Our Story
We are an independent church and have gathered together on Sundays at our Warwick Street address to worship Jesus since 1883.
Immigrants started settling in Feilding in 1874, and in 1881 a few Plymouth Brethren started to meet together to Break Bread as they called it then. These early settlers built a Gospel Hall in Warwick Street in 1885.
The church building and how we 'do church' has changed radically over the 130 years it has been going, but we still worship the same unchanging faithful God.
We support and are supported by CCCNZ (Christian Community Churches of New Zealand Trust).
The Bible
We believe it is the inspired, infallible and authoritative word of God. As such it is our final authority for all matters of Christian faith and practice.
God
We believe in one God, existing eternally as three Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and that each person is fully God.
God the Father
We believe that the Father is fully God; that His Fatherhood is eternal and personal and that He is the Father of our Lord Jesus and of all who believe in Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and became fully man, born of a virgin and that he lived a sinless life. He died on the Cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin, rose bodily from the dead and then ascended into heaven. All who repent of sin and by faith receive Jesus as Saviour, find cleansing and forgiveness. In Him is the total and absolute answer to all the needs of humanity. We keenly anticipate his return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is fully God and that He is one with the Father and the Son. We believe that He indwells every believer and through this all believers are included in the Body of Christ. The Spirit gave gifts for the establishing of the church and continues to give gifts for the growing of the church. He progressively transforms believers to become more like Jesus and it is by His power that the Christian is enabled to live a life like Jesus.
Man
We believe that although man was created in the image of God and to share a relationship with Him, when Adam and Eve sinned, this relationship was broken. This brokenness has been passed down to all humanity and so God now says that we stand guilty before Him until we are declared righteous through faith in Jesus Christ.
Salvation
We believe that salvation is initiated by the grace of God and is available to all because of the death of Jesus. We become God’s children through our faith in Him, not through our good works.
Heaven and Hell
We believe that both those who are saved and those who reject Christ will be resurrected to stand before God. As sin separates us from God in this life, so it does after death. God’s desire is that all would choose salvation and eternal life and that no-one should suffer eternal punishment.
The Second Coming
Jesus Christ will soon come again to gather His Church to Himself and set up His eternal Kingdom on earth.
The Church and the Great Commission
We believe that those who have received Jesus Christ as their Savour and have been born again by the Holy Spirit make up the Church. We believe that the Great Commission is the joyful privilege of the Church - that is, to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded.
Baptism
We believe that baptism by immersion in water is the outward expression of an inward decision to follow Christ - it is a personal identification with Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Communion
We believe that Jesus commanded us to remember His sacrifice for us by regularly sharing bread and wine together.
Leadership
Jesus
"And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy" – Colossians 1:18.
We believe Jesus is the chief shepherd (1 Peter 5).
It’s our conviction Jesus appoints Elders and Ministry Leaders (Deacons). Both groups are appointed under Jesus and serve his people on his behalf.
Elders - Pastors/Overseers
"This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you" – Titus 1:5.
The New Testament uses the titles Elder, Pastor and Overseer interchangeably. It’s our convictions that Elders and Pastors, oversee the church, shepherd the people of God and teach the Scriptures.
Ministry & Management Teams - Deacons
"Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty" – Acts 6:3.
Our Ministry Leaders Team and Management Team serve the church in a variety of functions with the focus of caring for the practical and spiritual needs of the church family. They are people who have shown a particular love for the local church and a desire to serve the church family in practical ways.
Gary Gilpin
PASTOR/ELDER
Gary is tasked with mentoring our ministry leaders to develop an intentional evangelistic focus and pathway for their ministries. He works alongside our ministry leaders to identify and develop people's gifts and to include them in appropriate ministry teams. He assists with identifying training & equipping opportunities. Gary also preaches on Sunday mornings on a regular basis. He is married to Kathy and they have three children – Thomas, Katelyn and Emilie.
Kelly Brunton
ELDER
Kathy and I, and our three children Zak, Liam and Nadia enjoy living in Feilding and have been part of Feilding Bible Chapel for a number of years. I have been a teacher for over 20 years and enjoy interacting with a variety of people. The Bible Chapel is a great place to encounter and worship Jesus, as well as to build relationships with people from different walks of life.
Lindsay Rowe
ELDER (CHAIRMAN)
Along with my wife Elizabeth we have lived on the edge of Feilding for over 30 years where we have enjoyed bringing up our four boys in a rural community. I have been a veterinarian since graduating from Massey University in the late ‘70s. I am a partner with a leadership role in the local veterinary business, Totally Vets. I believe an integral part of the role I have in the leadership team at the Feilding Bible Chapel is having “eyes and ears wide open” to where people are at in life and then seeking to provide the necessary encouragement and support.
Mark Grace
ELDER
I’m married to Emma and we have three children - Hannah, Ben and Zoe.
I serve amongst the CCCNZ movement of churches helping churches work together to point people to Jesus, through the gospel from the scriptures. In the FBC community I’m involved with preaching and along with Emma am a volunteer in the children’s ministries.
Colin Thompson
ELDER
My wife Christine and I arrived in Feilding in 2018 from a big city up north somewhere. We are honoured to be able to serve our local church in this way, but are also eager to help others make Jesus known in communities where he is not. We have three adult children: Michelle, Jeremy and Alyssa, the older two now living overseas. I Colin work as a hospital doctor and have interests in going bush, growing things, making things and (mostly fraught) in business administration.
