Q. Why are you calling yourself a ‘church project’?
Because in these early days of gathering together people interested in being together as Christians, worshipping God and seeking to find relevant ways of serving Him in contemporary society its not certain what kind of group or church may evolve.

Rob Manley hugs his wife Pam after her baptism.

We are organized and financed by Baptists but our emphasis is not necessarily upon the Baptist way of doing things. Our interest is rather more centred in the opportunity of ‘doing church’ in a new way for a new century. We won’t be starting out with a building; we will be meeting in ordinary Christians homes; we intend to put a lot of emphasis upon friendship and partnership in the gospel.

So we think this could bring a fresh dimension into the existing partnership of churches in the Kent Thameside area. We will benefit from the experience and tradition of existing churches, they might benefit from new ideas and a more ‘flexible’ model of being ‘church’ together. There is bound to be a cross-flow of interested people into and out of the church project with consequent mutual enrichment.

Q. What are your ecumenical links with other churches?

We hope to be able to join our ecumenical partners, both formally and informally and cooperate fully in local church initiatives as soon as is practical. In the first instance this is likely to be with the Ebbsfleet Covenanting Churches, later on it might be advantageous to seek further relationships in Dartford and in Gravesend. The Key Project Worker, Revd. Martyn Thorne has previously served as the Vice Chair of Churches Together in Cornwall and has been the Baptist County Ecumenical Officer for Cornwall.

Q. Do you have to be a Baptist to join in?

We hope that any groups which emerge within the church project would affiliate themselves to the Kent Baptist Association but I can definitely say that there is no assumption about that at all. We can make our own decisions. You certainly don’t have to be a Baptist to explore with us the future! You don’t even have to be a convinced Christian. You might think its worth just finding out some more about the faith as you go along.

Q. What is a Baptist?

Baptists are orthodox Christians holding to three fundamental principles of their faith which tends to make them a little different from Anglicans or Methodists. The first is believers baptism. Baptists have always thought that a person should be baptised only when they truly believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord. Therefore Baptists give thanks for the safe arrival of babies, ask the parents and godparents to dedicate themselves to God for bringing up the children but do not claim that this kind of ceremony actually makes the infants Christians. Only an individual person, through personal faith in Christ becomes a Christian. Each one makes up their own mind. No one can answer on behalf of anyone else.

Q. What is the second difference?

Baptists also believe that each local group of Christians belonging to a church group has the freedom under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to decide as a group how the Bible should be interpreted and how the church should be organized. There is no hierarchy to give instructions and no organizational structure to obey. For this reason Baptists do not formally adopt Creeds in their constitutions and do not have Synods making decisions which are binding on the local churches.

Q. Doesn’t this make for a chaotic free-for-all of belief?

Not in practice! Most Baptist Churches belong (voluntarily) to an area Association and to the national Union of Churches and the free expression of opinion between the Union, Associations and Churches is enough to moderate extremes and provide sufficient safeguards to faith and order. There are some standard principles with which ordained Baptist Ministers must be in agreement.

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Q. What was the third difference?

Because Baptist churches were intensely persecuted in the 16th and 17th centuries they always hold to the principle of freedom of conscience in worship and doctrine. Therefore each church member is to be permitted freedom in their beliefs and in their practice although each should pay attention to the beliefs of others in their particular church and respond in a Christlike way to them.