What we believe and why

Rev Fiona Gill

Fiona was ordained into the Baptist ministry following a career teaching dancing and running her own dance school in Bexhill.

She is married  to Ian and has grown up twins, Samantha and

Christopher.

We base our beliefs on the Bible and we accept it as the final authority on matters of life and faith.

The Bible teaches, and we believe:

• that humankind was designed by God to be in relationship with Him. That relationship has been severed because of sin, but because He loves people so much, God has provided a way back.
• that Jesus Christ, God’s Son,  lived a sinless life and died on our behalf making it possible for those who place their trust in Him to be reunited with God - as His death satisfies God’s requirement for sin to be dealt with.
• in the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit - one God.
• that the Holy Spirit gives the power to live a godly life and that He is gradually transforming those who follow Christ into Christ’s likeness.
• that Jesus Christ will personally return to earth at the close of the present age to establish God’s Kingdom and rule over it .
• that those who die having placed their faith in Him will go to be with Him and will ultimately share in Christ’s good rule of His kingdom on earth.

We think that this is the best news any person could ever receive, and we are committed to sharing it with our local community in whatever relevant ways we can.

More history...

The church moved into its present building in 1910. Rye Baptists originally met for the first time on 8th November 1750 in premises in Mermaid Street which they eventually bought for £60 in 1753 from  the Quakers (who had owned the building since 1701). The first Minister was Rev Charles Rodgers. You can read the text of a talk on the church’s fascinating early history by Rev Hedley Brown, the Minister in 1904, by downloading a pdf file here.