Since late 2020, Spirit of Life Reformed Baptist Church has been gathering for worship at Unity Chapel – a building with a rich legacy of community involvement and mission work in the city of Bristol. 

The history of the church is marked by its witness in the city’s industrial areas and by a congregation largely formed from the industrial working classes. Its beginnings trace back to John Victor, a Cornishman, and open-air preacher. 

Born in 1820 and brought up by Methodists, Victor became a Christian at age 17 and later became a local preacher. Upon moving to Bristol, he was largely influenced by George Müller. He commenced preaching in a small house in Goat Alley, Union Street. In 1852, he left to carry on evangelistic preaching in nearby Clevedon. 

Back in St.Phillips, the growing congregation had outgrown the small house in Goat Alley and in 1855 a small chapel seating 200 was erected in nearby Unity Street. In 1862 a much larger building, seating 800  was opened on Midland Road and this became the permanent centre for the work. After further building efforts the building could comfortably seat 1,200 worshippers. 

In 1876, church membership was recorded at 390. However, following the first World War and largely due to the growing industrialisation of the area in the 1940s, church membership sharply declined. As a result, the church building was sold and the proceeds redistributed for the building of a new chapel in Lockleaze – so the work continues. 

The new building on Romney Avenue was completed and consecrated on 5th July 1958. It sits at a special location in Lockleaze, within full view of the Müller Orphan Homes (on the hill across the valley) – a testimony of God’s faithfulness. 

In October 2020, God answered the prayers of our small congregation as we purchased the chapel from the elderly Brethren congregation. We vowed to carry on the work of public witnessing on the streets of Bristol and that the chapel would be used for God’s glory and true Christian worship.