About Friars

In 1910 a small group of Christians met informally for worship in West Road Shoeburyness.

In 1928 the first Baptist Church in Shoeburyness was built on the present site in Thorpedene Gardens.

A larger place of worship was needed as the fellowship grew and in 1985 the new sanctuary was opened.

The need for a church at Friars became apparent with the growth of the housing development in North/East Shoebury.

On Easter Sunday 1987 the first service was held in Friars Community Centre.

In September 1991, 48 members of Shoeburyness and
Thorpe Bay Baptist Church were commissioned to form a separate congregation.

In September 1995, Rev. Neal Smith was inducted as the first full time
Minister at Friars and he remained with us until August 2000.
During his ministry he oversaw the building of the new church.
The fellowship moved from the community centre to this building in September 1997.

Our next Minister, Rev Phil Wright was inducted to Friars on the 14th September 2002

Phil was a member of Billericay Baptist Church
when he started his training at Spurgeon's Theological College in 1990,
during this time he was also student pastor at Ramsden Bellhouse Baptist Church.
Following his ordination in 1993, Phil pastored Church Crookham Baptist Church in Hampshire.
He returned to Billericay Baptist Church in 1996 to pastor the South Green congregation.
He joined us at Friars in September 2002 with his wife Lynnette and they have a daughter Helen.

Phil left the pastorate in August 2006, and during the pastoral vacancy,

our Regional Minister, Rev Sheila Martin, is helping Friars to appoint a new minister.