Our Story

Andrew and Betsy de Thierry felt the call of God to move to Bath and start a new Church specifically to draw in those who don't know Jesus, those who have walked away from Jesus and/or Church and to see God grow a healthy & strong Church. After praying & waiting, God started the beginnings of the Church in one week when 6 different people who didn't know each other all rang up to find out if a Vineyard Church may be started in Bath. This group got together & became a home group, which met once a week when the de Thierry's moved to Bath in September 1998. We held our first public meeting on Thursday 14th January 1999, in the clubhouse of the Bath Rugby Club & continued to meet there on alternate Thursdays for much of the year, as well as continuing with the home group.

As the result of steady growth, it was decided that the Church should start Sunday meetings from January 2000. Initially we met on Sunday afternoons in Claverton Down, but by March 2000 we had moved to Hayesfield Lower School in Oldfield Park & we began meeting on Sunday mornings instead. Due to rapid growth since September 2000, the Church now has many diverse home groups which meet mid week, and exciting & flourishing children's & youth groups catering for ages 0-18 years. In March 2004, Bath Vineyard became affiliated to Christian City Church International (C3i) as result of a growing relationship with C3i. The Church had the blessing of Vineyard Churches UK in making this transition.

We remain friends with the people of C3 and Vineyard but are moving on to become a Church with its own board of overseers. We have found the size of our Church and the specific needs of a contemporary, vibrant and growing Church in the UK, too limiting in a movement.

We are part of the Abundant Life Church and Hillsong networks. We are a people under authority and are in real relationships with other Churches who are building an expression of the House of God in these cities, which is powerful, relevant, creative and real!

Find out more about our leaders HERE.

Buildings

In November 2005 we purchased a midweek meeting venue, which includes a meeting room for 170 people (too small for a Sunday service), 10 offices, a youth lounge, a games room, a debt relief centre, an arts studio for our Arts College students, a volunteer leaders room, a resources room and clothing project facilities.

In December 2008 we purchased nearly 1 acre of land in Bath where we plan to build a 1,000 seat auditorium. We know God is building a dynamic, powerful resource for Bath, Bristol, the U.K. and the nations!

In January 2009's Rise & Build we received pledges of £297,275 toward the building fund, and by April 2009 we had received gifts of £97,024 toward this and we are now working on submitting a planning application for the construction of the 1,000 seat auditorium on the site we purchased in December. We are excited that we are moving forward together, taking territory and building the house for generations to come!

To find out more about our buildings, see our Rise & Build page HERE.