The Bridge was established in February of 1996, under the name New Life at Great Bridge, as an expansion of a growing church in the Greenbrier area of Chesapeake. For 15 years, the church enjoyed an affiliation with New Life Ministries International (NLMI), a network of churches located primarily in South Hampton Roads. In January of 2011, The Bridge adopted its new name as it amicably transitioned out of its affiliation with the NLMI churches. The elders and pastors of The Bridge acknowledge that accountability and supervision are vital to a leadership community and a healthy church. In 2011, relational accountability was established with Vanguard Ministries, a locally based international apostolic network. In January of 2013, The Bridge established organizational accountability with Vanguard by becoming a partner church.