GIVING YOU A NEW DIRECTION
PREACHING THE GOSPEL
CELEBRATING
CHRISTIANITY
We are a young enthusiastic and multi-cultural church with every continent of the world represented through our congregation.
Our purpose is to be an effective witness to our community through our warm and friendly approach and our method of worship.
Through our worship and our Bible teaching programme we endeavour to prepare people to face the challenge of being an effective Christian in London in their daily lives.
We are affiliated to the Baptist Union of Great Britain, London Baptist Association and the Evangelical Alliance.
OUR BELIEFS
ABOUT THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible is the inspired and infallible word of God.
ABOUT GOD
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: The Father, Son (the Lord Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. That God is love and desires to have a relationship with all human beings.
ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man. We believe in his bodily resurrection and ascension into Heaven where he is now, our High Priest and advocate. We believe that he will personally return to set up his kingdom wherein he will rule and reign in righteousness.
ABOUT HUMANKIND
We believe that mankind was created in the image of God but that all have sinned and fallen short of God's standards. As a result, spiritual and physical death has passed to all mankind and that all deserve God's judgment, and are in need of God's salvation.
ABOUT SALVATION
We believe that Salvation is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose again for our justification. We believe that we are saved from the consequences of sin by having faith in the shed blood of Jesus. We believe salvation is not earned by good works but is a gift of God by his grace given to all who believe in the Lord Jesus. We believe that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith are born again of the Holy Spirit and become the children of God.
ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit works in all believers and empowers them to witness and live fruitful lives for God. We believe that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are relevant for today.
OUR WORSHIP
Although we have the word Baptist within our name and are historically linked with other Baptist Churches, all are welcome to worship with us. Our membership is made up from a wide variety of denominational backgrounds and from many different nationalities. As a Church we belong to the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the Evangelical Alliance.
Music forms a central role in our vibrant style of worship. We encourage our members to become involved with our highly talented musicians to create a contemporary and progressive sound, whilst remaining true to the essence of the hymns from the past.
Our worship constantly seeks to inspire people through the creativity of music, and we believe that God is with the musicians in their preparation of our Sunday Service. We bring this creativity to our congregation through our music and words, and help people to celebrate their faith in a stimulating and inclusive environment.
OUR VALUES AND VISION
We call ourselves a "Fellowship" because we are a large family made up of individuals and families who are committed to and accountable to Jesus and to each other.
Our emphasis is on a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Prayer and worship are essential elements in the Christian life both individually and corporately. We consider that there is only one "Church" and this refers to the sum total of every Christian. We honour all expressions of Christianity and seek to bless, encourage and work in unity with them wherever possible.
Members are expected to hold to the doctrinal statement of faith laid down in the Abbey Road Baptist Church rule book. This is similar to that of the Evangelical Alliance and those things usually agreed as fundamental within Evangelical, Baptist, Pentecostal and Charismatic circles. Differences of opinion, interpretation and practice within the broader scope of the above spectrum of Christian expression are honoured within the Church.
We value the gifts of the Holy Spirit and desire to see the powerful expression of the Holy Spirit's work in our lives as seen in the New Testament. Every member has some gift or talent that should be expressed in the Church. Gifts should be released and enhanced by training and equipping. Every member is a Minister. Not every member is a leader, but the Ministry of the Church is the sum total of what each person in the Church does.
We believe that the Church is not just for our benefit. Our heart is to give and serve others. We seek to present Jesus to others both in the spreading of the Christian message and by deeds of help and compassion. We value people of all ages, class and culture. Children and young people are a vital part of the Church family and are encouraged to contribute in our meetings. Servant Leadership: Church leadership is not governed by the desire to rule or control, but to serve Christ's body; the Church, in submission to Christ to humbly guide, shepherd and protect Church members.
We believe that the Bible should be taught in a relevant way, not simply as an academic study but with an emphasis on application, so that Christians are both "doers" as well as "hearers" of the word. We believe in Church growth and multiplication. We long for a Christian revival in London and work towards that end.
OUR VISION
Vision For the Individual
Our aim is to support individual members:
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In their personal faith and Ministry
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In their family lives
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In their neighbourhood
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In their place of work
This support is provided through Bible teaching, worship, prayer, ministry and fellowship both at a collective level and on a more personal level at our midweek Bible study.
We endeavour to encourage and equip individual Ministries both within and outside the Church, and in other Churches:
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Pastoral care and support from the Minister
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Personal growth and development
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Church growth through supporting individuals in their personal evangelism
Vision for the Corporate Fellowship Meeting
To bring together the whole fellowship for:
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A sense of collective identity and fellowship
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Collective worship and prayer
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Collective hearing from God through Bible teaching and the prophetic word
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Collective sense of God's presence, greatness and spiritual refreshment
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The sharing of important information and direction
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The release and use of Ministries and gifts as recognised
To support our children through teaching them the Christian lifestyle and beliefs at Sunday school we have:
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Groups for adults
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Vision for London
As the majority of the membership are from every part of the world, this encourages us to want to be a shining light in such a vast multi-cultural city as London through our strategy to:
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Encourage each family to live out the presence of Jesus in the community in which they live
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Develop an outreach programme in order to be effective in St. John’s Wood
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Develop stronger links with other Churches and to work towards a Church unity for the area. We work towards unity in diversity. It is not our intention that every Church should be like ours, nor is it our intention to own or control. We believe that Jesus is building His Church
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Encourage the Church in social action and Ministries to the needy within the area
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Have part of our worship service in the summer months on the steps of the Church in order to be a visible witness to the whole community
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Be a witness to the American School in London
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Support world mission through giving towards the Baptist Missionary Society and also to be ready even to be called to go ourselves
TIMELINE
1863
Abbey Road Baptist Church was founded in 1863 when Mr Stott, a preacher from Hyde Park, had a vision to build the Church and to create an environment for worship for the local community. The Church was the site where the Abbey National Building Society was formed.
1874
A Building Society was founded in 1874, which later became the Abbey National, and is now a national bank.
1962
In 1962 the Church was linked with The Abbey Christian School for the English Language formed by Pastor Barnard. The school was set up to teach English to missionaries and other church workers. It began with just a handful of students and grew steadily until it had up to 60-70 students each term from all around the world. On June 14th 2002 the school closed after serving the world for 40 years. After closure of the school a youth group was started and is now a thriving fellowship of students from all over the globe.
1994
In 1994 our Pastor, Iain Batty and his wife Lucy joined the Church. Iain's remit was to continue evangelising the faith of the church, to galvanise the congregation and prepare Abbey Road Baptist Church for redevelopment, and the challenges of the ministry in the new millennium.
2003
2003 saw the launch of Abbeycomp, an IT consultancy formed by our Church Member Joe Lima. Abbeycomp employs skilled IT professionals including other Church Members and serves small and medium sized businesses around London.
Also this year, Abbey Road Baptist Church took a visionary move to re-brand the Church. Both the Reverend Batty and Joe Lima were inspired to develop a new identity for the Church to ensure that a collective vision was shared throughout our congregation. Not only was a new logo developed – one that represents our famous location – but also a set of values and personality for the Church that could be communicated by everyone.
2010 - Present​
Since its building redevelopment, the church continues with its mission to be an effect witness to the community, preaching the gospel and celebrating Christianity.
OUR HISTORY
THE LORD OF
ALL THINGS
From 2005 - 2010 Abbey Road Baptist Church (yes, THE Abbey Road, right opposite the studios where The Beatles recorded) underwent an extensive restoration. It took three years longer than planned. This is the story of those years.
The film was created by Jeff Nottingham and Douglas Minei.
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