What we believe

We believe in living out our Christian faith as effectively as possible, making an impact with those who do not know the great news about Jesus Christ.  We believe we should share that news, equip people in their faith journey and see them live their faith out, in the world.  

As a member of the Baptist Union, Newbury Baptist Church subscribes to the Union's Declaration of Principle:

• 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 interpret and administer His laws.
• That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, 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’
• 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.

Mission and Vision

Connecting with God: We long to see NBC as a lively, vibrant, inclusive and growing church, strengthened through regular worship, preaching and teaching which leads people of all ages to commit their lives to Christ, expressed through the public act of baptism and continuing discipleship. 

Connecting with others: Our desire is to grow in the depth of our relationship with Christ and with one another. This is done through regularly meeting together. Opportunities to connect with others happen during our Sunday services, Small Groups and our mid-week groups which cater for children, youth, and adults alike.  

Connecting others to God: We want others to know the good news of Jesus Christ. To do this we partner with local organisations such as CAP (Christians against Poverty) and Street Pastors as well as working with local churches through CTNA (Churches Together in Newbury). We also support international initiatives such as Hope Now's annual Shoe Bag Appeal. Within NBC we run Alpha and Youth Alpha courses. 

Our History

The modern Baptist movement was born in the 16th Century and is now a worldwide denomination with millions of believers worshipping in Baptist congregations.

Meanwhile, Newbury Baptist Church started life some while before 1640, the earliest records held by the church today indicating that it was already in existence then.  
At its 300-year anniversary, in 1940, a book by W.J. Lewendon was published.  

The book contains details of:
The formation of the early Baptist church
The appointment of trustees and the founding of Newbury Baptist Church
Changes in pastors and membership at the church
The church’s development, mission and finances
Places of worship
You can download a PDF version of the book here.

In 2003 one of our members, David Brazier, wrote a more comprehensive book titled "A History of the Newbury Baptists".  The book is reproduced here by kind permission of the author.