About Us

Kilmarnock Baptist Church is a friendly and welcoming group of local believers from all backgrounds and walks of life.

Kilmarnock Baptist Church

Kilmarnock Baptist Church is a friendly and welcoming group of local believers from all backgrounds and walks of life. We meet every Sunday at 11am in Shortlees Community Centre. Whether you’ve been a Christian for years or are just exploring faith you are welcome to join us.

As an evangelical church, we believe in the good news of Jesus Christ and the truth of the bible. Our passion is to know God, Know one another and make God known.

We are a Baptist church in Kilmarnock, rooted in the gospel, reformed in theology and evangelical in mission. We believe that Christ is the head of the church and that His word is authoritative, supreme and sufficient in all matters of life and faith.

Our Heart & Mission

We are a bible centered church, committed to teaching God’s word faithfully and making disciples of Jesus Christ. We are a missional church, passionate about sharing the gospel and praying for our community.

We are a church that seeks to Know God, Know one another and Make God known:

Knowing God

We desire to grow in knowledge of God through His word, prayer and worship. The bible is central to all we do, shaping our beliefs, decisions and daily lives. We gather to hear God’s word preached, to pray to God together and to worship him in spirit and truth.

Knowing One Another

Church is more than just Sunday gathering – we are a family. We seek to build deep relationships where we support, encourage, and hold one another accountable in love. Through small groups, 1-1 discipleship and everyday life we walk alongside each other in faith.

Making God Known

Our mission is to share the good news of Jesus Christ in our community and beyond. Whether through Sunday mornings, personal evangelism, outreach courses, prison ministry, or simply loving our neighbours well, we want to make Christ known in Kilmarnock and Beyond.

Still work to do…

We are not the finished article, nor do we ever expect to be here at KBC. We have grown rapidly over the past three years and are still working out how to do church together. But we trust in Gods leading and are excited to see where he takes us next.

What We Believe

At Kilmarnock Baptist Church, we are committed to the truth of God’s word.

Our faith is built on the unchanging gospel of Jesus Christ, and our teaching is rooted in the authority of Scripture.

Our statement of faith outlines the core biblical beliefs that we teach and hold to.

These are foundational truths that unite us as a church.

Although we are a self governing Baptist church we are connected to and affiliate with other churches and organisations these include the Baptist Union of Scotland, The West Coast Gospel Partnership and 20 schemes.

We connect with these other organisations and the churches they represent because of shared beliefs, practice and mission.

This includes the Declaration Principle which is the foundational statement from the Baptist Union of Scotland:

That the Lord Jesus Christ our God and Saviour is the sole and absolute Authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.

That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried and rose again the third day.

That it is the duty of every disciple to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.

Our Statement of faith:

1. God

There is one God, who exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is unchangeable in his holiness, justice, wisdom and love. He is the almighty Creator; Saviour and Judge who sustains and governs all things according to his sovereign will for his own glory.

2. The Bible

God has revealed himself in the Bible, which consists of the Old and New Testaments alone. Every word was inspired by God through human authors, so that the Bible as originally given is in its entirety the Word of God, without error and fully reliable in fact and doctrine. The Bible alone speaks with final authority and is always sufficient for all matters of belief and practice.

3. Humanity

All men and women, being created in the image of God, have inherent and equal dignity and worth, with complimenting roles in church and life. Their greatest purpose is to obey, worship and love God. God created us male and female, which is identified by our biological sex. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman and is a picture of the relationship between Christ and his bride the church.

4. The Fall

As a result of the fall of our first parents, every aspect of human nature has been corrupted and all men and women are without spiritual life, guilty sinners and hostile to God. Every person is therefore under the just condemnation of God and needs to be born again, forgiven and reconciled to God in order to know and please him.

5. The Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life in obedience to the Father. He taught with authority and all his words are true. On the cross he died in the place of sinners, bearing God’s punishment for their sin, redeeming them by his blood. He rose from the dead and in his resurrection body ascended into heaven where he is exalted as Lord of all. He intercedes for his people in the presence of the Father.

6. Salvation

Salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace and cannot be earned or deserved. It has been accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ and is offered to all in the gospel. God in his love forgives sinners whom he calls, granting them repentance and faith. All who believe in Christ are justified by faith alone, adopted into the family of God and receive eternal life.

7. The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven to glorify Christ and to apply his work of salvation. He convicts sinners, imparts spiritual life and gives a true understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, brings assurance of salvation and produces increasing likeness to Christ. He builds up the Church and empowers its members for worship, service and mission.

8. The Church

The universal Church is the body of which Christ is the head and to which all who are saved belong. It is made visible in local churches, which are congregations of believers who are committed to each other for the worship of God, the preaching of the Word, the administering of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; for pastoral care and discipline, and for evangelism. The unity of the body of Christ is expressed within and between churches by mutual love, care and encouragement. True fellowship between churches exists only where they are faithful to the gospel.

9. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper have been given to the churches by Christ as visible signs of the gospel. Baptism is a symbol of union with Christ and entry into his Church but does not impart spiritual life. The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice offered once for all and involves no change in the bread and wine. All its blessings are received by faith.

10. The Future

The Lord Jesus Christ will return in glory. He will raise the dead and judge the world in righteousness. The wicked will be sent to eternal punishment and the righteous will be welcomed into a life of eternal joy in fellowship with God. God will make all things new and will be glorified forever.

What we do

We are an active and growing church with a focus on biblical teaching, discipleship and mission.

Our weekly and monthly programme looks a bit like this:

Sunday Service – 11am Shortlees Community Centre where we have kids church and crèche

Youth Fellowship
Sunday evenings run by Rorie

Small Groups
Midweek gatherings for learning and fellowship

Men’s Ministry
A monthly men’s fellowship group

Women Ministry
Regular meetings both study and fellowship

Bible Study or
Outreach Course
Tuesday nights weekly

Podcast
We run a church podcast engaging with faith, questions and culture

Prison Ministry
A team linked to HMP Kilmarnock and Prison Fellowship Scotland support with services, outreach courses, restorative justice and letter writing

Leadership & Structure

Our church is led by a team of elders and deacons each with distinct roles:

Elders
Elders oversee the ministry of the word, prayer, pastoral care and the vision of the church.

Elders are:

David Hannah

Stephen McGhee

Deacons
Deacons manage the finances, practical service areas and governance to support the life of the church.

Deacons are:

Raymund Bush Treasurer

Carolynn Raleigh Secretary

Alastair Smith

Jenny McCurry

Nicola Hanvey

Ministry Workers
We are also blessed to have three full-time workers serving in the church.

Ministry workers are:

David Hannah
Pastor

Emily Green
Outreach & Women’s Worker

Rory Watson
Pastor in Training

History

The history of Kilmarnock Baptist Church (KBC) is one of perseverance, mission and faith in God’s provision.

Baptists first gathered in Kilmarnock in 1830s, but by the 1840s, meetings had ceased. It wasn’t until the 1850s, the church was reestabilished and by 1866 KBC was formally constituted with the church building on Old Mill Road completed in 1869. As the congregation grew, members of KBC played important roles in panting Cumnock Baptist Church and Ayr Baptist Church as well as mission work in Canada.

From its earliest days, KBC had a heart for both gospel mission and practical help. The church was based on Old Mill Road to serve the mill workers and their families along with the sorrounding area which was a poorer community in the late 19th century. Seeking to share the good news of Jesus in both word and deed.

Into the 20th and 21st century KBC has played an important role in the fabric of Kilmarnock. Sharing the gospel, upholding biblical truth and sending members to the mission field.

Like many churches in Scotland, KBC faced challenges in recent years as secularism grew in society. By 2021 numbers had declined, but after years of faithful prayer, God brought renewal – strength in the faith of the believers and bringing new growth to the church.

Today, Kilmarnock remains a town with significant areas of deprecation following the decline of local industry. In 2024, our church building became structurally unsafe,leading us to relocate our services from the town centre to the south of Kilmarnock, an areas called Shortlees. Shortlees has many families and young people, with a great community spirit. For the many years now it has not had a church or consistent gospel witness. It is also among one of ht most deprived areas in Scotland, and we believe God has led us there fo a purpose.

In many ways, we are returning to our roots – without a perminant building but with a clear sense of mission. As we seek God’s will, we remain commited to sharing the gospel and serving our community in Word, prayer and action.

We may not know exactly what the future holds, but we trust the One who does.