| Central Baptist Church | |
| Location: | Leicester, England, UK |
| Coordinates: | 52.6335°N -1.1285°W |
| Denomination: | Baptist |
| Associations: | Baptist Union of Great Britain |
| Status: | open |
| Heritage Designation: | Grade II listed |
| Designated Date: | 1973 |
| Architect: | William Flynt |
| Completed Date: | 1832 |
The Central Baptist Church, also known as the Charles Street Baptist Chapel, is a Baptist church on Charles Street in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK.[1] It is affiliated with the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
Leicester in the 19th century was known as the ‘Metropolis of Dissent’ with a large number of non-conformist chapels and churches.[2] There have been numerous places of worship of various denominations, including the Baptists.[3] [4] [5] Numerous chapels were built since the 17th century, many in the 19th century.[6] [7]
The Charles Street Baptist Chapel was designed by William Flynt, a leading local architect,[8] and constructed in 1830.[2] [6] The congregation of the Belvoir Street Chapel united with that of Charles Street in the 1940s[9] and became known as the United Baptist Church.[2] It was designated a Grade II listed building (1074071) in 1973.[10] It was named the Central Baptist Church in 1983 and is the last surviving of several Baptist churches in Leicester City Centre.[2]
The building also houses the William Carey Museum, dedicated to William Carey, who was instrumental in the formation of the Baptist Missionary Society.[11] [12]