the twelve dedicated co-researchers (named below) has been pivotal to the project:
- Don Campbell
- Tess Campbell
- Trish Cummings
- Rose Sterling
- Daniella Diswemi
- Samuella Diswemi
- Edwin (Ossie) Daly
- Leoner Gardner-Howard
- Julie Large
- Morine Burrell-Banton
- Marcia Smith
- Frances Taylor
Thanks are extended for the support given to the project by Ian Jones and Paul Walker as two local historians, by Stephen Copson and Karen Smith as historians and trustees of the Baptist Historical Society, by Emily Burgoyne and Rebecca Shuttleworth at the Angus Library and Archive, by Alan Kerry in the construction of the project webpages. Finally, thanks are offered to the project management group I had the pleasure of consulting with – Helen Cameron, Ian Jones, Karen Martindale, and Tim Middleton.