Freedom Church

Freedom Church
Freedom Church logo
Freedom Church
CountryWorldwide
DenominationEvangelical

Non-denominational

Charismatic
Websitewww.freedomchurch.cc
History
Former name
New Life Church
FoundedMay 1988 (1988-05)
Founder(s)Gary Snowzell, Heather Snowzell

Freedom Church is a global non-denominational evangelical Christian church whose vision is to "Connect Anyone Anywhere to a Life Changing relationship with Jesus". The church is headquartered in Hereford in the United Kingdom with locations in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America. Freedom Church is a member of the Evangelical Alliance.

History

Freedom Church was founded as New Life Church by Pastors Gary and Heather Snowzell in 1988. Originally situated in Leominster in Herefordshire. It moved to Hereford around 2005 and was renamed Freedom Church.

In 2011, Freedom Church partnered with the Southern Baptist megachurch NewSpring Church in South Carolina. The purpose of the partnership was to help Freedom Church plant churches all over the world. This arrangement came to an end in December 2017. In 2015, Freedom Church started to give 10% of its income as a tithe to NewSpring Church, though this has since ceased[failed verification].

Freedom Church's first church plant was in Cardiff in 2011, and it has since started established in Africa, North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

In 2015, Freedom Church's Hereford location moved into and renovated a former cinema and nightclub in the centre of Hereford.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Freedom Church in Worcester, England supported a local food bank by providing storage space.

Music

Freedom Church has produced Five albums, Three singles and an EP.

Albums and EPs

  • Upstream (Live) (2026)
  • Barbarians (2023)
  • Thunder. Reign. (2018)
  • Uncharted (2015)
  • Everything Changes (Live) (2012)
  • Courage & Fire - EP (2009)

Singles

  • Holy - Single (2025)
  • Running The Race (Live At The Cave) - Single (2018)
  • This is Love - Single (2014)

Media

Freedom Church has a YouTube channel, and its messages have been shown on the TV channels broadcast on the television channels TBN UK and TBN Africa.

Freedom Heroes

Freedom Church in Kampala, Uganda ran an organisation called 'Freedom Heroes' which took homeless boys aged 12–21 off the streets of Kampala, Uganda and supported them with housing, a "Street School", and "Street Church" with the stated aim of reuniting them with their families. Sponsors from the United States can visit their beneficiaries on a missions trip with NewSpring Church.

Freedom Heroes is a registered charity in both Uganda and the United Kingdom.

Notable people

Stuart Anderson, who sat on Herefordshire Council as councillor for Kings Acre ward and was later elected as the Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West in the 2019 general election, was a member of the church along with his wife, and has appeared on Songs of Praise to promote the church. Anderson has since moved to represent the Conservatives in South Shropshire. He has held that seat since July 2024.

Freedom Church has maintained a friendship with NewSpring Church's founder Perry Noble, who delivered a sermon for Freedom Church after finishing rehab and before starting Second Chance Church.

Controversies

In 2011, the Hereford Times reported allegations concerning Freedom Church, including claims relating to arranged marriages, "fight clubs" and mass baptisms. The newspaper also reported concerns about advice given to young members regarding relationships, as well as questions about links between the church's youth group, 2XL, and Herefordshire Council, including reported council funding for youth services delivered in local schools. Freedom Church strongly disputed the claims, saying "We have never encouraged 14-year-old girls to 'consider marrying older men'", "Nor have we ever implied that if a girl were to be baptised 'it will lead to a relationship with someone in the church'", and "We do not brainwash people [...] if Freedom Church is not the place for [new people], they are quite free to leave" if the Church was not for them.

In 2012, police were called when Freedom Church teenagers and volunteers distributed leaflets with attached sweets to children outside Whitecross Hereford High School to promote the church's youth club

In 2013, a Freedom Church volunteer involved with its newly opened Siem Reap church attracted criticism after posting comments about Cambodia and the church's activities there. The comments prompted discussion about the church's evangelistic activities in Cambodia, where restrictions applied to some forms of religious activity, and about its work among disadvantaged communities.

Swansea University

In 2014, the Swansea University student newspaper reported that the church was banned from campus by the university. The article quoted Kevin Childs, former Director of Student Services, saying: "Concerns have been raised by various organisations and individuals in Wales and elsewhere about the operational methods used by the Freedom Church to recruit members by targeting vulnerable members of society and their cultic style of operation". Freedom Church responded saying it was "baffled by the Swansea University ban, claiming that the institution had 'never spoken to us about anything.'"

The University itself denied the report, saying: "We have not officially banned this organisation from holding services and events on campus. Permission is not granted to any faith group unless they are a society registered with the student’s union. The Freedom Church is not registered with the student’s union. This is what we meant by the term affiliated." A University Spokesperson further clarified: "Only affiliated faith organisations are permitted to hold services on the campus. Members of the Freedom Church were not removed from campus but the 250 posters which appeared just before the Freshers arrived were taken down. Only approved posters are permitted on campus."

The Evangelical Alliance strongly denied that the Freedom Church is a cult, saying that it has worked alongside the organisation for over 20 years. The national director for Evangelical Alliance Wales Reverend Elfed Godding said, "We are fully supportive of what they do. They're an orthodox Christian church; they have a good track record of social engagement, of caring for needy people. I'm not quite sure what the issue of complaint was about."

A former member told Wales Online that they had joined the church during a vulnerable period in their life and subsequently felt that the church had affected their family relationships. When they were invited to attend a £1,000 year-long course in Hereford, they declined but described it as a 'red flag'. It was also claimed that members "never" had relationships outside of the church.

The church responded by saying that they were “great believers in the importance and strength of the family even when families sometimes have a different perspective” and was "more transparent than just about any church".

Locations

Freedom Church has churches across the world, with locations in the following cities:

Europe
Africa
Asia
Americas

References

  1. 1 2 3 "What kind of Church is Freedom Church?". www.FreedomChurch.cc. Freedom Church. Retrieved August 31, 2022. People would typically consider Freedom to be a charismatic, evangelical church, if these sorts of groupings are helpful to you.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cummings, Tony (8 May 2018). "Freedom Church: The church from Hereford with an American record deal". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "Freedom Church - About". freedomchurch.cc. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  4. ↑ Hayne, Ed; Kelly, Siobhan (6 April 2017). "Finding Our Religion — The gospel according to Hereford". medium.com. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 "Freedom Church - Locations". FreedomChurch.cc. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Find a church - Find your nearest Evangelical Alliance member church". eauk.org.cc. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 Busteed, Desmond (7 January 2015). "Church banned from Swansea University". Premier Christian News.
  8. ↑ Noble, Perry (16 December 2013). "Thank You NewSpring - We Are Getting Closer…". Retrieved 9 June 2020. Thank you SO MUCH for the way you have given SO generously this year. Because of the way you gave[...]We were able to partner with Freedom Church in the UK...assisting them in planting churches all over the world! And...within three years we will have assisted them with planting at least one church on every continent in the WORLD (with the exception of Antarctica!) YEP...because of YOUR generosity we are literally to do more to fulfill The Great Commission!
  9. ↑ "How is Freedom Church funded? | Freedom Church". Archived from the original on 9 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "Trustee's report 2015 - 2016" (PDF). Charity Commission. Retrieved 3 July 2020. Freedom Church Hereford CIO has been receiving financial support for a number of years from NewSpring Church (South Carolina, USA). As anticipated, and by mutual agreement, this support came to an end in December 2017
  11. ↑ "Does Freedom Church give money to other causes or organisations? | Freedom Church". Archived from the original on 9 June 2020.
  12. ↑ "Does Freedom Church give money to other causes or organisations?". Freedom Church. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  13. ↑ "FAQ - When did you start Freedom Churches in other locations". Freedom Church. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "No vote as Freedom Church gets go-ahead for new HQ". Hereford Times. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  15. ↑ "Freedom Church sees former Hereford cinema and next door nightclub site as a new HQ". The Shuttle. 1 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  16. ↑ "Worcester Foodbank praises generosity of local community". ITV News. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  17. ↑ Walton, Grace (2 June 2020). "Worcester Foodbank receives 30 tonnes of donations since April after community rally". Tewkesbury AdMag. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  18. ↑ "Spotify - Freedom Church". spotify.com. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  19. ↑ "Artist Profile - Freedom Church". crossrhythms.com. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  20. ↑ "Freedom Church". TBNUK.com. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  21. ↑ "Freedom Church". dvber.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  22. ↑ "Freedom Church with Gary Snowzell". TBNAfrica.com. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  23. ↑ "Freedom Heroes FAQ". reachapp.co. Archived from the original on 4 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  24. ↑ "Hereford". Songs of Praise. 29 October 2017. BBC. BBC One. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  25. ↑ Garcia, Carmelo (17 December 2019). "Former councillor is elected as Wolverhampton MP". Sunshine Radio. Hereford. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  26. ↑ BBC, BBC (17 December 2019). "South Shropshire results - General election 2024". BBC. Hereford. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  27. ↑ "Perry Noble Admits He's Disqualified from Ministry, then Says He's Not Quitting". PNP News. 14 November 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2017. As I was working on my messages this morning for Freedom Church in the U.K. this weekend I had an overwhelming sense of fear that I simply was not going to be able to clearly communicate what I feel needs to be communicated – and that someone else would be much better suited for the task.
  28. ↑ Ellis, Mike. "Perry Noble's first service at new Second Chance Church". Independent Mail. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  29. ↑ Ferguson, Paul (4 March 2011). "The Freedom Church in Hereford: church or cult?". Hereford Times. Hereford. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  30. ↑ ""Turn to Church, not Family", says Hereford Freedom Church Founder". Hereford Times. Hereford. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
    - "Petition questions Herefordshire Council's links with youth project". Hereford Times. Hereford. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  31. ↑ "Senior Leadership team of Freedom Church, Hereford, are grateful for support shown about Freedom Church". Letter to Hereford Times. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2020.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  32. ↑ "Church group targets pupils: Police called as Freedom Church volunteers hand out sweets to Whitecross High School pupils". Hereford Times. Hereford. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  33. ↑ Walsh, Alistair (1 March 2013). "Unholy war of words". The Phnom Penh Post. Phnom Penh. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  34. 1 2 3 McCarthy, James (16 January 2015). "'Cult' Welsh university tells controversial church: 'You're not welcome here'". Wales Online. Cardiff. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  35. ↑ Afifi-Sabet, Keumars (7 January 2015). "Swansea University Bans 'Cultic' Religious Group Freedom Church From Campus". HuffPost.

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