What does it mean that we are international?

Firstly, of course, God is international: He created the world and it is His. His first promise of salvation was to the forbears of all humanity. The bible says to Abraham that in his descendants all the nations will be blessed. This promise found fulfilment in Jesus - "the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" and his final command on earth, known as the "Great Commission” was to go and make disciples of all the nations.

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We are a Christian congregation made up of people from different countries and backgrounds. 

Our own particular origins are in the work of Francis and Edith Schaeffer who went to Switzerland in 1948 as missionaries from the Reformed Presbyterian Church in the USA.

After they had begun L'Abri, the international study centre and community for which they are best known, the Schaeffers started a church in order to meet the need of the people who came to Christ through their ministry, which they called the International Presbyterian Church.

The IPC came to England in the sixties alongside the work of L'Abri with the first congregation being planted in Ealing in 1969. Other congregations have begun since ours here was formed in Liss in 1971. The first churches among the Korean-speaking believers began very soon after that.

Our particular history is that we started as a congregation associated with the local branch of L'Abri Fellowship in Greatham. L'Abri has always been a ministry to people from all over the world. see L'Abri

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We are also connected to other congregations throughout the UK and Europe and Korea. (the Presbytery website lists the other congregations and will also provide a fuller outline of our history and beliefs)

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Even though we may be made up of many nationalities, we are all committed to building a community here in this part of North Hampshire and especially in Liss and we are based in St Peters West Liss.