Newfrontiers Story
Newfrontiers through the years
Follow the thirty year evolution of Newfrontiers from just a few churches to a modern-day partnership of many networks around the globe.
Terry Virgo became a Christian, aged 16, thanks to his sister, Marion, witnessing to him.
Terry was baptised in the Holy Spirit. This was in the very early days of the Charismatic movement in the UK.
Terry began attending London Bible College. He graduated in 1968 and, that same summer, married Wendy and moved to Seaford to begin leading his first church there.
Terry began travelling to other gatherings of believers to help them experience the activity and gifts of the Spirit – the first of these was in the home of Nigel and Janita Ring, near Haywards Heath.
Terry 'planted' his first church, in Haywards Heath.
Downs Bible Week was launched in East Sussex. Held on Plumpton Racecourse, the event attracted 2,900 people in its first year.
Apostolic leadership team formed. Terry invited six men to join him as an apostolic team to help him serve churches.
Terry and the team adopted the name 'Coastlands' for their ministry, based on Isaiah 41, where it is used to denote the 'ends of the earth'.
The name 'Newfrontiers' was adopted for the ministry.
The last Downs Bible Week was held. The event had been attracting up to 8,500 people per year.
The first Leaders' Conference was held at the Brighton Conference Centre, entitled 'A People Prepared'. These conferences continued in alternate years until 2000.
A new Bible Week event was launched at Stoneleigh with 8,500 people attending.
Despite attracting 28,000 people over two weeks, Stoneleigh Bible Week closed and Terry’s team urged churches to 'Go' – to take the gospel into their communities and beyond.
The 'Together on a Mission' Leadership Conferences began, and were held annually until 2011.
The first Mobilise conference for students and 20s was run, in parallel with Together on a Mission.
The first Newday event, for 12- to 19-year-olds, was held in Newark.
The movement, which had grown to over 800 churches in 70 nations, had been centred on Terry Virgo in the UK. It was redefined as a network of apostolic spheres worldwide, and the baton was passed on to fifteen apostolic leaders at the final Leadership Conference.
The Global 2020 conference marks the transition from David Devenish leading the Newfrontiers Together Team to Steve Tibbert.