The Baptist Church is not a particular place or building, but rather a family of believers, committed to Christ, one another, and to the service of God in the world.
In this Baptist family, everybody is equal, for everybody has a part to play in the service of God. There is no hierarchy of bishops or priests exercising authority over their members. Equality of status, however, does not mean that all have the same role. Each local Baptist church appoints its own leaders – or ministers – to have particular responsibility for preaching, teaching and pastoral care.
Chesterfield Baptist Church is currently looking for a new minister and is being led by a team of six deacons. Each deacon has responsibilities for different parts of church life. However, final authority lies with the members, meeting together under God’s guidance.
We are also members of the East Midlands Baptist Association, who help us equip our church and leaders with the tools they need to do the work of God’s kingdom, through training support and advice.
Being independent also means that we do not receive any state or central funding from outside sources. We achieved Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) status in April 2024. The church activities cost around £100k, and our main income comes from generous donations from members and those who regularly attend.