In 1873, ten years after he left Goodshaw Baptist Church because of poor health, the Rev. John Jefferson returned to Rawtenstall to Holly Mount School at the junction of The Fold and Bank Street and started to preaching once a day. He created sufficient interest to start a school and on 8th December 1872 a church was formed in the Co-operative Hall in Bank Street with eighteen members. The members continued to use the hall until a new school - chapel was built on the site of the present church in Kay Street. The corner stone for the new church was laid on the 15th of July 1876 and the first service was held on Thursday 21st December the same year.

Has the congregation grew so did the need for a larger church and in 1892 a fund was started to build a new church. The corner stones for the new church were laid on 20th April 1900 by Mrs. Richard Whittaker, Alderman H. W. Trickett Mayor of Rawtenstall, Alderman D. Greenwood of Bacup and Mr R. H. Crabtree of Southport.

The Church, which was built to hold 680 people at a cost of approximately £4000, held it's first service on the 10th September 1902.