The Shankill Road is one of the most socially deprived areas of Northern Ireland with a great need for the gospel. In 2009 Shankill Community Fellowship (SCF) was planted by a Baptist Missions team led by Derek Baxter, seeking to establish a Baptist church which is conservative in teaching and practice but relaxed in style, particularly reaching those who would struggle to go to a traditional church.
There have been various team members over the years, most recently David & Pamela Dickson. Baptist Missions (BM) have now decided to end their involvement in SCF on 30th June 2025 in order to focus on other areas. This leaves a congregation of 30 people without a full time leader and with no legal status from that date (legally SCF is a ministry of BM). Given the demographic, our financial and manpower resources are limited and the work is unsustainable without outside help.
A steering group of 3 couples from the church has now been established to lead the church through this transitional period. Our building is owned by the the Northern Baptist Corporation who have agreed to cover us legally until December 2025. We are seeking the Lord for wisdom, guidance and provision as we look for a way to continue the work beyond that. Please join us in prayer for SCF and the Shankill Road. Get in touch if you’d like further updates, and if you think you can help us in any way we’d love to hear from you!
