How did BCF start?Years before the fellowship appeared two old ladies were concerned enough about the spiritual witness in the village to begin to pray that God would create a new church that would speak to the village with a clear voice. They did not live to see the answer to their prayers, because the answer was a long time coming, but we believe that the existence of the fellowship now is the result of the vision of these two women in particular. We have subsequently met others who tell us they prayed for such a fellowship in the village many years
The church appeared on the scene unofficially when people began meeting together for informal Bible study before the closure of the Methodist Church, but the closure of that church proved to be the catalyst for something new. A number who usually travelled to attend churches in other towns came together with the intention of forming a new church. The first meeting (pictured above) took place with no more than 20 adults present. It was not long before the fellowship called its first pastor, David Potterton, who now works as General Secretary for the British and International Seamen’s Society. The second and current pastor came from the original founding membership, Phil Walter (in the photo with moustache), who took up the post in 1995. Initially meeting in the village hall, the fellowship was later involved with the Parish Council in the construction of the Library and Community Centre on Spratton Road, which is where the fellowship currently meets. During this time numbers have grown from the small band you can see in the photo in 1988, to a regular congregation of around 70 people each Sunday morning today. |
