The Society of the New Church at Clayton-le-Moors had its beginnings in the 1860’s. Very prominent among the founders of the Haslingden Society was Mr Thomas Pilkington, who afterwards became one of the ordained ministers of the General Conference. It was his eldest son, Dr W.H, Pilkington, who had settled as a surgeon, about the year 1845, in Clayton-le-Moors, who was the principal founder of the Society in that township.

The first meetings were held in 1867, in a cottage in Albert Street, and were continued there for nearly two years. Progress was very rapid, and the cottage became too small, Dr Pilkington set on foot a building scheme; land in Arthur Street was leased from Mr James Lomax, and on June 6th 1868, the foundation stone of the Church was laid by Mrs Pilkington. The building was formally opened on November 8th 1868. At that time there were one hundred scholars and fourteen teachers in the Sunday school.

Up to 1872, the services had been conducted by missionary preachers, but in this year it was determined to secure the services of a resident minister, and Mr Isaiah Tansley, one of the students of the New Church College, accepted the unanimous invitation of the Society. Mr Tansley was ordained in 1875. In 1878, the Rev. I. Tansley accepted an invitation from the Society at Besses’o'th’-Barn.

After a brief interval, during which the pulpit was supplied by missionary preachers, the Rev. T.K, Payton accepted an invitation in April 1879, and worked steadily on till 1888, when he retired from the active work of the ministry.

In 1891, Mr W.T. Lardge, of Birmingham, one of the out students of the New Church College, was invited to become the leader of the Society. He commenced his duties on July 5th 1891, and on July 50th 1895, he was ordained by the Rev. W. Westall. In 1895 he accepted an invitation to become the minister of the Preston Society, and since that time the pulpit has been supplied by visiting preachers.

(From a History of the Church, 1901)