For such a time as this?            100 years ago

Trinity Road Chapel is in the Wandsworth Borough, and it is all but adjacent to the Borough of Battersea. I will, therefore, give (i) the numbers attending Baptist Churches in Battersea (ii) the numbers attending Baptist Churches in Wandsworth (iii) the numbers attending the Free Churches within a radius of one and a half miles of Trinity Road Chapel, ie., within a walk of twenty to twenty-five minutes.

(i) Battersea (cold bright Sunday).
Northcote Road 1060
Tabernacle 964
York Road 374

(ii) Wandsworth (morning fine, evening wet)
East Hill 1063
Trinity Road 696
Victoria 670
Grafton Square 569
Ramsden Road 549
Werter Road, Putney 465
New Park Road 377
Longley Road 294
Earlsfield 218
Lewin Road 209

(iii) Free Churches (within 1½ Mile radius)
Broomwood Wesleyan 1199
East Hill Baptist 1063
Northcote Road Baptist 1060
Balham Congregational 733
Trinity Road Baptist 696
Ramsden Road Baptist 549
Beechcroft Rd. Presb’tn 521
Tooting Congregational 516
Tooting High Wesleyan 426
Earlsfield Congregational 372
Mallison Road Methodist 298
Balham Prim Meth. 259
St. John’s Hill Unisectarian. 251
Sarsfeld Road St Judes 227
Earlsfield Baptist 218
Balham Brethren 204
Balham Wesleyan 181
Vestry Hall Prim Meth. 15

Concerning the two boroughs, the facts the Daily News announced were these:-
(1) That in Battersea, on a cold bright Sunday one person in seven attended the House of God.
(2) That in Wandsworth – a fine morning and a wet evening, one person in five attended the House of God.
(3) That in Battersea the numbers attending were:- Anglican Church 11,665 : Free Churches 11,577.
(4) That in Wandsworth the numbers attending were :- Anglican Church 27,126 : Free Churches 20,262

(1) These results are not so depressing as I thought they would prove. It must be remembered
(a) that on no one Sunday do all religiously inclined people come to the House of God. There are good Christian people who are compelled to be irregular and there are those who, at least are called Christians who stay away if their neighbours dog barks.
(b) Moreover, this census was taken in the worst month of the whole year, save August, for London churches. In December the weather is generally at its worst. It is for many the busiest month in the whole year, and weary tradesmen and assistants use the Sunday for physical rest. It is also the month of charity and festivity, and both, unfortunately, are allowed to detain good people from Church.

(2) Yet those results are depressing enough, and should stir men beyond mere criticism and debate. Dr. Wendell Holrnes says "There are two classes in the world". "Those who do things, and those who say how they ought to be done". From the second class we have heard very much. It has reminded me of my early married days when every childless mother, and every benevolent unmarried lady in all the parish round, hurried in with advice how I was to secure "unbroken nights", "how baby was to be taught not to cry", or "to cry for exercise at proper times". Advice all very well in its way, but a little confusing; and when I honestly tried to follow some of it, I found it didn’t work, because I had always to reckon with the baby, its little moods, pains, and will. There needs a great deal more than advising. There needs on the part of every trusting Christian a good deal of trying a giving every week of some hours of honest effort to right this wrong.

(3) What then is our duty ? (a) In no wise to be discouraged. Our great Master never spoke of numbers but to lay emphasis upon the "few". Bunyan’s triumph for his pilgrims in the Valley of the Shadow of Death was "they went on", "so they went on", "they went on". The one thing we have to do is not to be discouraged. (b) We must trust less to methods of our own, and more to the plan of God. Let our personal work be more, our prayer more, our parental labour and tears and authority more. (c) Above all let us work honestly and laboriously for God among men. Let us plough a straight furrow. It may yet be found that God "has left him 7,000" we have not counted.
- Henry Oakley