Shirehampton Baptist Church - medium-sized church near Bristol
Shirehampton Baptist Church is situated in a close-knit community described as “a village in the city of Bristol”. Tim Baynes-Clarke, its minister, says, “Within a very short time of being appointed pastor, it became apparent that a good number of the membership were really struggling spiritually. Some came to talk to me about abuse in their past and their difficulty to resolve the issues that continued to arise; others spoke of poor self-worth, or of voices in their head. I quickly realised that I needed some tools to help them.”

Tim came across the Freedom In Christ approach at a conference in Hastings in 2000 where, he says, “I was personally set free from stuff that had plagued me for years.” He returned to Shirehampton eager to see how he could apply the principles in his congregation of 80 or so people.

“At first I used the Steps in a number of ongoing pastoral cases. Others saw the results and quickly came forward to deal with their own past baggage”. The leadership now encourages every member to go through the Steps To Freedom In Christ and most have chosen to do so. “We continue to teach the basic truths on a regular basis, and encourage newcomers and any struggling with problems to read the books and go through the Steps. It has become part of what we do, part of my tool-kit”.

This approach has reduced the pastoral workload: “The Steps really do help bring freedom to many who have found themselves locked in bondage for years and years. Not only are people able to deal with most issues in one session, but they also learn how to deal with other issues that may arise in the future.”

How would Tim advise pastors wanting to introduce these materials into their church? “My advice is simply to get on with it. Teach the material, hand out the books and use the Steps for those who are spiritually dry, for those struggling with issues and for new believers as they enter into church life.”

But it wasn’t just individuals who needed to deal with spiritual issues. Like many other churches, Shirehampton Baptist Church has had its fair share of problems over the years. According to Tim: “Factions, damage due to difficulties with a deliverance ministry, leadership problems and a need for reconciliation along with some recognisable strongholds had left the church with corporate baggage that needed removing.” The leaders addressed this with a “Setting Your Church Free” weekend. This involved all in leadership positions and their spouses going through a corporate process (described in Neil Anderson’s book, “Setting Your Church Free”) in which they asked the Holy Spirit to highlight the strengths, weaknesses and vulnerable areas of the church and together discerned and renounced corporate sins and strongholds.

Positive changes in the fellowship began to appear within 24 hours with others becoming increasingly apparent over time.

Tim concludes “The Freedom In Christ approach has radically changed our fellowship and I recommend it to others as a way to allow God’s Spirit opportunity to bring release and growth to their congregations”.