Replanting by Kew Gardens

Jonathan Worsley shares something of his ministry

‘But why? Why do we live in Kew?’

My son asks this as we’re travelling the US to visit my wife’s family. It was a typical ‘why’ question from my three-year-old, but one which required more than the usual ‘because Dad said so’. Indeed it’s a question that I have often contemplated, as I’ve shared our family’s story over the past year, and one that I have considered as I ponder my own desires in ministry and for British evangelicalism generally.

Preaching at a small church

In the summer of 2013 I was encouraged by one godly retired pastor to preach at a small church in southwest London. In spite of the church having been without a pastor for a number of years, I rather naively thought little of the summer visit. After all, at the time I was a full-time theological student at Oak Hill College, who was about to enter his second year, and who long-term was seeking to be an assistant pastor at some large church, most likely in the north of England in an area bursting with students and young professionals.

However, when Sarah (my wife) and I met the very small faithful group of Christians gathering in Kew we instantly felt an affinity. The church, which fitted none of my aforementioned ministerial ideals, subsequently asked if I would preach there again, and after further dialogue, Kew Baptist Church called me to be their pastor in early 2014.

Particular need

Undoubtedly, Sarah and I enjoyed our initial few meetings with this godly band of older saints, but the main reason we accepted the call and chose to move was because of the particular need in Kew.

With the Royal Botanical Gardens to the west and the River Thames to the north and east, Kew is quite self-contained. Kew is also a penultimate stop on the District Line, boasts a very village-like feel compared to most of London, and contains nearly 15,000 wealthy and convivial residents, many of whom have young children.

Sadly, however, Kew is also an area where there is no other gospel-preaching Bible-centred church. In Kew, materialism, intellectual pride and morality have seemingly sapped and usurped any genuine need for the gospel.

Therefore, with some adjoining neighbourhoods in a similar state, we very much felt called to support the seven Christians of Kew Baptist Church in proclaiming the gospel to their neighbours, colleagues, and friends.

Downsizing

With my last three churches having memberships of around 350 (Spicer Street, St Albans, UK), 900 (Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC, USA), and 300 (City Church, Birmingham, UK) – it took a while to get used to the small size of Kew.

Nonetheless, having recently reflected on a first year of ministry there, I have certainly seen the wonderful benefit and the unique need for ministers to revitalise small churches. I am increasingly conscious of the growing number of small churches in Britain which are in needy areas and who are without pastors. Many of these churches are faithfully seeking to reach the lost in their local area, some of them have great practical resources, but they require ministers to lead them in local evangelistic endeavour, to pray for them, to encourage them through faithful expositional preaching, and to shepherd them lovingly through various trials.

Reviving small churches

Hence, while I am genuinely encouraged by numerous church plants that appear to be cropping up all over the UK, I often wonder if some of my fellow young enthusiastic ministers might, in certain situations, consider the long-term benefit of patiently invigorating existing smaller congregations (with many older wiser saints in them) rather than planting (an often solely younger congregation) around the corner from what appears to be a ‘dying church.’

Church close up

Nevertheless, I am beginning to realise that the greatest beneficiary of a minister joining a small church is the minister himself. For a pastor of a small church gets the joy of seeing his church family close up. Sunday meals after church often feel like family time, as the entire membership can sit around the dining table; prayer meetings are more like family discussions than meetings.

I love our little family at Kew, and in God’s great kindness, in this first year, we have seen some real encouragements. While a couple of people have moved, we have had a handful of new people join our church family. One of these men has become an elder in recent weeks, which has been a real answer to prayer. This year we have formalised our beliefs through a new Statement of Faith and Constitution, we have fashioned a clear gospel vision and a new website (www.kewbaptist.com), and have worked on renovating our tired-looking church building so we can better reach our neighbours with the gospel.

Making me more holy

Being a minister here has also sanctified me. I’ve become aware that in a small church I’m less able to hide my sin and selfishness. I’ve been pushed to serve in new ways (if you have questions about leaking church roofs, I’m your man!). I’ve had opportunity to pastor those who are very different from me. I’ve had the chance to live out John 13.34-35 and therefore confound the world with Christ’s love. Indeed, I’ve loved imagining the astonishment on the faces of non-Christians in Kew as they have seen our youngest member, a 24-year-old tattooed student, take our oldest member, a dear 80-year-old lady, for a walk in the local park. Moreover, being the minister of a small church has helped me begin to curb my great pride, which is often evidenced in being obsessed with numbers. Certainly many of us Brits baulk at the American mega-churches, but I think many of us similarly equate how many coffee mugs there are to wash up post-Sunday service with ministerial faithfulness.

Perhaps most of all, being part of a small church has helped me to be more patient and less self-reliant. Church growth is often slower when trying to reach families and not university students and even slower when there are just a few labouring, but that in turn causes one to keep preaching faithfully – trusting in God’s word for growth and praying more earnestly – waiting steadfastly on the Holy Spirit.

Big and small

It is in light of all this that I long to see a greater recognition for the need for more Christians to join small churches. Certainly it is not wrong to join a large church – indeed for many Christians it might be wiser to do so. Smaller churches are in no way better than larger churches. Contrary to what I have heard some imply, larger churches are not necessarily large because they have watered down the gospel or diluted the need for holiness in certain areas. We must continue to praise God for what he has done, and continues to do, through many large churches across the UK as we remember that we are all on the same team.

Nevertheless, at a time when it’s increasingly easy (perhaps particularly in London) to just commute past the nearest faithful local gospel-preaching church, and join what looks instantaneously impressive, successful and comfortable, having trawled the Internet for churches which best fit our own schedules and requirements, joining a small church might be a helpful palliative for many of us. Certainly in an era that cherishes and longs for authentic and loving local community, it does not get much better than committing to a small local gospel-focused church for God’s glory.