September 2006

This former chirch is on Earle Road, close to the toxteth boundary. It was originally founded as a mission hall by the congregation of the Sefton Park Presbyterian Church and opened in 1882. School buildings formerly stood attached to, and behind, this mission but after a period during which they stood in a state of disrepair, they have been replaced by modern housing. Thus the outline of the present building does not exactly match the 'church' of the 1905 map.

 
David Lewis in his 'Churches of Liverpool' clearly refers to this building as the 'Earle Road United Reform Church', I did not believe this to have ever been the name. There is, at present, a building of that name lower down Earle Road, however that building is shown as a mission on the 1905 map. Paul Young has now helpfully pointed out that The United Reform Church was formed around 1970 from a merger of the Congregational and Presbyterian Churches. So the building was both Presbyterian and United reform from 1970. With dwindling congregation, they sold the building which became a Mosque, Al Ghazali centre,  and moved to their present site on the corner of Earle Road and Cantsfield Street. This building has been restored and is still used as the Al-Ghazali centre. 

The following records, all from Kelly's trade directories of both buildings suggests that the usage of 'Earle Road United Reform Church' for the above building was, correct only for a short time the building being most usually known as the Earle Road Presbyterian Church.
 

The following refer to the building shown above, on the LHS of Earle Road between
Timpron Street and Lightwood Street.

1881 not listed (opened in 1882)
1894 Earle Road Church (in connection with Sefton Park, Presbyterian Church of England).
1900 Earle Road Presbyterian Church
1911 Earle Road Presbyterian Church
1926 Earle Road Presbyterian Church 
1932 Earle Road Presbyterian Church, Rev H A Cupples, B.A. minister
1934 Earle Road Presbyterian Church, Rev H A Cupples, B.A. minister 
1942 Earle Road Presbyterian Church 
1955 Earle Road Presbyterian Church 
1962 Earle Road Presbyterian Church
1966 Earle Road Presbyterian Church 
2006 Al-Ghazali centre

The following records refer to the building on the RHS of Earle Road,
on the corner of Cantsfield Street

1881 not listed
1894 Welsh non Conformist Mission room
1900 Welsh Congregational Mission Room
1911 Salvation Army Barracks
1926 Salvation Army Barracks
1932 Salvation Army Barracks
1934 Salvation Army Barracks
1942 Salvation Army Hall
1955 No Entry for the site
1962 Salvation Army Citadel
1966 Salvation Army Citadel
2006 United Reform Church