History of RCF

Background

In 1967, Victor Jack, the Suffolk Counties Evangelist, was looking to have a Tent Mission in Ipswich. He met Richard Jolley, who told him about the field behind his home on the Rushmere Estate.

So in July 1968, Victor and his family camped in a caravan on the Dumbarton recreation field. Hundreds of children came to this successful mission and afterwards a Sunday School was started for these children, using St Christopher’s Community Hall as a venue on the estate. The best time to have this Sunday School was on the Sunday morning, so all those helping decided to start a church. Rushmere Evangelical Fellowship, as it was first called, was started.

The early leaders/elders of the church had Brethren backgrounds, and their vision was to worship God and share Jesus around the Rushmere location. So starting afresh and using Scripture as their guidance “REF”, as it was known then, was born. Some 15 years ago the church was renamed Rushmere Christian Fellowship – “RCF”.

With the large numbers attending the Sunday School and Youth meetings the location was soon moved to the spacious nearby Junior School in Lanark Road, where it stayed until 1997. Then larger premises were needed as the church body had outgrown the school hall, so the church moved 1½ miles to St. Albans School where it still meets today.

(Thanks due to Nigel Cox, Richard Jolley and John Pickess for contributions to this article)

Pastors

1980 – 1989 Godfrey and Ginny Miller

1989 – 1992 Colin and Ruth Holmes

1995 – 2001 Steve and Di Ward

2003 – 2007 Tony and Linda Burton

2009 – 2011 Roger and Sian Seville