About Us
We are so grateful for the rich history of Riverside Church. Looking at the timeline below you can see how far the church has come since it was planted in 1925.
Our history is really "His-Story", the story of God working in the lives of ordinary people over many decades. Our story continues today as we press into all that God has for us and for our community. We would love you to journey with us...
Our Statement of Beliefs
In addition to affirming Christian beliefs as classically defined, Riverside Church has certain values and emphases that inform how we understand the nature and character of God, his plans, purposes, and activity in this world, and how he wants us to ‘do’ church and mission together.
Since these are more easily ‘caught’ than ‘taught,’ we invite you to come along in person to get a feel for the kind of church we are. We always welcome questions, so do please come and chat to us. That said, understanding some of our core values and emphases ahead of time may be helpful, since these may differ from other similar churches you may have experienced.
You can read our Statement of Beliefs here.
Our History...
The church began with meetings in this tent in 1925.
The first church building was constructed in 1927 for just £554.
The church grew and a new building was constructed in 1933.
The factory site that is now home to Riverside church was purchased in 2014.
Extensive refurbishment took place with the help of Martello Building Consultancy and construction company Jenner.
We moved into our new facility in May 2016 thanks to the generosity of everyone who gave their finances and time to the project.
Simon & Keely took over the leadership of the church from Chris & Angela Izzard on Sunday 19 June 2016.
On May 13 2018 Riverside was adopted into the Vineyard Church movement and became Riverside Vineyard Church, Whitstable.
In March 2022 Riverside completed its journey to become a fully affirming and inclusive church. At this point Riverside left the Vineyard movement and became an independent church once again. You can watch our journey through our All One series on our YouTube channel here
Our Easter Family Service 31.03.24