Our Story

We are a single congregation church comprised of three denominations, and recognised by their three governing bodies – both nationally and locally:

  • Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB), and locally by the West of England Baptist Association (WEBA);
  • Methodist Connexion and locally by the North Wiltshire Methodist Circuit;
  •  United Reformed Church General Assembly and locally by the South Western Synod. 

We serve the Swindon town centre area.  Our membership is also drawn from other areas of the town. 

In 1970 we were five churches wondering what the future held for us.  These original five churches were the Baptist Tabernacle, the Methodist Central Hall, Broad Street Church of Christ, Sanford Street Congregational Church, and Trinity Presbyterian Church. These last three denominations joined together and now form the United Reformed Church within Central Church. 

Then God challenged us, through Swindon Council of Churches, to close our separate churches and follow a vision to come together as one worshipping ecumenical community, ministering – with the guidance of a full-time team – not only to our own congregation, but also to the town centre. 

We accepted this challenge and, in 1978, vacated four church buildings and came together as one united congregation in Trinity Church, the red-bricked building at the bottom of Victoria Road – calling ourselves ‘Central Church, Swindon‘. 

In November 1990 we moved into this purpose-built home (The Pilgrim Centre) which was built on the site of the original Baptist Tabernacle.

We are now a church within an ecumenical centre, with our sights set on the future – flexible enough to respond to the call of the Spirit.