Our history
Selkirk Baptist Church
Selkirk Baptist Church has been around for a while! We go back to 1880, when James Brown, a local blacksmith became our first pastor, with a congregation of 19 people!
Our denominational label, “Baptist,” goes back even further. It all started in Europe with the Reformation of the Church in the early 16th Century. Then the first Baptist Church in Britain took root in 1611. Today, we’re nearly 2500 Baptist Churches with 180,000 members.
If you would like to know a little more about Baptist churches, visit the Scottish Baptist Union website here.
Of course, a denominational label is nothing in comparison to our identity as followers of Jesus of Nazareth, through Whom we belong to our Heavenly Father, alongside brothers and sisters from the many other Church traditions in the Scottish Borders and beyond.
Selkirk Baptist Church has been around for a while! We go back to 1880, when James Brown, a local blacksmith became our first pastor, with a congregation of 19 people!
Our denominational label, “Baptist,” goes back even further. It all started in Europe with the Reformation of the Church in the early 16th Century. Then the first Baptist Church in Britain took root in 1611. Today, we’re nearly 2500 Baptist Churches with 180,000 members.
If you would like to know a little more about Baptist churches, visit the Scottish Baptist Union website here.
Of course, a denominational label is nothing in comparison to our identity as followers of Jesus of Nazareth, through Whom we belong to our Heavenly Father, alongside brothers and sisters from the many other Church traditions in the Scottish Borders and beyond.
Our Vision
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Know To know Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour |
Grow As a church, to grow up into mature faith in God |
Overflow To overflow with the Good News in service and evangelism |
Jesus told us to go out into all the world to make disciples…Jesus Followers! And that surely starts with room for our friends and neighbours to ask questions, to examine the experience of believers, to test God’s words, and explore faith until they can say they personally KNOW Jesus.
We at church recognise then, that if we are to introduce friends to Jesus, we must provide platforms or safe spaces for our neighbours to explore faith, without feeling pushed, judged or stupid. One such place must be Sunday morning services, accessible to friends seeking to connect with God.
If KNOWING is an early step along the path of following Jesus, then GROWING shortly follows: growing in relationship, understanding and maturity as believers experiencing God in their daily lives. To grow then, requires time together getting close to Jesus and learning from each other. Our Connect Groups provide that space to GROW.
If we are GROWING, our hearts are changing, filling up with Jesus’ love for our neighbour, which will OVERFLOW into Christian service in our homes and workplace, in our church family and our local community. We have stories to tell about what Jesus means to us, what He has done for us, and we take those stories with us into platforms of service like God’s Kitchen.
The Discipleship Pathway then, provides a map and direction of travel for everyone of us to engage in this most amazing calling, to go into the world and make disciples!
We at church recognise then, that if we are to introduce friends to Jesus, we must provide platforms or safe spaces for our neighbours to explore faith, without feeling pushed, judged or stupid. One such place must be Sunday morning services, accessible to friends seeking to connect with God.
If KNOWING is an early step along the path of following Jesus, then GROWING shortly follows: growing in relationship, understanding and maturity as believers experiencing God in their daily lives. To grow then, requires time together getting close to Jesus and learning from each other. Our Connect Groups provide that space to GROW.
If we are GROWING, our hearts are changing, filling up with Jesus’ love for our neighbour, which will OVERFLOW into Christian service in our homes and workplace, in our church family and our local community. We have stories to tell about what Jesus means to us, what He has done for us, and we take those stories with us into platforms of service like God’s Kitchen.
The Discipleship Pathway then, provides a map and direction of travel for everyone of us to engage in this most amazing calling, to go into the world and make disciples!
Our leadership
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Our pastor for the last 13 years, Rev Brian Talbot felt that God was calling him to step down, so he completed his ministry on 30th September. An interim leadership team has been appointed to care for the church and to look at options for the future.
The leadership comprises two complimentary groups. The first group looks after pastoral matters, preaching and prayer. The current team members are Andrew Rollinson, Iain Harris, Sharon Liptrott and Norman Given (Church Secretary). |
Norman - Secretary
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The second team look after administration, accounts and accommodation. This team are Christine Pettie (Treasurer), Chris Bell, David Neilson and Andy Carter.
Christine - Treasurer
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Chris Church Deacon
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Andy Church Deacon
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This interim structure will be in place until March 2021, when proposals will be presented for the longer-term future.
Connections
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Connections, 35 Back Row
Selkirk Baptist Church owns a building in the centre of Selkirk called Connections. Our office is here, and in normal times many of our mid-week activities are based here. On Sundays the building hosts God’s Kitchen, an informal time of hospitality and worship. We look forward to resuming these activities when lockdown eases. At present, the building is used by Selkirk Food Bank as the hub of their operation, so we need to make sure that we avoid going to the building as this may hinder that important work. |