About
Leadership Team
Chris Boraston (Pastor)
Edgar Andrews (Elder)
Garden City Church has a Steering Committee which is made up of local Hertfordshire Pastors who meet to consult on church matters.
Church History
Garden City Church was first known as The Campus Church (and continues to meet in the Campus Church Building). It was planted around 1987 by three families led by Bill Clark and Edgar Andrews. Its purpose was to establish an evangelical, Christ-centred and solidly biblical church that would preach the Gospel in the area of Welwyn Garden City.
The members first met for worship and Bible teaching in a private home and were soon joined by others and began renting a large room at the Campus West community Centre. The name “Campus Church” was adopted to emphasize its non-denominational and
community nature.
After two years the church moved to the Sherrardswood School and began to hold both morning and evening services for the first time. Another two years later, the school decided to sell its in-town property and relocate near Digswell. The church believed it should continue its work in Welwyn Garden City so did not take up the school’s offer to move with it, and began to look for a permanent building somewhere near the central town. In the meantime the church met at Peartree Lane Primary School, with congregations numbering around 40 people.
Finally it came to our notice that an East-side “factory unit” very close to the railway station and town centre was for sale at an affordable price. Once purchased, the substantial task of converting a machinery repair factory to a church began!
In 1996 the work was completed, the building dedicated to the Lord’s service and a formal constitution and membership put in place, with Bill Clark and Edgar Andrews as co-pastors. However, since both these men had full time employments elsewhere, a full time pastor was sought. Stephen Bignall, a graduate of The London Theological Seminary was appointed full time Pastor in 1998. Under Stephen’s leadership the church grew and developed over the next decade. After that time, Stephen felt a call to serve with a ministry to the Aboriginal churches in Australia, and so left in 2011.
After a two-year interregnum Chris Davies took his place as Pastor in 2013. During Chris Davies’ time the church continued to develop an effective youth club on Friday nights, and further developed a relationship with the London Seminary allowing their students to preach and have their practical placements in the church. He was also quite involved with the local fraternal.
In 2020, another past student from London Seminary, Jan Schraal, was appointed Elder. Edgar Andrews retired as an elder, but he continued on as a Trustee. Jan and his family returned to his native Netherlands in 2021 to plant a Baptist Church there.
Unfortunately following some disagreements at a leadership level, Chris Davies resigned in 2022. This coincided with the church building closing some weeks earlier after storm damage and flooding. Most of the congregation left, and it wasn’t until the building was repaired and refurbished that the church reopened for Sunday services in September of
2022 with only a very small congregation returning. Edgar Andrews returned as Pastor.
In August 2023, Chris Boraston, a former Campus Church member and another past student from London Seminary, was approached to become a part-time Pastor. He commenced as Pastor in January 2024, and the task of spiritual rebuilding of the church for the long term began in earnest. The church was renamed as Garden City Church, and services began to be held again on Sunday mornings. A steering committee comprised of some other Pastors in the region was formed to give advice and counsel to the relaunch of the church, and so firm connections have been formed between Garden City Church and three other churches in Hertfordshire. The church now seeks to “grow a Christian community locally to build God’s Kingdom globally.”
Mission Statement
Growing a Christian community locally to build God's Kingdom globally.