About Us
Whitstable Baptist Church is a group of people who have been presenting a Christian witness in this town since 1869.
We are a self-governing church in which currently about 80 people are actively involved, about 60 of which have committed themselves to the fellowship as Members. The church is financially self-supporting and gives to Christian work in this country and world-wide.
We are members of the South Eastern Baptist Association, and of the Baptist Union which, in Great Britain, has more than 150,000 members in over 2000 churches. There are more than 38 million Baptists throughout the world.
Our Town...
Click here to read more about our town but, to whet your appetite for now, read on...
“Whitstable - a pretty fishing town on the north Kent coast, sitting at the mouth of the Thames estuary - the pearl in the crown of England’s oyster industry and the place to which the Romans flocked for their seafood 2000 years ago - Whitstable is the perfect place for families.” That’s how “The Mail on Sunday” described our town, which suggests that Whitstable is enjoying an upsurge in popularity
But Whitstable is not only about the seaside and seafood. It’s a town of narrow streets inter-linked by an intricate network of even narrower alleyways first used by smugglers! (visit “Squeeze Gut Alley”, just along from the church, and see if you can get through!) A town steeped in history and innovation. The list of world “firsts” makes impressive reading and includes the first public passenger railway - when it was opened on 3rd May, 1830, the Invicta became the first steam locomotive in the world to haul regular passenger trains!
Seven miles north of the City of Canterbury, Whitstable - together with its suburbs of Seasalter, Swalecliffe, Tankerton and Chestfield - is home to some 32,000 people, many of whom commute to London or the Medway towns. The town boasts a working harbour and light industry and is also home to a large number of students who attend the University of Kent at Canterbury, or its nearby colleges.
Whitstable even has its own castle! And you can read all about it here.
Our Building...
In Middle Wall, a narrow street running parallel to the High Street,
stands Whitstable Baptist Church - where it has stood for more than 150
years (it was a Methodist Church before we came along!) surrounded by history,
proclaiming the gospel and presenting a Christian witness to the town.
In recent years, we have seen a major refurbishment of the sanctuary,
halls and other rooms which have been reorganised to provide additional
teaching / meeting space. We now have a lighter, brighter and altogether
more attractive place in which to worship God. We also own a large
and spacious manse less than a mile from the church.
Our Family...
The fellowship, as one might expect, comprises a mixture of people of all ages and from all walks of life. A service is held every Sunday morning at 10:45 with an average congregation of about 50-60 people, including Sunday Schools and Young People. On Sunday evenings we often combine with other nearby churches for a monthly ‘Cafe’ style church - an informal gathering with food! Check the Weekly Notice Sheet or Church Calendar for details. Holy Communion is celebrated during the morning service on the (usually) third Sunday of each month.
Our Relationships...
We have a good relationship with the other churches in the town and are members of the Churches Together in Whitstable initiative. We have completed a number of fruitful Alpha Courses, which have brought in a number of people previously “on the fringe” and have resulted in Baptisms.
Our regular weekly programme includes a number of events intended to appeal to a wide variety of tastes and age groups. These include prayer meetings, and Bible studies, either at the church or in the more informal settings of individuals’ homes, and a number of “contact” organisations for the young and not so young! There is currently a Knitting and Crochet Group and they are always pleased to welcome new members.
There is an active Prayer Chain and our minister is supported in his pastoral duties by a number of deacons. People are welcomed into closer, formal membership, following baptism or on their profession of faith. Currently, our membership stands at about 60.
Our Beliefs...
We are a 'non-conformist' fellowship and you might wonder what that means. To help you understand where we are coming from, check out our 'Statement of Faith' which explains our beliefs.
For more information, please contact either our Secretary or our Minister - contact details for both are on our contacts page.