Welcome to Manchester Vineyard! We hope you are able to find some answers to your questions by reading through the information on this page. We know that making a decision about what kind of church to attend can be difficult, especially if you don’t really know much about the church. That’s why this page exists.
Do you have additional questions? Click one of the three options below!
What We Believe
- There is one God who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- We were all created to have a dynamic relationship with God.
- Going our own way eternally separates us from our Creator.
- Jesus Christ died on the cross in our place for our sins, and was raised from the dead in victory over Satan, sin, and death.
- Our separation from God is healed only through faith in Jesus Christ.
- God’s Kingdom is present in our midst through the Holy Spirit, to empower, heal, and deliver.
- The Bible is God inspired, and without error.
Our Vision
We are a church that desires to see the love, presence and power of God transform the people of Manchester through the preaching and demonstration of the gospel to the glory of Jesus Christ and for the sake of his Kingdom.
Our Mission
Our History
Manchester Vineyard began in 1999 as an informal young adult bible study held in Arthur and Braunda Butt’s home and was part of Shiloh Christian Fellowship. In the fall of 2000 we moved to a former bar on the west side of Manchester at the foot of Bridge Street. At that time the group adopted the name “The Bridge” and operated as a musical venue for bands and singer-songwriters on Friday nights and hosted a worship service, Bible discussion, and
discipleship groups on Sunday afternoons/evenings. After meeting weekly for a period of 2 years, the group had developed a core of people that felt this was their church community. In the fall of 2002 a decision was made by the group with the support of local pastors and Shiloh’s leadership that we had become a church congregation with a distinct mission, purpose and community. The Bridge Community Church was formed in January of 2003 with Arthur Butt as its pastor.
At the beginning, the church met in the Butt’s home and then moved to a restaurant on Sunday mornings with small groups gathering around the area mid-week. In the fall of 2004, the church leased its first dedicated location on Lowell St. in Manchester, NH and a year later moved to a larger location across the street.
The church has maintained its commitment to remain an urban church in the city of Manchester and not relocate somewhere in the suburbs. Approximately half of our congregation lives in the city of Manchester. We are committed to serving the people of Manchester and the surrounding communities in word and through practical service.
In the fall of 2004 the church leadership began looking for a connecting to a larger community of churches and in December of 2004 began pursuing adoption into the Association of Vineyard Churches, a church planting movement and network of churches that share the same values. In January of 2007 the Bridge joined the Vineyard Community and in February of 2007 changed its corporate name to Manchester Vineyard Community Church.
Since 2007 Manchester Vineyard has enjoyed a rich journey that has been both challenging and enriching. In 2016 the elders of Manchester Vineyard began a process transition of the Lead Pastor responsibility. In early 2017, after being asked by the elder board to consider succeeding Arthur and Braunda and after a three-month period of prayer and discernment, Andrew and Jessica Locke determined that God was leading them accept and step into this area of responsibility and leadership. The official transition was recognized on June 30th, 2019.
In the midst of this leadership transition process, Manchester Vineyard went through a second, simultaneous location transition, moving from 150 Dow Street to 750 Pine Street, in Manchester’s North End.
We remain challenged by and committed to the amazing journey of following Jesus and learning how to be his people in the earth. Our passion is to serve greater Manchester, NH and the global community. We are learning what it means to be connected to God, connected to one another and connected to the world.
