History

History of Grace Church 

In 1971 Frank and Betty Davis decided to start a Sunday School and evening service in an Anglican Youth Centre on a large new estate in Yate. The work was called Stanshawes Evangelical Fellowship. They looked for other Christians to help them and a mid week prayer meeting and Bible Study was started as well.

In 1973 a Church was formed with 14 founder members with ‘The 1698 Baptist Confession’ as the summary of what they believed the Bible taught. The name was change to Stanshawes Evangelical Church and they met in Raysfield School. After five tough years they were down to 7 members and considered by many surrounding Christians as ‘hopeless’ cases. God’s grace sustained the motley group and in 1980 they were able to purchase a rundown building just outside Yate called Rodford Tabernacle. It came with the two older ladies who still met there and lots of woodworm. In the first nine years we had seen two people converted and in 1980 had 11 members.

At first we met in the backroom of the Chapel with a coal fire for heating. God provided the funds for us to be able to renovate the building and we then had a new name Grace Evangelical Church Westerleigh.