Umberslade
Baptist
Chapel
Revd. Roland West 1948 - 1976
Mr. West, the next minister, brought many gifts to the work of the church and made his own unique contribution to its progress. Both he and his wife were musicians, his background being in Welsh choral singing. He led and trained a choir of 15 from the church, sometimes augmented by other voices from the village, to sing anthems at church festivals, Easter, Anniversary time, Harvest and Christmas. Sometimes he helped train singers privately at the manse and also produced operettas with the church choir.
The highlight of his ministry was when he was Musical Director for the Christian Endeavour Convention held at the Central Hall in Birmingham in 1956. Members from other churches in the South Group of Baptist Churches augmented his church choir.
Around that time the South Group held an Eisteddford in Birmingham with several Umberslade members taking part. The South Group also visited the church for a service and picnic one Saturday in that summer.
Following the death of Mrs. West in 1960, his own health began to fail, especially his eyesight, and the deacons had to take an ever increasing supportive role, especially in pastoral work. He had to resign in 1976 and spent his latter years at the home of one of the church members, Mrs. Barber, and her husband, where he eventually died in 1983 at the age of 84.
Revd. R. West