Early in 1973, the Rev. Sidney Lawrence - then minister of Knighton Evangelical Free Church - suggested that those members of his church who lived in Oadby and travelled into the city for worship each Sunday might consider the time as right to start a similar church in their own locality.
A small nucleus of Knighton Evangelical Free Church members, with a sprinkling of evangelicals from other churches formed the Oadby Evangelical Fellowship and met for one evening a week for prayer and Bible study. Sunday worship was held in a home in Seagrave Drive in the mornings only, but on Sunday evening 3rd February 1974 the first public service was held in the North Memorial Hall when the Rev. Sidney Lawrence officiated.
The church was officially inaugurated at a Foundation Service held at the church in Knighton on Friday 24th January 1975 and thereafter became known as Oadby Evangelical Free Church.
In September the following year the Michael Stringer from Hinckley was inducted as the church's first pastor.
As the church has not got its own premises, it is currently worshipping in the North Memorial Hall by kind permission of the Management Committee .
In 1996 the extension (pictured) was built and in 2005 the church celebrated its 30th anniversary. 2005 also saw the appointment of Glenn Shotton as Assistant Minister. Glenn left OEFC at the end of 2006 to take up a position as pastor of a church in Guilford, Surrey. These events, amongst others, show how God has blessed the church over the years.
In August 2007, Rev. Mike Stringer retired from the ministry. The church elders are currently leading the rest of the officers and members in finding the right man to replace Mike as the new minister of the church.
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OEFC is a registered charity.
OEFC is affiliated to the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.
Copyright © and Oadby Evangelical Free Church, 2006.
URL: http://www.oefc.org.uk/history.html