A rich legacy of healing at First Church of Christ, Scientist, Stroud.
We work with others to make lives better. We are part of the faith communities listed in “The Welcome Directory” for prison leavers. We offer all visitors a warm and genuine welcome
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Stroud is a self-governed branch of The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Our members are committed Christian Scientists with experience in healing through prayerful treatment, as taught by Mary Baker Eddy in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.
A little group of students from both meetings united and moved to premises in George Street, Stroud. Mr. Armfield was First Reader and Mrs. Blanch Second Reader.
The group was formally recognized as Christian Science Society, Stroud.
More commodious premises were rented at Lower Lansdown Hall, Stroud.
The Society moved to premises in London Road, belonging to one of the members, Miss Seymour-Keay. Later a hall for services was added by this member and rented by the Society to accommodate the increasing attendance.
The first lecture was given in 1922 or 1923 by Mr. Frank Bell, C.S.B. Considerable public interest was aroused by this lecture. First Church of Christ, Scientist, Stroud host an annual lecture, free of charge and open to the public. Visit our events page for details of our next talk.
With a membership of 33, the Society applied for and received recognition as First Church of Christ, Scientist, Stroud.
When Lansdown Hall, the first rented home of the Society, went up for sale, the members of First Church Christ, Scientist, Stroud purchased the building in its entirety. Services began in this new home on the first Sunday in January 1931.
History
The first Christian Science service to be held in Stroud was at Beverstone House, Bath Road, the home of Rosa Blanch.
Mrs Blanch had been an invalid, suffering from epilepsy. She had been instantaneously healed in Christian Science, her practitioner being Mrs Miller of London. After this wonderful healing Mrs Blanch earnestly took up the study of Christian Science and started the healing work almost from the first.
The following were the first members:
Rosa Blanch, Mabel Blanch, Maxwell Armfield, Constance Armfield, Rosanna Anderson Thompson, Lucy Webb
Among those who joined the organization in Stroud in its early days were:
Matilda Gardiner, Sylvan Hemming, Edith How, James B. Ireland, Evelyn Gwynne-Evans, Nina Seymour-Keay
Miss Lucy Webb (Mrs Lucy Goodenough) is the composer of hymn 345 in the Christian Science Hymnal (1932).
Mr Armfield’s work could be seen from time to time in the Christian Science Monitor.
Mrs Rosanna Thompson was a Christian Science practitioner for many years. Mrs Gwynne-Evans was a practitioner in London and Miss Seymour-Keay in Stroud.
Another service was afterwards started and held at Minchinhampton in the house of Mr. And Mrs. Maxwell Armfield, and healing work was done.