CHURCH-GOERS in Bagley have been celebrating the opening of their new extension. Elders at the Baptist church in Coldnose Road, say they were first told about the extension when a stranger came with a message from God .

CHURCH-GOERS in Bagley have been celebrating the opening of their new extension.

Elders at the Baptist church in Coldnose Road say they were first told about the extension when a stranger came with a message from God’.

Bob Drew said: “In August 1997 my wife Ruth and I took a group to The Royal Showground at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire for a Christian gathering called Stoneleigh Bible Week.

“After the last seminar we were just walking back to our caravan when a young man came chasing after us because God had told him to tell us our church would increase threefold.

“He confessed God had told him much earlier but he was afraid to say something to a stranger. He resisted until he thought he might miss his opportunity and chased after us.”

When Bob returned to Bagley he and the other elders decided to try to buy land alongside the church to provide car parking space and by autumn 1998 it was built and church numbers had already increased.

Bob added: “We had done nothing to encourage more people to come.”

After realising the car park was not enough, the elders decided to extend the church building itself.

Planning permission was submitted to Sedgemoor District Council in November 2000 and work began on the church in June 2001.

The church extension was officially opened in September and a family fun day was held to celebrate. The building is used for church services as well as meetings for two church youth groups Edge and Real.

For more information about the church visit www.bagleybaptist.co.uk