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Who are we?


Pastor

Tom Forryan came to know the Lord Jesus Christ while training for church of England ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. Since then his aim has been to know and to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. Tom has worked as an Anglican curate and in student ministry with UCCF before transitioning to free church ministry. He served as pastor, at Derby Road Baptist Church in Watford then at Hitchin Grace Baptist Church. He is married to Lucy and they have four grown -up sons. He enjoys reading, learning French and watching TV.



photo of Tom and Lucy Forryan.


Stephen Lloyd was our pastor from 2008–2025. He has gone on to work full-time for Biblical Creation Trust to set up a new work in Cambridge. We continue to pray for him as this new work develops.


Connections

We are an independent church, and we believe it is important to work together with other like-minded churches. We are part of the Association of Grace Baptist Churches (SE), the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), and the Kent Gospel Partnership.


As part of our commitment to serve other churches in Gravesend and beyond, we organised the Equipped317 Bible conference from 2015–2017. These were one-day conferences designed to equip Christians, from the Bible, to serve God in an increasingly secular culture. Recordings of all the talks are available on the Equipped317 website.


logo of Equipped317.
Images of Equipped317
part of the congregation.
Pete Williams speaking at the conference.
the bookstall.
eating lunch outside at a table.


History

Although we meet in a Victorian building, Hope Church began much more recently. Our history is under construction – coming soon!


Images of chapel before and after restoration
derelict chapel in need of renovation.
derelict chapel from the outside.
morning worship in newly decorated and renovated chapel.
renovated chapel with lights shing out in welcome.