Associated Chapels
Meyer began pastoring churches in 1870; his first pastorate was at Pembroke Baptist Chapel in Liverpool, his second at Priory Street Baptist Church in York, 1872. Other chapels and churches he pastored were:
- Victoria Road Church in Leicester (1874–1878)
- Melbourne Hall in Leicester (1878/80-1888) - founded by Meyer
- Regent's Park Chapel in London (1888–1892) and (1909–1915)
- Christ Church in London (1892–1909) and (1915–1921)
Of these, Melbourne Hall and Christ Church are perhaps most closely associated with his independence of approach.
Melbourne Hall, Leicester : Melbourne Hall has been described as F. B. Meyer's abiding monument; it was initiated in 1878 as a 'Church of Christ' with a small band of believers who fund-raised for, built, and opened the premises in 1880. As an entirely new, independent venture, designed to evangelise the people lying outside ordinary Christian agencies as a local mission, with every member a 'worker' active in the local community, it was decided not to name it a 'chapel' or a 'church', nor a 'tabernacle', and not the old nonconformist term of 'meeting house'; but simply a 'hall'.
Meyer's mission centre attracted great interest - visitors included national figures such as Hudson Taylor as well as local people; Melbourne Hall became a centre as well as a sphere. All sorts of people visited... it became, in fact, the Church of the Cordial Welcome, and as a consequence a place of pilgrimage and a centre of evangelical and missionary influence in Leicester and far beyond. His 'Farewell Meeting' in 1888 was presided over by the Mayor of Leicester.
Meyer nevertheless decided to move on to pastorates in London - Regent's Park Chapel and Christ Church.
Christ Church, London : In 1892, Christopher Newman Hall was due to retire from the Christ Church complex in Lambeth, and invited Meyer to leave the Baptist's Regent's Park Chapel and its wealthy church-going district, to become his successor at the non-denominational institution, the successor to Rowland Hill and James Sherman's Surrey Chapel from where many welfare societies and services operated for the largely working class and slum district. Meyer wrote to his people at Regent's Park Chapel Shall I devote the remaining years of my manhood to the service of a section of the Church of Christ, or accept a position that is equally in touch with all sections of Evangelical Christians ? and after careful consideration, and successfully negotiating that a Baptistery would be provided, he decided to take on the role. Meyer left Regent's Park Chapel and entered upon his new charge in September 1892.
This being the year that Charles Spurgeon died, leading to unrest at the nearby baptist Metropolitan Tabernacle, Meyer was able to attract a considerable number of its former members to migrate to Christ Church. Frederick Meyer stayed there until 1902, when Dr A. T Pierson was asked to undertake his duties during two prolonged periods of travel abroad. Returning from his sabbaticals to Christ Church, Meyer continued as its pastor until 1909. In September of that year he returned to Regent's Park Chapel for nearly 6 years, coming back to Christ Church as sole minister from May 1915 until 1921.
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