Welcome to the Family (Summer 2024)
We were happy to welcome eight churches to FIEC in summer 2024, along with one newly recognised church plant.
2024 was a very encouraging year for new church affiliations. 27 churches joined FIEC during the year, and six new church plants were recognised.
These are the churches that joined back in June 2024, providing a snapshot of FIEC in microcosm. They reflect our diversity in church size and location across the country.
Some are long-established historic churches, whereas others are very recent plants. Some are ministering in predominantly white communities, whereas others are in very diverse communities or serving a diaspora community. Some have left other denominations because of doctrinal drift, and others because they have come to independent convictions about the governance of local churches.
Most have strong connections with other evangelical churches outside of FIEC and also belong to other organisations which enable them to express this.
What they all have in common is the desire to stand together with like-minded churches that share the same gospel convictions, and to partner with other churches for mutual support. This is exactly what FIEC is all about.
New affiliations
Eight churches joined the Fellowship in summer 2024.
Beacon Heath Church, Exeter
Beacon Heath Church is a Brethren background church that was planted by a small team on a council estate in Exeter in 1961.
They currently have around 70 regular attenders and are led by a pastor and a team of elders. They have a strong presence in the community, with many people having had contact with the church’s youth group over the years. They are also members of the Evangelical Alliance and Peninsular Gospel Partnership.
When they joined, they said:
“As an independent evangelical church, we see the importance of being part of a strong national network.”
Cornerstone Church Crewe
Cornerstone Church Crewe was planted in 2018 and meets in Bethany Gospel Hall on an ex-local authority housing estate. The church was originally planted out of Christ Church Wharton as an Anglican church and was part of AMiE.
They are led by pastor and elders, have a regular congregation of 75 adults and children, and have bene encouraged to see seven baptisms and four professions of faith in the last year.
Their reasons for joining FIEC were:
“We believe in local church governance (elders and deacons) but also in partnership with other like-minded churches: for mutual support, accountability, and ministry opportunities. We hope to gain support, accountability, and training opportunities with the FIEC. We hope to play our part.”
They are also members of the Northwest Gospel Partnership.
Diss Baptist Church, Norfolk
Diss Baptist Church is in the centre of Diss - a market town in south Norfolk near the Suffolk border - with a population of around 8,000. It is a historic Baptist church, founded in 1789 and formerly a member of the Baptist Union, which they left some fifteen years ago.
They have a regular congregation of around 95 and saw six baptisms and six professions of faith last year. They are led by a team of pastor, elders, and deacons. They are also members of the relatively recently formed Norfolk Gospel Partnership.
Their reasons for joining FIEC were:
“To quote Basil Howlett, we see affiliation with the FIEC as ‘a positive entrance into a richer fellowship’ with other like-minded evangelicals. We pray that our church will likewise play a small part in enriching the FIEC as we pray for engagement in its work locally and nationally.”
Immanuel Evangelical Church, Lincoln
Immanuel Evangelical Church was founded in 2022 by a group of Christians who felt it necessary to leave denominational churches because of doctrinal drift on key issues, including marriage and sexuality.
They have a congregation of around 30 people, meet at the Lincoln City Council community centre, and are led by two elders. It is encouraging that they have held a baptism in the last year.
Their reasons for joining FIEC were:
“We still regard ourselves as a 'fledgling' fellowship and are seeking affiliation in order to develop relationships with like-minded churches.
“Our doctrinal position is aligned to that of FIEC and we would welcome the opportunity to affiliate as we feel the importance of 'togetherness with independence’ as we preach and hold out the hope of the gospel in our corner of the city of Lincoln.”
London Bible Church
London Bible Church is a Slavic church that meets in the afternoon at East London Tabernacle (ELT). It was originally a congregation of ELT but became an independent church in 2018. The church is led by a team of three elders and has an attendance of around 160, with attendees from Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, Poland, Latvia and Belarus.
Services are in Russian but with some English songs for the young people. They have had an influx of Ukrainians as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. They are involved in evangelism of Russian speaking Muslims.
Their reasons for joining FIEC were:
“We share the doctrinal basis and the vision of FIEC and we would love to be a part of the wider fellowship of like-minded churches and Christians.”
Newcraigs Evangelical Church, Kirkcaldy
Newcraigs Evangelical Church is in Kirkcaldy on the north side of the Firth of Forth, opposite Edinburgh. It is a Brethren background church that has had long connections with FIEC.
Its previous pastor was a member of the FIEC Pastors’ Network, as is the current pastor, who leads the church with a team of five elders. They have a congregation of 150 adults and children and saw four baptisms and three professions of faith in the last year.
They have good relations with a local Baptist and Free Church of Scotland churches. Their reasons for joining FIEC were:
“We see great value in partnership with other gospel churches and we wish to help serve where we can.”
Victoria Park Community Church, London
Victoria Park Community Church was planted in 2010 in a diverse London community with a large Bangladeshi Muslim population. It started in a home, moved to a community centre, and now meets in a Baptist church building.
The church has a congregation of around 30 and they do outreach every Sunday in the Victoria Park area. Their reasons for joining FIEC were:
“We are grateful for the shared values and example of FIEC in standing for them; Bible-established, gospel preaching, church focused, and so on. We’re grateful for friendships with FIEC leaders and pastors. We would be grateful for practical insights and support, broader expertise and knowledge, and partnership.”
Westcliffe Road Christian Church, Shipley
Westcliffe Church is a small non-denominational with a congregation of about 40 adults and a handful of children. They hold Sunday morning and evening services and have weekly activities for the community during the week, as well as a Bible study. The church is led by three elders and are members of the Evangelical Alliance alongside FIEC.
Their reasons for joining FIEC were:
“As the elders of Westcliffe Church, we are continually seeking the Lord’s leading for his church into the future. As part of this, we have been challenged as to how we can join with other like-minded Christians, to help and support one another, and also to make Westcliffe Church more visible and accessible for anyone looking for a Bible-centred church.
“By affiliating with FIEC we hope that we will be able to access these support networks, whilst also offering help and support to other FIEC churches."
Recognised church plants
We recognised one new church plant in June 2024.
FIEC is committed to supporting church plants and church planters and we believe that this is a crucial aspect of our vision to reach Britian for Christ. We are able to provide both practical and ministry support for church plants, including help with constitution, charity formation and coaching for planters.
Our church planting work is led by Graham Beynon, our Head of Local Ministries. You can find out more about church plant recognition on our church planting page.
Grace Church Tamworth
Grace Church are working towards launching in September 2025 in the Staffordshire town of Tamworth, which has a population of around 80,000. Although they have not yet started meeting, Church Plant Recognition is a way to help the church get established.
Joe Standerwick is leading this new church and is moving from Lancaster, where he has served at Moorlands Church. A team is being assembled from Lancaster, the Midlands, and further afield.
We are excited by this plant, which is in one of the towns included in our Go Into prayer cards from some years ago: identifying places of gospel need. We rejoice that many prayers are being answered.
Their reasons for seeking recognition by FIEC were:
“It is a precious thing to see local independent churches working together to reach Britain for Christ and I have seen the ways that FIEC helps to facilitate these inter-church partnerships. As a fledgling new church, we know that we will benefit from the wider fellowship, training, and support that FIEC provides.
“We are also looking forward to contributing to the flourishing of other churches as God gives us opportunity in the future – especially working with others to see more independent churches planted and strengthened in the Staffordshire and West Midlands area.”
Whilst more churches have joined FIEC, a number of other congregations have either closed or left.
- Soul Church Neath, The Lighthouse Church Dover and Tir-Y-Berth Community Church Hengoed have closed.
- Lighthouse Baptist Church London has merged with an Assemblies of God church.
- Grace Baptist Church Eastbourne has resigned after establishing a CIO and becoming fully independent of FIEC trust holding.
If your church is independent, shares our gospel convictions, and would like to support our vision to be ‘Independent churches working together to reach Britain for Christ’ you can find out more about affiliation on our 'Join Us' page.
We would love to talk to you and answer any questions you might have.
