Who Are We?
We are a small congregation of Christians, seeking to live out Jesus’ commission in Matthew 28: 19-20 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
What Are Our Beliefs?
We believe that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to administer and interpret His laws.
That Christian Baptism is the immersion in the water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who “died for our sins according to the scriptures, was buried and rose again on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15 vs 3-4).
That it is the duty of every disciple to bear personal witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.
Our Vision and Mission
“Growing in relationship with God, with each other and with others whilst maintaining our Church’s unique God given calling”
Central to everything we do is ensuring we grow in our relationship with God as individuals and as a Church, through prayer, teaching and meeting together – just as the early church modelled in Acts 2 vs 42. In this way people will be transformed into Christ’s likeness and gain a deeper appreciation of what He has done for them. This will lead to a natural desire to witness to others, drawing others to God and growing His Kingdom, therefore obeying Jesus’ commission to go into all the world to make disciples, baptising them and teaching them to obey the commands He gave (Matthew 28:19-20).
By drawing close in relationship to God through prayer and reading the Bible, we aim to be aligned with God’s will and His heart, allowing God’s Holy Spirit to direct and lead our lives. We believe that the current heart, core and calling of Ilfracombe Baptist Church needs to be at the centre of everything we do going forward. This heart, core and calling comes out of our relationship with God and is based on community, hospitality, authenticity and the outward expression and application of the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5 vs 22:23).
Therefore, we aim to be a Church where….
• people might come in feeling empty but end up gaining something they did not expect
• people who are anti faith and Church, or struggle with this, feel able to stay through a service and enjoy coffee and company with us.
• people who feel they do not fit anywhere in society feel cared for and comfortable.
• everyone feels welcome and safe.
We want to nurture and encourage each other as we walk this discipleship path together, understanding that each of us will grow and develop at different speeds and we will all have different and unique experiences.
It is essential that we regularly reflect on our journey to ensure that we keep aligned with God, the vision and our core values.
Meet the Team
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Frank Gillespie
Pastor
Frank is the friendlest pastor around, through his love and care for people the church is growing.
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Christine Gill
Deacon / Worship / Safeguarding Lead
Christine is one of the church leaders and administrator in the church. Chris leads us in sung worship, shares God’s word and leads the ladies peer support group.
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Keith Burrows
Deacon / Preacher
Keith loves nothing more than to tell a story, usually aided by some puppet animals. Keith helps to lead the services and often shares God’s word.
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Karly Jackson-Wells
Minister in Training
Karly has joined the leadership team to complete her minister training. Karly also works for a local Youth Charity, running Delta Drop in and working in the school.
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Phil Wells
Deacon / Tech Guy!
Phil is the behind the scenes, hands on member of the leadership team.
