Our History

About 120 years is the furthest we can go back in the history of Newport Christadelphians, when there were then 2 female members.

The ecclesia was established some time after, when other believers moved to the area. Not long afterwards, local fame was achieved, with the arrest and detention of a Mr. Thomas, who preached in Commercial Street and was apprehended because a disturbance was caused.

The local paper reported that he appeared next day before the magistrate who asked what he had said. "That a man does not have an immortal soul" replied the constable who gave evidence. Mr. Thomas was released by a sympathetic magistrate.

This caused so much interest that he became a local celebrity.

The ecclesia met in hired rooms, in Stow Hill, Caxton Place and Commercial Street before a Chapel building was aquired in Station Street in 1934.

A purpose built Hall was constructed in Caerleon Road in 1980, much of the work being done by members. No money was asked from the public and indeed there has never been a paid ministry.

Every Sunday, except in exceptional circumstances, such as a heavy snowfall the good news has been publicly preached in Newport. Uniquely, the Christadelphians have always had a subject, to tell people what they were going to talk about.

Literature, too, is always given away free.

Peter Collard, 1999
Member of the Christadelphians in Newport