Every month we submit an article to Great Shelford's monthly magazine. Here is our latest contribution for the July 2025 edition.

200 years of Free Church Worship in Shelford 

 “Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28: 20b 

I wonder who is the oldest inhabitant of our village? How many centenarians do we have? It is always interesting to talk to these older inhabitants and hear their memories of how life was lived in their younger days, and recognise the vast changes that have taken place during that time – and how much more quickly the pace of change happens that we have to deal with today.

For some of us 100 years seems such a long time, but this year Great Shelford Free Church are celebrating 200 years since the foundation of a Baptist Church community in our village. The building we currently meet in has only stood on the High Street since 1856 (not quite 170 years),  but our records show the church was officially formed in 1825, under the ministry of Reverend John Heafford, from a regular congregation of non-conformists who had already been meeting for some years in a building provided for worship by the Nutter family of Kings Mill Lane, which was built on their own land.

This original meeting place was ‘a gable-ended, whitewashed building, having the resemblance of a barn, and was set in the midst of an extensive orchard.’ It was here the founding congregation of the established ‘Free’ Church met and worshipped God together, and children of the poor were able to receive some basic education as well as instruction in the faith through a ‘Sabbath School’.

As a church we celebrate all that has gone before and the men and women who worked tirelessly to promote Christian faith in this village and surrounding areas, for their commitment and perseverance in establishing a Free Church and for the work done to alleviate the situation of the poor in the community. We trust that this is a work we continue to do as we seek to demonstrate God’s love to those we live and worship amongst, recognising God’s promise to be with us, throughout all of time.

We pray that you also will recognise God’s hand at work in your life in the days ahead and  perhaps you might join us one Sunday  morning to worship Him alongside us at GSFC. You will be made most welcome!
 
Diana Parr
Pastor