Our History
Our History
On December 2, 1979, in the home of George Pett, the Pett, Ballard, and the Rev. Hal Williams families met to form the Alconbury Independent Baptist Church. Services (A.I.B.C.) alternated between the Pett and Ballard family homes. On January 6, 1980, the church started meeting in the Village Hall in Little Stukeley. The church was formally organised on April 27, 1980 with 16 charter members.
In 1981 the church, needing more room, was able to meet in a portable building at 33 Ermine Street, Little Stukeley. By the end of 1981 attendance seemed to be growing however by 1983 it dwindled down to just five people. In January of 1983 missionary Hal Williams resigned and returned to the USA. In May of 1983 the remaining church approached pastor Rick Stucke who had been the Missionary pastor at the New Testament Baptist Church in Mildenhall. The New Testament Baptist Church had just called their second non-missionary pastor, allowing pastor missionary Stucke was free to come as a missionary pastor to work with the church (A.I.B.C) to lead them in growth and stability.
During the latter part of 1983 the Alconbury RAF base was expanding and many new airmen began to attend this church. So under the ministry of missionary pastor Stucke the church was consolidated and grew in size. Attendance grew to an average of 75 in the Sunday morning service and in September the decision was made to look for a new property. Mrs. Pennington offered the site at 37 Ermine Street, Little Stukeley as a future church location!
On October 21, 1984, the church members voted to buy the property at 37 Ermine Street for 78,000.00 pounds. The portable building was moved to the new location and expanded in size as the Sunday morning worship attendance grew to 125. In June of 1985 pastor Stucke stepped down as missionary pastor. Then in July of 1985 the church called Ron Valerio to be the first non-missionary pastor. He resigned in November of 1986 and returned to the USA.
Pastor Rick Stucke was approached and invited to become the second non-missionary pastor of A.I.B.C. He arrived with his family in January 1987. Under the ministry of Pastor Stucke, the church grew and expanded. The church began the long road to building a church building on its property. In October 1988 a ground-breaking took place for the present sanctuary and fellowship hall. Sunday Morning attendance averaged 175. The year 1989 saw the completion of the sanctuary and fellowship hall and a prayer of dedication was made for the new building in April. Work then began on the Sunday school wing which was completed in 1990. In Gods goodness and providence the congregation at Alconbury paid for the building we have today. Pastor Stucke resigned in November of 1990 and returned to the USA in January of 1991 to take up a full-time conference ministry. He is currently pastor at Gethesamane Baptist Church Covington Georgia.
The church officers then approached Foster Covington who had been a Deacon and Sunday School Superintendent of (A.I.B.C.) while he was stationed here at RAF Alconbury but was later reassigned to RAF Lakenheath. He retired as a major from the USAF to train for the pastoral ministry. He was approached by the church officers and agreed to take up the ministry here. He became the church’s third non-missionary pastor in 1991. Under the ministry of Pastor Covington the ministry expanded and he was well known and well-loved in the local community. His ministry was appreciated in the local churches and he preached in quite a few churches in the UK. With the bases cutting back, the attendance of the church declined to 110 by the end of 1999. Pastor Convington returned to the USA in 1999 to care for his ageing father. In 2000 the church called Tom Rooney as the fourth non-missionary Pastor, he resigned after about one year. The church had various Baptist missionaries from 2001- 2017.
In January the church then called pastor Gearóid Marley as their fifth non-missionary pastor. Pastor Marley continues to the present as our full time non-missionary pastor! The church is gradually growing and today the church averages about 50 people including children in our morning worship service. We believe in the Lords grace and goodness the best is yet to come! Please come and visit us. A warm welcome awaits you
Hitherto the Lord hath helped us 1 Sam 7:12