About Us

Meet the team

Matt 

Pastor

Matt has been a Baptist Minister since 2009 having trained at Bristol Baptist College. His experience includes; leading traditional church, church planting as well as moderating another Baptist Church. He has also been Chaplain to West Midlands Fire Service and the NHS across seven GP practices.

Matt is married to Amanda and has a 5yr old son.

Peter

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Peter, ex-farmer, found God answers prayer. Pastored between 1990 -2020. Blessed by God in Nature and shepherding people. Stood on soil and now standing on Scripture.

Sue

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Sue has been a member of LBC since moving to Ludlow from the Black Country. She is a retired physiotherapist,  enjoys singing with the local choral society and keeping her German by frequently with her school exchange pen friend and her family and meeting with the local German Conversation group. 

Trevor

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Trevor has a background in ministry which goes back 35 years.  He has a passion is discipleship and the development of new leaders who can be released into further church planting adventures. Having retired in 2021  to care for his wife Rachel (who sadly died in 2023) he joined the LBC leadership team last year. He has four children and 11 grandchildren.

Matt

Pastor
Matt has been a Baptist Minister since 2009 having trained at Bristol Baptist College. His experience includes; leading traditional church, church planting as well as moderating another Baptist Church. He has also been Chaplain to West Midlands Fire Service and the NHS across seven GP practices. Matt is married to Amanda and has a 5yr old son.

Peter

Leader
Peter, ex-farmer, found God answers prayer. Pastored between 1990 -2020. Blessed by God in Nature and shepherding people. Stood on soil and now standing on Scripture.

Sue

Leader and Treasurer
Sue has been a member of LBC since moving to Ludlow from the Black Country. She is a retired physiotherapist, enjoys singing with the local choral society and keeping her German by frequently with her school exchange pen friend and her family and meeting with the local German Conversation group.

Trevor

Leader
Trevor has a background in ministry which goes back 35 years. He has a passion is discipleship and the development of new leaders who can be released into further church planting adventures. Having retired in 2021 to care for his wife Rachel (who sadly died in 2023) he joined the LBC leadership team last year. He has four children and 11 grandchildren.

Cally

Leader and Worship Leader
Cally is one of our Worship leaders, she sings with a local Acappella choir and runs and singing club at the school where she works part time. She is married to Caddy and they have 2 sons and 3 grandchildren ( so far!)

Our History

Although it is known that Baptists were meeting somewhere in Ludlow as early as 1812, not much is known of those early days. The commemorative stone over the doorway of the old chapel ‘Ebenezer 1868′ indicated the year of gathering in the building at Rock Lane. However, the earliest minutes recorded are of a ‘Record of Belief’ of the Church based on Baptist principles and dated 24th June 1874 with the signatures of 18 members.

In 1877 the premises were transferred from the ownership of Rev William Owen to Mr James Evans and Trustees of the chapel.

Under the guidance of Rev Owen a fortnight of evangelistic meetings were held in Dec 1879 with the help of lay pastor at this time, Mr James Evans. On 16th June 1880 a foundation stone was laid for a new schoolroom to accommodate 100 scholars. The day started at 6.30am with an hour’s prayer meeting.

A sudden gap in records now appears before minutes at the end of 1901 when we find a Mr CB Marston involved in a meeting regarding the ‘advisability of forming a Baptist Church and diaconate.’ The diaconate was formed at a meeting held on 2nd June 1901 and the first deacons meeting was held on 7th June.

By 1938 the church is able to record a membership of 38.

In 1944 the church felt that a settled pastorate was necessary. The Rev G Hayes of Builth Wells was appointed and a church manse purchased in Gravel Hill. The membership of the church began to increase greatly, however the minister Rev G Hayes moved to further pastorates in Wales, and then Australia.

The next pastor was Rev FA Baker who came to Ludlow from Sarn, his ministry lasting until 1951. In 1952 Rev TGR Tyrrell, previously a missionary in the Belgian Congo for 27yrs, became pastor and stayed for 9 years until retirement. On his departure the manse was sold and ministry passed to Sister Margaret Popham, as deaconess until her departure to Alvechurch in 1963. Sister Joan Magill followed for a short while, as did pastor Derrick Iles who ministered here until the month after the church’s centenary in June 1968, then moving to Wem. In 1969, Rev John Davies came to the pastorate and membership of the church once more increased. He left in 1975 and a 2 year inter-regnum followed before Colin Waltham, a missionary from Indonesia took the pastorate until 1981.

In 1983 Rev Philip Hayden was inducted to the pastorate but just a year later was found to have cancer. He continued to preach and act as Chaplain to Ludlow College but sadly membership declined and he died in June 1988. The membership was now at a very low ebb and soon in single figures.

The church building now became more and more a target for the local vandals but as its problems began to increase a new opportunity came forward to the membership. Surprisingly it came through the secular auspices of the then South Shropshire District Council who, as part of an emphasis for change on the now demoralised estate surrounding the old church, asked the membership to consider being incorporated into a new community centre building (and its work) that they were considering for the estate.

With the valued help of the West Midlands Baptist Association, firstly through Rev Peter Eggington and then its missioner Rev Andy Bruce, negotiations and plans began to bear fruit. Eventually a joint call and appointment was made to Rev Ken Paskin to take on both the secular and the church work of the new centre (now known as the Rockspring Centre) commencing on 1 April 1994. Initial building and contractual problems caused some delay and due to continued vandalism and safety concerns the old building was boarded up and

abandoned for worship in August that year. The small but growing membership used a local school for worship until moving into their new and present sanctuary, at the combined centre, in October of that year. The old church was demolished and the site handed over to the council in December 1994.

The old ‘Ebenezer 1868’ memorial stone can now be found in the new sanctuary at the Rockspring centre where we have been gathering since 1st July 1995.

We, the current church people, will be forever grateful to those who have worked and witnessed before us. Without their endeavours we would not have this opportunity to serve here in Ludlow as we do.

We rely on God to journey with us through today and into ‘tomorrow’, for whatever that holds, that we would continue his work here faithfully ready for the next generation.

Here and Now

We’re passionate about our partnership work to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community and beyond. Here’s some of the areas we support:

Food Bank

Open Table

Churches Together

Heart of England Baptist Association

Baptist Union

BMS World Mission

What's on...