Rhiwbina Baptist Church (RBC) is a living testimony to the faithfulness of God and the power of the gospel. In 1934, the Baptist Union of Wales commissioned a church plant for a relatively new ‘Garden Village’ area of the swarming city of Cardiff. RBC was born as a group of believers began to meet in this new community. Through the last 80 years the church has weathered many storms and walked through many seasons, but has known the grace of God in it’s growth, fruitfulness and missional opportunities.
Having been impacted by a significant renewing move of the Spirit in the 1980s, which saw many lives transformed and various ministries of the church birthed (including a coffee shop that still exists on the main street in Rhiwbina to share the love of Christ with the community), RBC has become a place with a passion to see genuine New Testament Church life experienced and multiplied. For many years since the 1980s we have lived with a deep and prophetic sense that God has called us to be an Antioch Church (Acts 11:19-30, Acts 13:1-3) here in Wales, committed to playing our part in resourcing the Great Commission in this generation and generations to come.
This has led to us being very involved in equipping leaders and planting and resourcing churches, particularly over the past 15 years. Most recently we sent out Andrew (former lead elder) and Liz Davies out to plant a church 10 miles north of Cardiff in Pontypridd. We are also supporting Ben and Lois Franks as they plant in Tonypandy, a further 15 miles north of Pontypridd. We are excited to partner together to see the gospel revive Wales once again, and are encouraged by the fruit these two young churches are seeing.
Alongside this commitment to make Christ known in the nation of Wales, we as elders are very convinced right now that God is calling us to build a culture of expectant faith and dependence on the Spirit so that our Church can effectively make and mature disciples here in our city. As an eldership team, headed up by Gethin Russell-Jones, we are dreaming of being a church that sees and celebrates genuine kingdom breakthrough (in the lives of believers and unbelievers) on a regular basis.
Rhiwbina is an affluent area of Cardiff which presents unique challenges to seeing the gospel take root in peoples lives, but we are blessed to have many amazing, mission-minded church members who are giving their all to seeing this community reached. Our pre-school ministries alone (toddler groups, nursery) see hundreds of families from our community touched on a weekly basis, and we are working out how best to turn these contacts into meaningful relationships where Christ can be shared. Pray for us as we seek to equip our people well and see this community won for Jesus!
Owen is married to Charlotte and is on staff at Rhiwbina Baptist Church as Assistant Pastor, overseeing Life Groups & other areas of church life. He arrived in Cardiff as a student to study theology and has not left the city he now loves since!
