The first marriage to take place at Mount Sion Chapel, following the passage of parliamentary legislation to legalise Nonconformist and other marriages, was conducted by Rev. SLIGHT on Wednesday, 2 October 1839, when a member of the church, Miss Mary Trice, married Rev. Samuel Martin of Cheltenham who later became pastor of Westminster Chapel, intimate friend of Dean Stanley and, in 1862, chairman of the Congregational Union.

Benjamin's activities expanded as he became involved himself in the plan to form a Sunday school at Hawkenbury (then known as "Tutties' Village") to be connected with Mount Sion Chapel. Plans for a schoolroom followed and Rev. SLIGHT wrote to the local rector to see if anything could be done. Nothing came of this approach and the plan evolved into one to build a combined chapel and schoolroom. Bethel Chapel came into being in 1839 and was opened on 1 December by Rev. SLIGHT who preached at the dedication. Services were initially conducted by lay preachers from Mount Sion who read sermons by approved authors.

On census day, 6 June 1841, the SLIGHTs were away from home.

Benjamin's mother died as a result of asthma on 15 November 1842 at Picton Place, Newcastle on Tyne, the home of Benjamin's parents and sisters Marianne and Christina. It is not known whether he attended her funeral but travel in those days would have been difficult until 19 September 1845 when the railway arrived in Tunbridge Wells and the Central Station was opened there.

Thomas Wilson died at Highbury Place on 17 June 1843 and was buried at Abney Park Cemetery where a monument was erected to his memory. Benjamin had kept up a regular correspondence with him since 1830 and was to continue corresponding with his son, Joshua, until the latter's death in 1874. Joshua wrote a biography of his father in 1846 entitled A memoir of the life and character of Thomas Wilson, Esq., Treasurer of Highbury College