Phil Lo Bao reports on the spiritual needs of the Isle of Man
‘The Isle of Man, where is that?’
That was a common question we were asked when we told our friends in southern England that we were moving there in 1986. The Isle of Man is actually roughly midway between the coast of North West England and Northern Ireland. It is about 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, with a population of 80,000. It is largely self governing and has its own Parliament (Tynwald) which, having its origins in about 975, is the longest continuous parliament in the world.
Like so many places, the churches vary enormously – from those where the gospel would, sadly, hardly ever be heard to those which seek to preach the good news of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Port Erin
The church we attend is called Grace Baptist Church, which is constituted upon the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. It is in a village called Port Erin on the southwestern tip of the Island. There are similar churches in Peel and Onchan. We have a membership of 20 and a congregation size of 50–55 on a Sunday morning and about half that in the evening.
The church was founded about 40 years ago and originally met in Castletown. In 1980 a plot of land was purchased in Port Erin and the current building erected. We are located in the centre of the village, opposite the local supermarket.
Outreach
Like every evangelical church, we seek to preach the gospel to the area and run the usual activities. Ours include kids’ clubs (on a Sunday and Thursday), senior citizens’ meetings, coffee mornings, songs of praise services, door-to-door visitation, book stalls, etc. We try to distribute literature to every home in the village at Christmas and Easter.
The Island is well know for the annual T.T. motorbike races which bring people from all over the world, and we have an outreach opportunity during that week by having a stall on Port Erin promenade. We are also totally committed to preaching the whole counsel of God, that believers may be built up in their faith and better equipped for the work God has called each to.
The response from the inhabitants of Port Erin is typical of that experienced in many places – apathy. Rarely is anyone rude or objectionable, but people are just not interested in the gospel. They generally have nice houses, cars, holidays and see no need for ‘religion’. However, in God’s grace we have seen conversions and do have a few unbelievers in regular attendance.
Problems
So, what are the particular problems of being in a small church in a small village on a small island?
Firstly, finding men to fill the pulpit. Although our church currently has a full-time minister, there are few local men who hold to the Reformed position that can fill the pulpit when he is away. That means we often have to ask retired ministers from the UK to come over and help. But this is expensive. The lack of preachers also means that illness can create sudden problems.
Secondly, there is the problem of actually finding a pastor. Our present minister is coming up to retirement and we are beginning to look for a successor. Sadly, there is no one in our congregation, or elsewhere, who would be suitable and so we have to look ‘off Island’. We have written to several Bible colleges and approached leaders who might know of suitable candidates. Sadly, most of the Bible colleges have simply not responded, and leaders who are looking for us have not been able to find anyone suitable to date.
Other nearby churches have found that those who have been approached when they have been seeking ministers are unwilling to even consider coming to the Island. It is true that being here is different, but surely if a man believes he is called to the ministry he should at least think about an approach rather than simply reject it out of hand simply because of the location.
Isolation
A third issue is isolation. We are not able to simply jump in the car and drive a few hundred miles to attend a conference or to meet with family. It is expensive to travel and that limits our involvement in the wider evangelical scene. But it also means that others are probably entirely unaware of our situation and circumstances. We try to overcome that by having close contacts with a few churches in the UK. For example, we have built up a close relationship with Emmanuel church in Northwich over the last 12 years. There is an interchange of preachers between our two churches and prayerful support for one another. This is very helpful indeed.
Benefits
But what are the benefits of being in a small church in a small village on a small island? There are plenty. Firstly, being a small community means that people do at least know who you are and where your church building is. People will speak to you in the street and pass the time of day. They might even be willing to come in for a coffee on a Friday morning.
Secondly, we live in a beautiful place, where there is peace and stability. Its always a joy to get back here after a visit to the UK. We are (at least at the moment) still free to hold open air services, have literature stalls on the Promenade, distribute leaflets around the village, knock on doors and so on. Some of the less than helpful UK laws have not yet been adopted by our Parliament.
Thirdly, being in a small church anywhere has the benefit of meaning that we all know each other quite well and are aware of each others needs. This helps promote a loving, caring community of believers. Being on a small island also means that there is not a great deal of mobility. People have always lived here, or move here and stay, which helps promote stability in the life of the church. We are also exempt from the ‘weekending’ trend which seems to occur in many UK churches. We also have the opportunity to have quite close fellowship with other like-minded churches on the Island.
Greatest needs
What are our greatest needs? Like everywhere else, we long to see local people saved and we need prayer for that as well as for some younger people with energy and zeal to run the various means of evangelism.
Have you ever thought of moving somewhere like the Isle of Man to be useful in the Lord’s service? I imagine you will probably say you can be useful where you are and that’s true of course. But there is a real need for labourers, not just in our church but also in the churches at Peel and Onchan. At Peel they have a full-time minister (Glenn Walters), formerly a London City Missioner, but like us they are small and would love to have others join them in their work. The Onchan church (Onchan is a village on the outskirts of Douglas, the Island’s capital) is small and has no minister.
Planning a holiday
When you are planning your next holiday, why not think about visiting the Island? It has much to offer, from lovely coastal scenery, to mountains, steam railways, glens and a huge variety of walks. When you do, why not come and join us (or Peel or Onchan) for a Sunday and encourage us with your presence. Even if you do not come over, would you at least think about praying for us?
