John Hirst

John Hirst (1736-1815) was born in Rochdale and converted through the preaching of the Methodists. He eventually adopted Calvinism and was brought by the Rochdale Methodists before John Wesley for preaching “erroneous sentiments respecting justification.”  Having lost his home among the Methodists, Hirst took up with the Baptists at Accrington, who quickly set him apart as a preacher. He preached for the church at Bacup during the illness of their pastor, Joseph Piccop, in 1772. A few months later Piccop died and on 31 December 1772 Hirst was installed as pastor; he would remain at Bacup until his death in 1815. His ministry was successful and a new chapel was opened in 1777 and enlarged in 1783, only to give way to an even larger chapel in 1812. A Sunday school was formed in 1811. Hirst was not averse to politics at times, for he noted in the church book on 4 September 1790, “Ask them [the deacons] how the money in the hands of George Hargreaves is to be disposed of, whether to the poor stock, or to be reserved foFrederick Overend, History of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Bacup (London: Kingsgate Press, 1912), 160-185.