Cottenham Baptist Church, previously known as 'The Old Meeting', can trace its formation back to the 1660s when Baptists from Cottenham and Willingham met with Presbyterians and Independents in a barn close to the present building. Early in the 18th Century, a formal Baptist church was established and occupied a building on the present site.
In 1854 to 1856, the present building was erected. It seats around 500 and is built in a traditional Victorian style. During the 19th Century, the village was largely Baptist - out of a population of about 2000, the congregation on a Sunday was around 1000 people. This included 'The Old Meeting' and the Ebenezer chapel, whose building still stands in Rooks Street and is now offices. In 1904, the back rooms were added for work with a growing Sunday school. These rooms were used as a hospital during WW1.
In the early 1990s a group of Christians had been meeting first in homes and then, in the Youth Centre of the Village College. It became known as the 'Community Baptist Church' and was made up of people who had a vision for growth in the church. In 1996, the 'Community Baptist' and the 'Old Meeting' combined, and the Church was renamed 'Cottenham Baptist Church'. The combining of the two churches led to radical changes in worship and spiritual ethos. It is now a growing family church with a congregation of around 40-50 people on Sunday mornings.
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