History of GBFC

Great Barton Free Church is an independent evangelical church which has been in existence for over 100 years.

We believe that the Christian faith is as relevant today as ever. Our aim is to present through our lives and our worship the unchanging good news of Jesus.

We want to do this in a way that is relevant to society today while following as closely as we can the pattern and faith of the church in the New Testament.

In the middle of the 19th century there "appeared on the village green at Great Barton a preacher with a powerful clear voice to tell the story of the Cross of Calvary and the necessity for men to turn to God and give up their sins". This man was Pastor Cornelius Elven, the first pastor of Garland Street Baptist Church who walked to the green each week from Bury St Edmunds.

Many villages were converted to Christianity and regularly walked to Garland Street to attend Sunday morning services and would return home to attend an evening meeting held in a cottage in Conyers Green. This was the pattern of worship until, in 1894 with great rejoicing, a Mission Hall was opened on the green.

The fellowship prospered under the guidance of the Garland Street Church until 1948 the Church at Great Barton became independent and at the same time sought to find the means to construct a larger building. The new building became a reality in 1956 when the present church building was completed.

Later the old Mission Hall building was moved to its present site behind the church where it continues to serve us well.

As the fellowship continued to flourish, we were able to build an annexe, opened in 1999, which links the church building with the old Mission Hall. The new facilities included a kitchen lounge small meeting rooms and toilets with disabled access and baby changing area.

To see the church values of Great Barton Free Church, please see our mission statement.