To understand why Bude Christian Fellowship exists it is important to look briefly at the spiritual life of the area as it was in the early 1980s. Bude had the usual flavour of Denominational Churches varying from Catholic and High Anglican to Methodist and URC. The nearest Bible based independent churches were some miles out of town. Into this scene a small group of Bible believing Christians started meeting in the home of Alan and Sue Yates on a Friday for informal Bible study, prayer and fellowship. There were about 7 or 8 in the group and along with a desire for fellowship some also had a burden for something specifically evangelical to be birthed in Bude free of Denominational structures.

It is unusual to trace the formation of a church to a taxi-operator's telephonist but in a sense that's how BCF started! As time went by Trevor came to join this group and with his encouragement they began to make further plans to start meetings on Sundays. Bude had no suitable Community Centre in those days but as they talked about establishing a church it had initially been agreed that the minimum viable number should be at least 12. Of the group only 3 families felt concerned enough to want to pursue this goal but with their older converted children there were eight believers in total which was deemed to be enough if God was really in it. As they discussed premises one Friday night Trevor happened to mention that the telephonist for the local taxi firm he had been driving for was involved with Bude Town Band and we felt their premises might be the answer. Trevor had to leave the room to take a phone call and whilst he was out Naomi prayed specifically that if the Lord wanted us to start Sunday meetings in the Band Room we needed a sign that night! It proved to be an inspired prayer because Trevor's call was from the taxi firm and he asked if she thought the Band would accommodate such a use of their premises. He was given the phone No of the responsible person and returned to the room unaware of Naomi's prayer of faith. After the meeting finished Trevor mentioned the chat with the telephonist and handed the phone No in to the others to cries of "praise the Lord!!"

In April 1985 Bude Christian Fellowship was up and running and the first business meeting appointed Alan Yates, Edwin Gush and Trevor Macey as Elders who would share the teaching ministry between them. On our first meeting about 17 people attended but some of the original Bible Study group felt they should stay in their existing churches and did not join but numbers were supplemented by other believers in Bude holding a similar vision.

Over the years several other attempts at starting Bible based churches have commenced in Bude but BCF has been able to set down solid foundations and has now developed to the extent that we have found it necessary to relinquish our independence to safeguard the future by becoming accountable to a larger body. The advantages of complete independence have been outweighed by the need for access to other resources, training and ministries so that we may grow our vision and impact our community.

It remains Bible based, passionate for the Gospel and willing to try by all means to reach this community with the life-changing message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Fellowship is confident that the God who brought us into being will give us all we need by His empowering Spirit to reach our locality and see it transformed into "a church worshipping Jesus in the heart of our community but with the community in our hearts".