The church traces its origins to the pioneering work of the Rev. Herbert and Helen Gallimore, who in 1937, founded a Chinese Christian Fellowship. The fellowship grew and later it acquired property at 5 Swallowfield Road. On October 15, 1970, Swallowfield Chapel was officially inaugurated with a membership of 30, mostly persons of Chinese origin who spoke Haka. Swallowfield Chapel is functionally an independent evangelical church though it retains membership in the Christian Brethren denomination (aka the Brethren Church).